Right: labelling laws proposed (and implemented in some countries) aim to inform consumers of the calorie content of sugary drinks and other foods.
 Found a word you're not familiar with? Double-click that word to bring up a dictionary reference to it. The dictionary page includes an audio sound file with which to actually hear the word said. |
Background information
(The following overview is an edited version of the Wikipedia entry under 'Childhood obesity'. The full text of this entry can be accessed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity)
Childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on body mass index (BMI). Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects it is being recognized as a serious public health concern. The term overweight rather than obese is often used in children as it is less stigmatizing.
Body mass index (BMI) can be used to determine obesity for children two years of age and older. The normal range for BMI in children varies with age and sex. Obesity is generally defined as a BMI greater than or equal to the 95th percentile.
The United States Preventive Service Task Force reported that not all children with a high BMI need to lose weight. High BMI can identify a possible weight problem, but does not differentiate between fat or lean tissue.
Causes
Childhood obesity can be brought on by a range of factors which often act in combination. 'Obesogenic environment' is the medical term set aside for this mixture of elements. The greatest risk factor for child obesity is the obesity of both parents. This may be reflected by the family's environment and genetics. Other reasons may also be due to psychological factors and the child's body type.
A 2010 review stated that childhood obesity likely is the result of the interaction of natural selection and today's consumerist society with easy access to energy dense cheap foods and fewer energy-demanding activities in daily life.
Legal measures
Some jurisdictions attempt to use laws and regulations to steer kids and parents towards making healthier food choices. Two examples are calorie count laws and banning soft drinks from sale at vending machines in schools. Calorie count laws are a type of law that require restaurant chains of fifteen or more to publish detailed food energy and nutritional information on the food served, in a font equal to or larger than the size of the name of the item. The law was first enacted in 2009, in the state of New York. Others have since been enacted in California
Physical activity
Physical inactivity of children has also been shown to be a serious cause of childhood obesity. Technology use has a large impact on children's level of physical activity. Researchers provided a technology questionnaire to 4,561 children, ages 14, 16, and 18. They discovered children were 21.5% more likely to be overweight when watching 4+ hours of TV per day, 4.5% more likely to be overweight when using a computer one or more hours per day, and unaffected by potential weight gain from playing video games. A randomized trial showed that reducing TV viewing and computer use can decrease age-adjusted BMI; however, reduced calorie intake was thought to be the greatest contributor to the BMI decrease.
Australia
Throughout the 21st Century, Australia has found that its childhood obesity growth has followed trend with the United States. Research studies have lead to the conclusion that the greatest increase has occurred in the lower socioeconomic areas where poor nutritional education has been seen as a key factor.