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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Obesity in Children & Exercise


Overview

Too much fast food and too little physical play and exercise have contributed to an increase in the number of children who are overweight and obese. According to a 2008 article by Jerome Brand, Ph.D. and Larry Proctor, Ph.D., published by the American College of Sports Medicine, childhood obesity has tripled to more than 15 percent and has become a root disease for children in the United States. This means that other health issues develop because a child is obese.

Childhood-onset of Type-2 Diabetes

According to a 2009 article by Natalie Muth, M.D., published by the American Council on Exercise, obesity is the number one cause of insulin resistance, eventually leading to type-2 diabetes. The cells of the body do not respond to insulin as they normally would, which causes a rise in blood sugar. Dr. Muth reports that if a child is diagnosed with diabetes at age 10, boys will lose 18.7 years of life and girls will lose 19 years of life. There is a parallel increase in obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome

In their article, Brand and Proctor report that metabolic syndrome in children is a collection of at least three of the following risk factors: a waist measurement greater than the 75th percentile, systolic blood pressure higher than the 90th percentile, high blood fats or triglycerides, low good cholesterol and high blood sugar. Comparisons of waist circumference and blood pressure are based on sex, age and height. According to a 2005 article by Tom LaFontaine, Ph.D., published by the American College of Sports Medicine, 30 percent to 50 percent of overweight children in the United States have metabolic syndrome. Obese children may feel they are too overweight to do any exercise, further exacerbating their condition.

Psychological and Social Issues

Overweight and obese children are discriminated against and teased by their peers more than children of normal weight, leading to isolation and depression. This is associated with a greater frequency of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Overweight youth may become preoccupied with their body weight, which may lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Isolated children are more likely not to have other kids to play or exercise with.

Treatments

The goal of an exercise program in treating childhood obesity is to decrease body mass index. BMI is calculated as a child's weight in kilograms divided by her height in meters squared. Obese children should start with 20 to 25 minutes of activity per day, gradually increasing the duration to one hour of moderate-intensity exercise daily.

Considerations

The total daily requirement of physical activity may come from sports, playing on the playground, walking or riding a bike to school, physical education classes, house chores and formal exercise training. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, boys who rode their bike to school were 30 percent more likely to be fit; girls who rode their bike to school were more likely to reach the minimum fitness standards compared to those who rode a motorized vehicle. Children in after-school programs tended to be more physically active during free play than in structured activities.

References



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/153451-obesity-in-children-exercise/#ixzz1Dm8Pm3h1
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