American children are heavier than ever before, according to a new study.
Not only are kids obese, they're even heavier than previously thought, says the research from healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente.
The study examined the weights and heights of 710,000 children aged 2 to 19 in southern California, and found 7% of boys and 5% of girls were "extremely" obese, defined as 120% of the 95th percentile for weight for the child's age and sex.
An example would be a 10-year-old who should weigh about 70 pounds, but instead weighs 140 pounds, Corinna Koebnick, PhD., the study's lead author, told WebMD.com.
''The prevalence of extreme obesity was much higher than we thought," Koebnick said. ''Seven percent of boys and 5% of girls -- that is scary."
Koebnick's team found that 37.1% of the children were overweight, 19.4% were obese and 6.4% were extremely obese, according to WebMD.
''This is a serious health issue,'' she told WebMD. ''These children are very likely to continue to be obese adults and face all the health consequences that come with obesity at a very early age.''
Statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control in January reported that obesity rates for adult men and women have remained constant for at least five years. However, the same data found that nearly 34% of adults are considered obese, and the number of obese children tripled over the past 30 years to 17%.
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Obesity and Overweight ( fact )
Important facts
->there are almost 1 billion overweighted audlts & out of them around 300 million are suffering from obesity
->obesity increases the risk factor in chronic diseases
->large in-takes of energy-dense foods which contain saturated fats & sugers & less physical work
Glabally obesity is reaching epidemic proportions where more than 1 billion adults are overweight & out of them minimum 300 million are obese which is a major contribution in the global burden of diseases & diabilities.in developing countries the situation of obesity is becoming complex pertaining to all social & psychological issues affecting all age groups almost.
Large in takes of energy-busted foods with poor nutrient contents & high levels os sugar & fat contents with less of physical work lead to growing obesity rates rising more & more since 1980 in few areas of Unites Kingdom,North AMerica,Eastern Europe,the Pacific Islands,the Middle East,Autralasia & China.Not only industrialised socities are prne to obesity epidemic,but is increasing in even faster in the developing countries as well than the developed world.
The problems of obesity & overweight are a great risk for the diet-restrictes chronic diseases whic includes type 2 diabetes,cardiovascular diseases,stroke & hypertension & some forms of cancer. The health results ranges vary from increased risks of prematured death to the chronic disease conditions that degrade the overall quality of life.
the main concern is the increasing situations of child obesity.
Childhood obesity gains, losses
Fewer Chicago kids entering kindergarten and first grade were obese in 2008 vs. five years earlier. But children in Chicago are still more likely to be fatter than kids nationwide and, by sixth grade, more than one in four kids here is obese.
Those are the key findings of a new study by the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children that suggests that efforts to fight childhood obesity in Chicago might be starting to have an effect but also reflects how daunting the problem is.
Efforts here to attack early childhood obesity "seem to be making a difference," said Adam Becker, executive director of the Chicago consortium, based at Children's Memorial Hospital. "But we still have a lot of work to do."
Those efforts include promoting healthy eating and getting physical activity.
Among kids 3 to 7 years old in Chicago schools, 22 percent were obese in 2008 vs. 24 percent in 2003.
No other major city has reported a similar decrease in this age group, though some are starting to see obesity rates level off, Becker said.
But the new report also found that, among Chicago students entering sixth grade, 28 percent were obese -- a sign that kids are getting fatter as they get older.
The new figures are based on school health examination forms for more than 4,500 children entering Chicago's public schools and Catholic schools run by the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Nationally, 10 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds and almost 20 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds are obese -- that hasn't changed much in a decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Those are the key findings of a new study by the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children that suggests that efforts to fight childhood obesity in Chicago might be starting to have an effect but also reflects how daunting the problem is.
Efforts here to attack early childhood obesity "seem to be making a difference," said Adam Becker, executive director of the Chicago consortium, based at Children's Memorial Hospital. "But we still have a lot of work to do."
Those efforts include promoting healthy eating and getting physical activity.
Among kids 3 to 7 years old in Chicago schools, 22 percent were obese in 2008 vs. 24 percent in 2003.
No other major city has reported a similar decrease in this age group, though some are starting to see obesity rates level off, Becker said.
But the new report also found that, among Chicago students entering sixth grade, 28 percent were obese -- a sign that kids are getting fatter as they get older.
The new figures are based on school health examination forms for more than 4,500 children entering Chicago's public schools and Catholic schools run by the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Nationally, 10 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds and almost 20 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds are obese -- that hasn't changed much in a decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Medical community tackles childhood obesity issue
It’s well-established that there is a childhood obesity epidemic. What’s not well-established is how best to tackle it and prevent children from becoming overweight and obese, in part because there are many factors that play into this weighing issue.
While the medical community is addressing the issue and considering various ways to help children, obese pediatric patients often have diseases that wreak havoc on their bodies as well as rack up a financial burden on the health care industry.
Medical professionals are still looking for the best ways to counteract obesity while taking into account children’s nutritional needs fluctuate as they grow older. Most treatment programs are much like preventative programs, focusing on lifestyle factors like diet and activity.
