Childhood Obesity Effects And Your Child

First, obese children can develop serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, often carrying these conditions into an obese adulthood.

Overweight children are at higher risk of developing:
o Type 2 diabetes
o High blood pressure
o Asthma and other respiratory problems
o Sleep disorders
o Liver disease
o Early puberty
o Eating disorders

Other risks of obesity include the emotional and psychological effects on children. Children feel shame about being overweight or obese that can impair their academic and social functioning. For example, many times a child has to deal with social discrimination which often times develops a low self esteem and self-blame.

Kids who are unhappy with their weight may be more likely than average-weight kids to develop unhealthy eating habits and they may be more prone to depression, as well as substance abuse.

The social and emotional fallout also can hurt your child. Being overweight can cause:
o Low self-esteem and bullying..
o Behavior and learning problems.
o Stress and anxiety.
o Depression and social isolation.

Some children and teens eat more than usual when they are bored, angry, or stressed. Over time, the overeating leads to weight gain and may cause overweight or obesity. Some children overeat to cope with problems or to deal with emotions, such as stress or boredom.

Children who experience psychological abuse from their peers often develop extremely low self-esteem, which may eventually evolve into depression. Obese children can often feel isolated and lonely.

1. The average 10-year-old girl weighed 77 pounds in 1963; today, 88. The average 10-year-old boy weighed 74; today, 85.

2. Even more than smoking or drinking, obesity triggers significant health problem.

3. Only 2 percent of U.S. children eat a healthy diet as defined by the USDA.

4. "Husky" car seats were developed several years ago. In 2006, more than 250,000 children under 6 exceeded the weight standards for regular seats.

5. Soft-drink consumption has increased 300 percent in 20 years, and is the leading source of added sugars for adolescents.

6. One-fourth of all vegetables eaten in the U.S. are french fries or chips.

7. One-fourth of all Americans eat fast food at least once a day.

8. Children and teens consume 20 percent more calories than a generation ago.

So if your child or teen is seriously overweight or obese, the most effective way to reduce weight is to eat healthy and engage in regular exercise. There are no quick solutions. Parents get help - start with a comprehensive guide written by an expert in childhood obesity. Julie Pearce, the author of "Overcoming Childhood Obesity" has spent the last several years figuring out how to help parents and children tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity.

Get the help you need from this absolutely excellent guide titled Overcoming Childhood Obesity. It has tried-and-tested methods that will help your child or adolescent out of obesity. It is based on extensive research into this condition that is often under-rated in terms of the damage it does to a child's long term health.