Childhood obesity
growing

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - It's no secret that America's waistlines are growing, but new studies show people are gaining weight younger and younger.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) childhood obesity's tripled nationwide in the last thirty years.

"That's an alarming statistic," Parkview Hospital Dietitian Kathy Wehrle said. "And recent studies showed obesity is even higher in Indiana and Allen County than nationally."

Parkview Health's 2007 Community Health Assessment found 21.8 percent of children ages 6-17 in Allen County were overweight. That's compared with 14.1 percent in the United States.

The number of overweight children increases within the low-income families. Parkviews's 2006 study found:

* 24.7 percent of low-income children are overweight.

* 33.5 percent of low-income African American children are overweight.

* 57.5 percent of low-income Hispanic children are overweight.

"The kids we see when they come in for treatment are usually pretty severe," Wehrle said.

Wehrle said children become overweight for a combination of reasons, but mostly because of what they eat and how much they move.

"Genetics can predispose a person to obesity, but really it's the environment that tips the scale and causes obesity," she said.

Parkview's study found many kids aren't eating healthy foods on a regular basis.

* 77.3 percent of Allen County children eat fast food at least once a week; 21.7 percent of them had it three or more times.

"Fast food is a huge factor for a lot of families," Wehrle said. "Portion sizes are so large and the caloric density is high. There's a lot of fat and not a lot of fiber. Nutrients are not the best in fast food and they usually drink a lot of sweetened drinks."

* 54.2 percent of the children eat junk food at least once a day.

* 35.2 percent eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

"Unfortunately that is a trend, especially with children. They're not meeting their needs for fruits and vegetables," Wehrle said. "I think if some kids don't like them, parents stop serving them."

The study found the poor eating habits are coupled with a sedentary lifestyle.

"A lot of parents are working, either both parents or a single-parent family, and I think when kids come home they gravitate to the TV," Jorgensen YMCA Director Brian West said.

* 30.4 percent of area kids spend three or more hours watching TV, playing video games and using the computer every day.

Wehrle recommends two or fewer hours per day, and hopes kids will trade in the rest of the time for a fun activity that involves movement.

"Activity doesn't just mean coming in and running on the treadmill or bike," West said. "It could be a walk with the family or walking the dog. For kids, it needs to be things that are fun. [The YMCA] just got a Dance Dance Revolution."

DDR is a video game that involves kids stepping on squares to match the music and prompts on the screen. While it is a video game, DDR is an activity that helps kids exercise.

Health Issues with Childhood Obesity

Overweight children are at risk for a variety of health issues.

"Basically we're seeing adult-related diseases in the children who are overweight," Wehrle said.

Those typically adult diseases include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint problems and diabetes.

"We call it diabesity," Cardiologist Michael Mirro said. "It reflects the obesity at an early age which results in diabetes and other risk factors.

The CDC said overweight children are also more likely to become overweight adults. One study found 80 percent of overweight kids ages 10-15 were obese by age 25.

"It's the number one thing to focus on childhood health: preventing obesity in adolescence and into adulthood," Mirro said.

The obesity epidemic is also impacting healthcare costs. People who are overweight are at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and some cancers.

The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the CDC found the annual cost of obesity in the United States is about $100 billion.

Additionally, people who don't get enough physical exercise often need more medication, visit a physician more often and are hospitalized more often. The direct medical cost associated with physical inactivity in 1987 was $29 billion and was nearly $76.6 billion in 2000, according to the CDC and NCCDPHP.