What is childhood obesity?
Since the 1970s, the
number of children
with obesity in the
United States has tri-
pled. One in five chil-
dren in the United
States has obesity.
Obesity is when a per-
son has too much body
fat.
You have probably
heard your childs doc-
tor talk about their
body mass index or
BMI percentile. Your
childs doctor uses
Is your child at risk of becoming
overweight or obese?
How much time your child
spends sitting still in front
of the computer, watching
television, or playing video
games plays a major role in
their risk of becoming over-
growth charts to see if
your child is a healthy
weight for their age,
sex, and height.
BMI at or above
85th percentile and
less than 95th per-
centile are consid-
ered overweight.
BMI at or above the
95th percentile are
considered obese.
Causes of Childhood
Obesity
Nutrition
Lack of physical activity
Energy imbalance
Environmental factors
Socioeconomic factors
drinking more than the body
weight or obese. needs, it leads to weight gain.
Our bodies use energy from
Encourage your child to be
foods and drinks for healthy active for at least one hour a
growth and physical activi-
day and cut back on TV time.
ty. If you are eating and
How can you prevent childhood obesity?

Encourage healthy eating. Educate

Increase fruit, vegetable, and Teach your child
whole grain intake. the importance of
healthy eating and
Limit sugar and saturated fats
physical activity
Reduce sodas
Read food labels
Increase and support physical together
activity

Limit or avoid time in front of the

television.

Participate in at least an hour of

physical activity daily.

L o n g Te r m I m p a c t s of C h i l d ho o d O b e s i t y

Obese children are more likely to be obese as adults

and they are at risk of developing chronic diseases
such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Children with obesity are at higher risk for having:
Breathing problems
Fatty liver disease
Joint problems
Because of the increasing rates
of obesity, unhealthy eating
habits and physical inactivity,
we may see the first generation
that will be less healthy and
have a shorter life expectancy
than their parents.

High blood pressure -Former Surgeon General

Richard Carmona
High cholesterol

Anxiety and depression

Source: www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm