Obesity is heavy burden for children

Americans are facing an epidemic of overweight children. An estimated 20 percent of all children today are obese — which means they are 20 percent above what is considered to be the normal weight for their height and age.

Many parents don't realize the physical and emotional obstacles that being overweight can create. The condition can lead to medical problems in childhood, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, sleep apnea and joint problems. Obesity can also increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other disorders in adulthood.

Often, overweight children are teased by their peers and may develop poor self-esteem as a result. Such children may avoid or have trouble succeeding in sports.

Who or what is to blame for the current epidemic? Genetics plays a role in obesity, so any child with overweight parents is at risk. But in our country, children often become overweight as a result of their diet and lack of exercise.

Many children eat too many fast foods and processed foods, which are full of unhealthy fats, sugars and salt in oversized portions. These meals also are made up of nutritionally "empty" calories that don't supply a balance of necessary nutrients.

It's all too easy for busy parents to fall into the trap of giving children too much of the quick, convenient junk food they ask for. Healthier foods, with more fiber and protein, are not the ones being pushed in television advertisements. These also take more time to prepare and may be more expensive.

Added to our unhealthy diet is our couch-potato culture. Television, video and computer games and the Internet take time away from physical activity. As fields and forests are taken over by malls and housing developments, more children are spending too many hours indoors — often in front of the television. They're not getting the physical activity their bodies need.

In some cases, additional factors may contribute to weight gain. Some children turn to food for comfort, particularly if they have never found other ways to soothe themselves.

Some children may never have learned to pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. This seems to be more common in children who never sit down for relaxed mealtimes with their families. Instead, they have lunch or dinner while watching television, and they snack all day.

Children are more likely to learn to handle their appetites when mealtimes (and snacks) occur at regular, predictable times that have a beginning, middle and end — such as salad to start, then the main course, and finally dessert.