Childhood obesity

epidemic in America

Source: Let’s Move

The childhood obesity epidemic in America is a national health crisis. One in every three children (31.7 percent) ages two-19 is overweight or obese. The life-threatening consequences of this epidemic create a compelling and critical call for action that cannot be ignored. Obesity is estimated to cause 112,000 deaths per year in the United States, and one third of all children born in the year 2000 are expected to develop diabetes during their lifetime. The current generation may even be on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Along with the effects on our children’s health, childhood obesity imposes substantial economic costs.

Each year, obese adults incur an estimated $1,429 more in medical expenses than their normal-weight peers. Overall, medical spending on adults that was attributed to obesity topped approximately $40 billion in 1998, and by 2008, increased to an estimated $147 billion. Excess weight is also costly during childhood, estimated at $3 billion per year in direct medical costs.

Childhood obesity also creates potential implications for military readiness. More than one quarter of all Americans ages 17-24 are unqualified for military service because they are too heavy. While these statistics are striking, there is much reason to be hopeful. There is considerable knowledge about the risk factors associated with childhood obesity. Research and scientific information on the causes and consequences of childhood obesity form the platform on which to build our national policies and partner with the private sector to end the childhood obesity epidemic.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is defined as excess body fat. Because body fat is difficult to measure directly, obesity is often measured by body mass index (BMI), a common scientific way to screen for whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. BMI adjusts weight for height, and while it is not a perfect indicator of obesity, it is a valuable tool for public health.

Adults with a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 are considered overweight, those with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese, and those with a BMI of 40 or more are considered extremely obese.

For children and adolescents, these BMI categories are further divided by sex and age because of the changes that occur during growth and development. Growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are used to calculate children’s BMI.

Children and adolescents with a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentiles are generally considered overweight, and those with a BMI at or above the sex-and age-specific 95th percentile of population on this growth chart are typically considered obese. Determining what is a healthy weight for children is challenging, even with precise measures.

BMI is often used as a screening tool, since a BMI in the overweight or obese range often, but not always, indicates that a child is at increased risk for health problems. A clinical assessment and other indicators must also be considered when evaluating a child’s overall health and development.

Who Does Obesity Impact? Prevalence and Trends

By gaining a deeper understanding of individuals who are impacted by obesity, we can better shape policies to combat it. Since 1980, obesity has become dramatically more common among Americans of all ages.

Prevalence estimates of obesity in the U.S. are derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC. Between the survey periods 1976–80 and 2007–08, obesity has more than doubled among adults (rising from 15 percent to 34 percent), and more than tripled among children and adolescents (rising from five percent to 17 percent). The rapid increase in childhood obesity in the 1980s and 1990s has slowed, with no significant increase in recent years. However, among boys ages 6–19, very high BMI (at or above the 97th percentile) became more common between 1999–2000 and 2007–08; about 15 percent of boys in this age group are in this category.

Students to get free fruit and vegetables

FREE fresh fruits and vegetables at Albany Elementary School began Wednesday, September 2nd during snack time and will be available to ALL children for FREE. This program will be available EVERY Wednesday during snack time for AES students. Parents, please encourage your child to participate in the program.

Students to get free breaksfast and lunch

A friendly reminder ALL students in Clinton County School District will receive FREE breakfast and lunch.

For more information please contact April Speck, Clinton County Healthy Hometown Coordinator at 606-387-2051 or april.speck@clinton.kyschools.us

Check us out on Facebook- Kentucky’s Healthy Hometown Initiative-Clinton County.

Healthy Hometown is working toward a “healthy” Clinton County.