Childhood Obesity in America

We have all heard the statistics and seen the pictures of chubby children struggling to climb into a park swing, hit a ball or run to first base. It has become such a common topic that it is easy to become complacent. But consider this: According to the Institue of Medicine, the prevalence of obesity has doubled for pre-school children (2 - 5 years of age) and adolescents (12 - 19 years) since the 1970's. Obesity rates have tripled for children aged 6 - 11 yeas. This has caused a ripple effect in their physical and emotional health. It is estimated that approximately 30% of boys and 40% of girls born in the U.S. are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Obesity-associated anual hospital costs for pediatric patients have more than tripled over the past twenty years. It now costs us more than 100 billion dollars annually. More and more children struggle with low self-esteem, particularly during adolescence, as they realize they do not conform to the "ideal" bodies they see on television and in magazines. Although those images may not be healthy, neither are the overweight, diabetes-prone bodies our children are developing. Safety is also an issue for some younger children, as many parents struggle to find car seats that fit in order to transport them safely in their family vehicles.

Why is this happening? Who do we blame? Where do we begin to make changes?

Do we blame the fast food industry for super-sizing us to death? Should we ban carpools and start walking our children to the neighborhood school again? Do we sacrifice time and convenience and stop buying ready-to-eat meals and throw out our microwaves? Unplug the television and turn off the computer and video games and start a neighborhood wiffle-ball team? Should we remove all the high-fructose corn syrup from our pantries or throw out artificial sweeteners becuase of their suspected contribution to sugar cravings? Do doctors and insurance companies need to start approving bariatric surgeries for teens and children who cannot control their food intake? Maybe the answer lies in gene therapy somehow.

There are definitely more questions than answers. We'll explore this further in the next post.