CHILDHOOD OBESITY INITIATIVE

CHILDHOOD OBESITY IS A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION THAT AFFECTS OVER 20 PERCENT OF BREVARD CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT

Rationale for Forum's Childhood Obesity Initiative

Per a 2006 community health assessment, more than 20% of the County’s childhood and adolescent population (ages 2 to 19) were classified as obese, which was defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex

"Get Active! Brevard" Event

Childhood obesity continues to be a pressing healthcare priority in Brevard County – where more than 25% of our children are considered overweight or obese. To bring increased awareness to this issue, Brevard Healthcare Forum hosted its 2nd annual “Get Active! Brevard.” The family festival-style event took place on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 10 am to 2 pm at Viera Regional Park, targeting kids ages 5-12 and their parents for the purpose of:

1) Raising awareness about proper nutrition and the importance of physical activity;

2) Connecting parents and children with community resources related to childhood obesity;

3) Empowering parents and children to take the first steps toward a healthier lifestyle by providing activities, presentations, materials and vendors on this topic.

2009 Get Active! Photo Gallery

2008 Get Active! Photo Gallery

Defining Overweight and Obesity in Children

Obesity is excess body fat. Because body fat is usually not measured, a ratio of body weight to height is often used instead. It is defined as BMI. For children and adolescents, classifications of overweight and obesity are age- and sex-specific because children's body composition varies as they age and varies between boys and girls.

Childhood overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile.

Childhood obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.

Children and adolescents who are overweight and/or obese are faced with with various health risks. These risks increase in severity as one's BMI climbs higher in percentile rank.

What is BMI?

Body mass index (BMI) is a practical measure used to determine overweight and obesity. BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height that is used to determine weight status. For children and adolescents (aged 2–19 years), the BMI value is plotted on the CDC growth charts to determine the corresponding BMI-for-age percentile

Click here to calculate the BMI for a child or adolescent ages 2-20. See the chart below to determine what is a healthy BMI range for children and adolescents:

Contributing Factors

At the individual level, childhood obesity is the result of an imbalance between the calories a child consumes as food and beverages and the calories a child uses to support normal growth and development, metabolism, and physical activity. In other words, obesity results when a child consumes more calories than the child uses. The imbalance between calories consumed and calories used can result from the influences and interactions of a number of factors, including behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. It is the interactions among these factors – rather than any single factor – that is thought to cause obesity.

1. Behavioral Factors: Certain behaviors can be identified as potentially contributing to an energy imbalance and, consequently, to obesity. These include an excess of caloric intake, insufficient amounts of physical activity, and frequent time spend engaging in sedentary behavior, i.e. watching television, playing video games, on the computer.
2. Environmental Factors: Due to the fact that children spend the majorty of day to day interactions with parents, childcare providers, at school, and within their communities, each environment can influence children's behaviors related to food intake and physical activity.
3. Genetic Factors: Studies indicate that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual's susceptibility to excess body weight. However, this genetic susceptibility may need to exist in conjunction with contributing environmental and behavioral factors (such as a high-calorie food supply and minimal physical activity) to have a significant effect on weight.

Health Risks

Childhood obesity is associated with various health-related consequences. Obese children and adolescents may experience immediate health consequences and may be at risk for weight-related health problems in adulthood. Being overweight increases a child's risk for a number of diseases and conditions, including:

Asthma. Asthma is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become blocked or narrowed causing breathing difficulty. Studies have identified an association between childhood obesity and asthm

Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult onset diabetes, has become increasingly prevalent among overweight children and adolescents. Onset of diabetes in children and adolescents can result in advanced complications such as CVD and kidney failure.

Heart Disease. Early indicators of atherosclerosis — also known as hardening of the arteries — begin as early as childhood and adolescence in children with risk factors. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of heart disease. It is related to high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which are associated with poor eating habits and overweight.

High Blood Pressure. Overweight children are more likely to have high blood pressure that can strain the heart.

Liver Problems. People who are obese are at higher risk for a liver problem called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is caused by a high concentration of liver enzymes and can lead to cirrhosis.

Trouble Sleeping. Children who are overweight are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea, which is a serious, potentially life-threatening breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. Over a long period of time, this can lead to heart failure.

Psychosocial Consequences. Obese children and adolescents are targets of early and systematic social discrimination.The psychological stress of social stigmatization can cause low self-esteem which, in turn, can hinder academic and social functioning, and persist into adulthood

Tips for Parents

To help your child maintain a healthy weight, balance the calories your child consumes from foods and beverages with the calories your child uses through physical activity and normal growth. Remember that the goal for overweight and obese children and teens is to reduce the rate of weight gain while allowing normal growth and development.

