Children are certainly becoming more adipose. Obesity among US children 6 to 11 years of age has keeps rising. The childhood obesity rate tripled from 6.5% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services research points to several reasons for the childhood obesity increase.
Inactivity – Unlike years gone by, children now prefer to exercise their fingers and thumbs playing virtual sports, rather than participating in actual athletic competition. Has our national preoccupation with politically correct, non-competitive sports had an impact here?
Who can tell for sure? However, seeing your intense effort being rewarded in a similar fashion to another who merely participated in the same event does not teach children that effort leads to reward, no matter the effects on little Johnny’s self-esteem and well-being.
The National Sporting Goods Association reports that from 2001 to 2011, childhood participation in organized sporting activities saw an overall decline. Those participating in baseball, basketball and volleyball dropped 17.3, 7.1%, and 16.2% respectively. Soccer saw a modest increase (0.4%), while football and tennis both grew significantly (4.7% and 20.1%).
Overall, the number of young people participating in these six sports went from 88.4 million to 84.5 million, a 4.7% decrease. Are kids these days simply eschewing real sports for virtual ones? Would they rather play NBA 2012 than dribble a real ball on a real court?
How have video games fared during the same time period? According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), between 1999 and 2008, video game sales increased 300%. Although teens and younger age groups do not comprise the largest percentage of game players, they are still strongly represented. However, in case you’re wondering, the average gamer is 35 years old, so it isn’t just the younger generation who is growing larger while playing more virtual sports.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Has the increase in video gaming contributed to the sports participation decline? Possibly, but there is far more than video gaming and decreasing sports participation to blame for an increasingly obese youngster population. Garbage in, garbage out comes to mind here.
One viewing of Morgan Spurlock’s ode to fast food, Supersize Me, and you’ll come to the conclusion that most things you can order by yelling into a speaker at someone who you can’t understand very well are not the healthiest of fare. Are we eating more of that griddle borne poison?
Michael Freeman, author of the book Pediatric Obesity, reports that fast food sales increased 900% in the 30 years from 1975 – 2005. In addition researchers have discovered that living near a source of junk or fast food has a direct correlation with a child’s likelihood of becoming obese. The Nation Institute of Health found that kids who live nearer than a block to a convenience store had a higher BMI than those who did not.
A study from Columbia University and the University of California revealed that kids who attended a school nearer than 525 feet from a fast food restaurant were 5.2% more likely to be obese than those who weren’t fortunate enough to have a ready source of fast food across the street or around the corner.
A diet full of such food is an easy trap for a time crunched parent to fall into, however. Couple that to some masterful marketing by the fast food industry, and it is so easy to just swing through the drive through to satiate little Johnny, rather than to endure the screaming that ensues as the Golden Arches recede into the distance.
Easy as it may be, it is doing our children a disservice, and I have been as guilty as the next parent. Going through the drive through adjacent to the local high school on the way home from football and basketball practice has become a nightly ritual. Practice gets out late, home is still 15 minutes away, and doing the dishes at 9pm on a work/school night is a job no one wants. You probably know the story.
There may, in fact be no direct causal relationship between them, but an increase in fast food dining, more video game play, lower education level among parents, and decreasing participation in youth sports have all paralleled the rise in childhood obesity levels. I’m not a prestigious research institution, so I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions on the issue.
What can we do to help our kids, and in 20 years, ourselves, not спорт an extra 20, 30, or even 50 lbs around our midsections? The easiest solution is to reverse the trends that have led to our current position.
Eat More Nutritious Diets
Get educated about nutrition, In this era, there is simply no excuse for not having at least a modicum of nutritional savvy. There is this thing called the Internet….. Plan meals to include solid nutritional choices, rather than foods rich in white flour, refined sugar, and saturated fats. If kids get in the habit of eating nutritious foods at home, they’ll be more likely o eat them on the road, as well, not to mention the health benefits from healthy home meals.
Substitute low glycemic index (foods that convert to sugar more slowly in the bloodstream) fruits for candy and other sugary snacks. Note; most breakfast cereals are loaded with refined sugar, so avoid them like the plague.
Bring nutritious foods to practices, events and activities, so the kids have a ready source of nutritious food, rather than going through the drive through on the way to or from them, or hitting the concession stand for candy and hot dogs. Almonds, apples, and peanuts are great choices here.
Also, keep portion sizes lower, so there is at least some semblance of sanity to them. I’m sorry, but a 24 oz drink is not a small. There is no reason for kids to eat large or mondo/extra-large. Your heart may enjoy a triple cheeseburger, but that feeling is only temporary, before the struggle to beat sets in. Try the grilled chicken sandwich with tomato and lettuce instead.
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