January 14, 2004
Adults nationwide have been sounding off about the ever-increasing overweight and obesity crisis in our kids for years. But we rarely ever hear what the little ones themselves have to say. Do they even know it's a problem, or understand what should be done about it? According to a recent KidsPoll on obesity, they do.
More than half (52%) of the 1,168 9- to 13-year-old boys and girls polled said too many children are overweight. And most kids seem to know the reason why so many children are overweight - more than half the respondents said overweight kids either don't exercise (29%) or don't eat right (25%).
Using handheld data devices, students from 22 schools were polled while visiting nine health education centers and children's museums in Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The KidsPoll is a collaboration among the Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth, the Department of Health Education and Recreation at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, the National Association of Health Education Centers (NAHEC), and participating health education centers.
Similar to national norms, about one quarter of the children reported being overweight, with more girls reporting being overweight than boys. Consistent with national data, more than half of the children (55%) said they were "about the right weight."
Still, although only 22% indicated that they're overweight, more than half (54%) of the children said they worry or stress out about their weight.
And consider these surprising findings from children who indicated that they're at the right weight:
- Almost half worry about their weight (32% sometimes, 11% at least once a week, and 8% every day).
- Almost half have tried to lose weight (43%).
The statistics also reveal what many parents likely already suspect - girls are much more focused on their weight than boys:
- 67% of girls admit to some level of worry about their weight, versus 41% of boys
- 64% of girls have been talked to about their weight, versus 47% of boys
- 65% of girls have tried to lose weight, versus 52% of boys
Inside Obesity
Despite their young age, the students who participated in the KidsPoll acknowledged that there is, indeed, a hefty health problem in the United States that needs to be fixed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of overweight children in the United States rose nearly 20% in the past decade. One in every four children is now classified as either overweight or at risk for overweight.
Not only are overweight and obese children at risk for serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol - all once considered exclusively adult health concerns - they're also prone to low self-esteem that stems from being teased, bullied, or rejected by peers. Overweight children are often the last to be chosen as playmates, even as early as preschool (in fact, 60% of the students in the KidsPoll said it's harder for overweight kids to make friends). Children who are overweight may also be more likely than average-weight children to develop unhealthy dieting habits and eating disorders, and may be more prone to depression, as well as substance abuse.
Parents who model - and enforce - good eating and exercising behavior, and who talk to their children about healthy living are the real key to curbing the obesity crisis. Still, when asked who talks to them individually about their weight, 26% of the kids surveyed who indicated that they're overweight said, "no one ever talks to me about my weight" - a statistic Sandra G. Hassink, MD, director of the weight management program at a children's hospital in Delaware, finds troubling.
"It was significant to me that while most kids learned that weight was a problem from their families, far fewer felt that families were are resource for information about healthy weight maintainance," says Hassink.
But parents can take heart in the fact that the vast majority of the young respondents in the KidsPoll are aware of the obesity problem and know that healthy eating, exercise - or both - are the right way to maintain weight.
"This is significant in that the groundwork has been created to make a lifestyle change," says Hassink. "However, we need to be careful that it doesn't stop here, since adults have known for a long time that eating and exercise were the answers to the weight problem and obesity is still increasing. What is often missing are the concrete steps which will allow people to change their eating and exercise habits."
For starters, parents can take a whole-family approach to helping their kids lead a healthy lifestyle. It's the "practice what you preach" mentality - make eating and exercising a family affair. Have your children help you plan healthy meals and go grocery shopping, so they can learn how to make good food choices. Lead by example.
Watch less television, play fewer video games, spend less time on the computer, and go for a walk with your children. Help them feel good about themselves and build their confidence. Most of all, let your kids know you love them - no matter what their weight - and that you want to help them be happy and healthy.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: January 2004