Dr. Jill Radack, a pediatric endocrinologist at Cook Children’s, said the medical center has served an increasing number of children with obesity and weight-related comorbidities, like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and other medical issues. A small number of obese children may have underlying medical conditions causing them to weigh more, she said, but now medical professionals realize that pediatric patients aren’t just overweight — they’re overweight and unhealthy.
“I think the way that we look at it now is we’re just able to better recognize the fact that the children aren’t just fat,” she said. “They actually do carry medical problems with their obesity, and these are problems that we used to consider adult problems.”
A child’s body mass index, or ratio of weight to height, is used to calculate whether he or she is overweight, Radack said. Overweight is considered greater than the 85th percentile for BMIs, and obese is greater than the 95th percentile. Current data shows 21 percent to 24 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight, she said, and another 16 percent to 18 percent are obese.
http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=12165
While the medical community is addressing the issue and considering various ways to help children, obese pediatric patients often have diseases that wreak havoc on their bodies as well as rack up a financial burden on the health care industry.
Medical professionals are still looking for the best ways to counteract obesity while taking into account children’s nutritional needs fluctuate as they grow older. Most treatment programs are much like preventative programs, focusing on lifestyle factors like diet and activity.
Dr. Jill Radack, a pediatric endocrinologist at Cook Children’s, said the medical center has served an increasing number of children with obesity and weight-related comorbidities, like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and other medical issues. A small number of obese children may have underlying medical conditions causing them to weigh more, she said, but now medical professionals realize that pediatric patients aren’t just overweight — they’re overweight and unhealthy.
“I think the way that we look at it now is we’re just able to better recognize the fact that the children aren’t just fat,” she said. “They actually do carry medical problems with their obesity, and these are problems that we used to consider adult problems.”
A child’s body mass index, or ratio of weight to height, is used to calculate whether he or she is overweight, Radack said. Overweight is considered greater than the 85th percentile for BMIs, and obese is greater than the 95th percentile. Current data shows 21 percent to 24 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight, she said, and another 16 percent to 18 percent are obese.
http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=12165
Trends in waist circumference - Obesity
BMI provides a measure of overall adiposity, but the distribution of adipose tissue in predicting health risks associated with obesity is also important. Abdominal fat deposition is generally considered a key component of obesity. Waist circumference is a convenient way of measuring abdominal fat deposition and may be a more useful measure of obesity than BMI is for several reasons. First, waist circumference is associated more strongly with risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is as good or better predictor of future risk of the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, CVD and all-cause mortality. In addition, waist circumference is conceptually easy to measure and the public may understand waist circumference more easily than BMI.
Waist circumference data for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III have been described for subjects above 17 years of age. This study provides additional detail about the distribution of waist circumference in NHANES III, and examines changes in waist circumference among US adults from 1988 to 1994 through 1999 to 2000.
Data from 15, 454 subjects in NHANES III (1988 to 1994) and 4024 subjects from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2000 was used. The median waist circumference increased from 94.4 cm to 97.1 cm among men and from 86.6 am to 90.3 cm among women. The percentiles suggest that much of the waist circumference distribution has shifted. The prevalence of a high-risk waist circumference (greater than 102 cm in men and greater than 88 cm in women) increased between the two surveys in all subgroups except Mexican-American women. Among both men and women, the greatest increases in waist circumference occurred among those between 20 to 39 years of age.
These results demonstrate the rapid increase in obesity, especially abdominal obesity, among US adults. The findings suggest that unless measures are taken to slow the increase or reverse the course of the obesity epidemic, the burden of obesity-associated morbidity and mortality in the United States, could be expected to increase substantially in future years. One obstacle is that, it is unclear how commonly clinicians measure waist circumference. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is not practised routinely. Although measuring waist circumference correctly requires practice, health care professionals are urged to incorporate waist circumference along with measuring weight and height in their routine practice.
Waist circumference data for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III have been described for subjects above 17 years of age. This study provides additional detail about the distribution of waist circumference in NHANES III, and examines changes in waist circumference among US adults from 1988 to 1994 through 1999 to 2000.
Data from 15, 454 subjects in NHANES III (1988 to 1994) and 4024 subjects from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2000 was used. The median waist circumference increased from 94.4 cm to 97.1 cm among men and from 86.6 am to 90.3 cm among women. The percentiles suggest that much of the waist circumference distribution has shifted. The prevalence of a high-risk waist circumference (greater than 102 cm in men and greater than 88 cm in women) increased between the two surveys in all subgroups except Mexican-American women. Among both men and women, the greatest increases in waist circumference occurred among those between 20 to 39 years of age.
These results demonstrate the rapid increase in obesity, especially abdominal obesity, among US adults. The findings suggest that unless measures are taken to slow the increase or reverse the course of the obesity epidemic, the burden of obesity-associated morbidity and mortality in the United States, could be expected to increase substantially in future years. One obstacle is that, it is unclear how commonly clinicians measure waist circumference. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is not practised routinely. Although measuring waist circumference correctly requires practice, health care professionals are urged to incorporate waist circumference along with measuring weight and height in their routine practice.
