Is Your Overweight Child At Risk?
I have a special little neighbor friend who comes over and spends time with me
. I have become quite attached to her as I have gotten to know her. She lives with her dad who does his best to take care of her, but sometimes a girl just needs another adult girl to talk with.Recently we went walking together. I try to encourage activity with her since she is quite overweight. Without any prompting she confided to me that she would like to lose weight, this isn't the first time she has talked about it with me. And again I told her I would help in anyway I can. She is my motivation in looking into the risks of overweight children.
I have researched many different resources of the risks involved with overweight children. All of the many resources show that obese kids are at risk for developing many different medical problems that not only affect them now, but will create future serious health concerns and limit their quality of life. They are:
*Heart Disease - hardening of the arteries which is related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, all which strain the heart.
*Shortness of Breath or Asthma - Shortness of breath making any limited exercise difficult, which also increases the chances of developing asthma.
*Diabetes - A study by the (CDC) Center for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates one in three American children will develop diabetes in their lifetime. Type 2 diabetes is increasing in overweight children and adolescents, formerly known as adult onset diabetes.
*Liver Problems and Gall Bladder Disease - Obese children or adults have a higher risk of liver disease, and gallstones are also significantly higher.
*Bone and Joint - Problems from carrying around extra weight.
*Trouble Sleeping - Overweight children are at risk for sleep apnea. It is characterized by short interruptions in breathing while asleep. This can lead to heart failure over a long period of time.
*Menstrual Problems for overweight girls - Overweight girls tend to reach puberty earlier, may have irregular menstrual cycles and fertility problems when an adult.
*Depression - Being overweight is not a single cause of depression, however there is a higher incidence of depression in overweight children. They are often the butt of fat jokes, and left out of many activities.
These health risks are quite overwhelming when you really think about what is happening to the children in our world. Most studies show that overweight children and teens are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults. It is a cycle that is extremely hard to stop.
The good news is that these health risks can be reduced. It will take a lot of work, self determination, and self discipline, by dieting and exercise. But it is well worth the benefits of a healthy and active body.
How do you tell a ten year old girl the risks of being over weight? How do you tell any kid who is overweight they are putting their health in danger? Overweight and obese children really need to be evaluated by a pediatrician or family doctor. Only a doctor can diagnose any medical problems. And a doctor can recommend the right diet along with the correct amount of daily calories best for your child.
Because my little friend is not my daughter, I talked with her about some of the risks as gently as I could. I didn't want to scare her, but it's important that she know losing weight is not just about being skinny, And losing weight won't solve all her problems. I also talked with her father about her desire to lose weight. Unless she has support at home, losing weight will be quite difficult.
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