Encourage Healthy Eating Patterns

• Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned, or dried). Kids should have 5 servings daily. Let your child choose them at the store.

• Replace soft drinks and fruit juices with water or low-fat milk. Low-fat milk and milk products are important for your child’s development. One hundred percent fruit juice is a healthy choice but is high in calories.

• Make sure your child eats breakfast every day. Breakfast may provide your child with the energy he or she needs to listen and learn in school. Skipping breakfast can leave your child hungry, tired, and looking for less healthy foods later in the day.

  

• Plan healthy meals and eat together as a family. Eating together at meal times helps children learn to enjoy a variety of foods

• Do not get discouraged if your child will not eat a new food the first time it is served. Some kids will need to have a new food served to them 10 times or more before they will eat it. Click here to learn how to deal with an especially picky eater

Help Kids Stay Active

Another part of balancing calories is to engage in an appropriate amount of physical activity and avoid too much sedentary time. Children and teens should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week, preferably daily. Remember that children imitate adults. Start adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you.

Some examples of moderate intensity physical activity include: 

• Brisk walking
• Playing tag
• Jumping rope
• Playing soccer
• Swimming
• Dancing

Reduce sedentary time.
In addition to encouraging physical activity, help children avoid too much sedentary time. Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit the time your children watch television, play video games, or surf the web to no more than 2 hours per day.

Limit Screen Time

Screen time is not just TV, it includes watching DVDs, playing video games or surfing the Internet. By turning off the screen, you can help crank up your kids’ energy, re-charge their minds and improve their health. Here are some tips to decrease screen time within your household:

• Monitor and Set Limits: Know how much screen time you and your children are getting, and then set limits for the entire family. You’ll be amazed how much extra time you find when you turn off the TV or computer.
• Play It Down: Using screen time to reward or punish a child makes it seem more important than it is. Use praise, encouragement and recognition for physical activity, and make screen time a “non-event” in your home.
• Double Time: When watching TV at home, do jumping jacks, pushups, or crunches during commercial breaks. Set up a stationary bike in the TV room, and encourage kids to move through their favorite shows. 
• After-School Action Plan: Many kids list watching TV as their #1 after-school activity. Sometimes, they just need help coming up with other things to do. Have your kids make a “Top 10 List” of after-school activities. Just a few examples include riding bikes, shooting hoops, walking the dog, folding laundry or even helping with dinner. Post the list on the fridge, so your kids can check it when they get home.
• No TV Dinners: Turn off the TV during mealtime— and take turns talking about the day. 
• Cut the Cord: Take the TVs and computers out of your kids’ bedrooms. Children who have TVs in their rooms spend almost 1–½ hours more each day watching them than their peers. Plus, if your kids are in their rooms watching TV, they’re removed from family time. 

5-2-1 Almost None: A Formula for a Healthy Lifestyle

Follow the 5-2-1- Almost None formula with your family to stay your healthiest! The guidelines are simple:

Five stands for five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables are packed with disease-fighting nutrients and give you energy, naturally.

Two stands for no more than two hours per day in front of a screen (TV, video games, and recreational computer time). A number of studies show a correlation between watching television and obesity.

One means at least one hour of physical activity per day. Physical activity, especially when it gets the heart pumping faster, is vital to maintaining a healthy weight and overall good health. Kids who are raised in active families tend to stay active as adults.

Almost none refers to almost no sugary beverages — no more than two servings per week of soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks that are not 100% fruit juice. Over the last few decades, soda consumption has doubled for girls, tripled for boys.

Forum Actions to Date

A childhood/adolescence obesity committee was assembled in 2007 to share ideas and research findings and to identify non-blame solutions for children and families. Resulting efforts culminated in “Get Active! Brevard,” a free county-wide fitness and healthy lifestyle event, and participation in a Central Florida initiative to address childhood obesity. The event was co-sponsored by the Forum and Brevard County Parks and Recreation to address childhood obesity by educating families about nutrition and physical activity, connecting them with community resources and empowering them to move toward a healthier lifestyle. Over 1,200 people attended this first-ever event and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Activities included lectures for parents about healthy behaviors for their children; cooking, dance and sports demonstrations; health-related vendor booths; and a host of physical activities including a climbing wall, skate ramp, obstacle courses and soccer drills.

Future Forum Actions

The Brevard Healthcare Forum will:

• Act as a resource for organizations, parents, children, educators and others to access best practices, tools and tips related to the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity
• Collaborate with and support like-minded organizations and associations
• Establish and monitor metrics to measure the effectiveness and efficiencies of initiatives aimed at preventing and treating childhood obesity
• Create a “community” of concerned, interested people and organizations

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