By Rosanne Rust

www.rustnutrition.com

I have been thinking more and more about the big problem our country is facing in terms of the health of its citizens: Especially its younger citizens. You are aware that there is not only a rise in obesity among adults, but also there is a rise in pediatric overweight. But have you really thought about it?

Did you know that it is very likely that obesity will soon surpass smoking as a risk factor for cancer and heart disease? And obesity has long been a risk factor for diabetes.

When it comes to children, the problem is not with “chubby”; and many children will not “grow into her weight.” Sadly, there are 2-year-olds who weigh 80 pounds (an average healthy 2-year-old should weigh around 28 pounds), and 8-year-olds who weigh over 100 pounds (average weight for an 8-year-old is 55 pounds). A child’s body is not meant for the kind of stress that doubling or tripling a normal body weight brings (think about tripling your body weight).

There are many theories as to why the obesity rate has risen, but no real answers. Is it lack of support? Is it fast food? Is it less physical education in schools? Is it lack of recess? Is it high fructose corn syrup? I don’t think it is any one of these things, but a combination of them — and also, there’s movement away from growing and cooking food, and a movement toward convenience and abundance.

This problem will be costly to our country, both in health-care bills and lower productivity. (I am not suggesting that overweight people are less productive; but obesity leads to disease, and disease leads to illness and missed work days or inability to work at all.)

So, even if you are not part of the group of statistics, you should have an interest in the future of this problem.

Consider the data from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey surveys (1976 to 1980 and 2003 to 2004). In children aged 2 to 5 years, prevalence of overweight increased from 5.0 percent to 13.9 percent; for those aged 6 to 11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5 percent to 18.8 percent; and for those aged 12 to 19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0 percent to 17.4 percent.

These are huge increases. What will an overweight 10-year old who was just diagnosed with type II diabetes do when he is 30 years old? Will he lose a leg? Will he be on dialysis? Will he be able to work? Hopefully, if he and his parents make some simple changes now in the family’s eating habits and lifestyle, and start moving their bodies more, he won’t face this grim scenario.

That is all it takes: a few little changes. I’m not talking about everyone having a perfect body and being a perfect weight, or putting all overweight children on restrictive weight loss diets; I am talking about little changes and gaining some control. There simply is no getting away from the equation: Calories in equal calories out. This is the only way to maintain the right weight for your height. As we get older, our energy needs drop, therefore either the “calories in” part of the equation has to drop, or the “calories out” has to increase. Children on the other hand, are meant to move. Usually, we call it “play.”

In the past, type II diabetes generally was diagnosed in an older adult. If they do not taken care of themselves, they may suffer adverse side effects of the disease, (such as vision problems, kidney dysfunction and possibly loss of one or more limbs due to nerve and circulatory problems) by the time they are in their 70s or 80s. However, a child who is diagnosed with type II diabetes, at age 10 perhaps, may see these complications at age 30. So the next time you hear in the news that “this may be the first generation to not outlive its parents,” think about it. Think about what you can do. Be a role model. Start taking stock in your own health for the sake of others, and provide children with proper nutrition, the right amount of calories, and plenty of opportunity for physical activity and play.

If you are a teacher, take your students out for recess every day, or even twice a day. If you are a parent, provide your children with a good breakfast, limit fast food, and limit television and video game time.

We may not be able to change the damage that is done, but we may be able to control it. A reasonable goal for an overweight child or adolescent would be to not gain any more weight, or minimally slow the rate of yearly weight gain (it is normal for children to gain weight each year).

Finally, it may not be a bad idea to visit a hospital or nursing home to see what end-stage diabetes really looks like. Maybe if parents see the end result of poorly controlled diabetes, they will do everything they can to prevent it in their children. It sure motivates me