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Health: In Shape
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Diabesity. No, it’s not a typo. It’s a telling word, coined by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in 1994 as part of the nation’s Shape Up America campaign, a program designed to create awareness and fight the obesity epidemic. “Diabesity” conveys the undeniable link between obesity and diabetes. It is also the title of a new book by Dr. Francine Kaufman, former president of the American Diabetes Association. The book was written, as Kaufman claims, to bring attention to this dual epidemic that threatens our children. “We hope it becomes a household word,” she says. And it should. Read Kaufman’s book, a first-hand account of what she has witnessed in pediatric units across the country a surge in children being treated for health concerns that are directly related to being fat and you can’t help but be inspired to make changes in your own family’s lifestyle. American children are fatter than ever before. In fact, the number of obese children (those with a body mass index greater than 30) has risen 33% in just one decade. Twenty-percent of Orange County public schoolchildren have been identified as overweight, some being classified as obese. The numbers have doubled in just 20 years and they exceed the national average of overweight children, which is 13%. Experts predict that if this trend continues we will soon see a generation of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (formerly seen primarily in adults), early heart attacks, strokes and a myriad of other illnesses all the result of being overweight. Finding answers Why are our children tipping the scales? Blame it on too much soda and too little physical activity. “We are out of energy balance,” Kaufman says. “It’s both sides of an equation: too much energy intake (calories) and too little energy expenditure.” She adds, “We’re eating way too many fast-food portions: sweetened soft drinks, high-fat, high-sugar content foods and just not getting adequate physical activity.” Other causes include video games, computers, and the notion that a weekly soccer practice is enough to keep kids fit. A Sports Illustrated report from last year even points to “fear” as a cause. While youngsters used to take off on their bikes exploring the neighborhood and invent games that didn’t include hand-hand controllers, today’s children are encouraged not to venture off, and to play close to home. And, so, they are gaining weight. While fat cells are inherently good they store energy the body needs to function when they swell, or become fat themselves, that’s when problems begin. Newsweek Magazine (August 2004) reports that the average person has about 40 billion fat cells that are pretty much there to stay. When we take in too many calories, the fat cells themselves actually get bigger and release more hormones and chemicals that serve as catalysts to developing a number of diseases. We can lose weight, causing fat cells to shrink and to secrete less of the damaging chemicals, but to reduce their total numbers is a challenge. The fatter we get, the harder it is to return to a healthy weight. Parents, take note In today’s culture, parents will do almost anything to make sure our child gets the best education, makes the athletic team, and does well in the recital: How is it that we have put our children’s health in such peril? According to Kaufman, it’s the result of what we have called “progress,” that quest to control our environment, provide an ever-increasing food supply and create devices that require little human physical effort. “That ‘progress’ has led us to a time where there is almost no energy expenditure required and close to unlimited calories for most people,” Kaufman says. “What was ‘progress’ has now become a curse that could lead to our demise. “We have to redefine what progress is in the future. It’s no longer about energy-saving devices. It’s going to have to be about, ‘how can we get activity in the schools and work place?’ We have to reorient how we think.” Certainly policies such as what Gov. Schwarzenegger proposes legislation that reduces or eliminates the sale of soda and high-fat snacks on school campuses are a move in the right direction, but fact is, it’s what’s happening in the home that will make the most impact on protecting our children’s health. Dr. Kaufman offers these suggestions to help families move toward better health by maintaining a healthy weight: • Reduce soda intake: “The first thing you can do is to stop drinking calories. Get rid of sodas. There is no reason you should be drinking sweetened sodas.” Experts say that juice is another obesity culprit because it’s full of sugar and contains little fiber. Kaufman suggests, “Orient your family to drinking water.” • Rethink lifestyle choices: According to Kaufman, parents need to make conscious choices about what we feed our children and how we spend our time with them. “It’s not about coming over and being served a hot apple pie. It’s about eating moderate portions and maybe saying, ‘We’ll go for a walk or to a museum.’” • Lose the tube: Turn off the TVC at night. Instead of settling in for the prime-time shows, go to the park and take a walk instead. Play miniature golf. Go for a bike ride. Kaufman says taking family walks with pets is a great after-dinner activity, especially as the days are longer, the result of daylight savings time. • Eat at home: It’s a great opportunity to prepare food at home again. “Days are longer. Do your once-a-week shopping, plan out the meals. Serve up some BBQ fish, salads.” • Push the agenda: Kaufman says that to defeat the obesity epidemic, we must also think on a broader scale. We must work toward changing our approach to nutrition and fitness at all levels. One place to start this campaign is in our schools where fat-laden snack food is everywhere. The Centers for Disease Control’s 2003 study on school health policies reported that unhealthful sodas and snacks were available on 43% of elementary school campuses, 74% of middle school sites and in 98% of high schools. Sweetened sodas, sports drinks and food selections are readily available, as well as chips, cookies and candies. Not surprisingly, a direct correlation exists between how many fruits and vegetables children consume and the student’s grade in school. One study showed students eating 68% more fried foods and drinking 62% more sweetened beverages when they transition from elementary to middle school. We must, Kaufman urges, find another way to raise money for educational needs to replace the revenue generated from snack and soda sales. In addition to nutrition concerns, parents should also support retaining physical education classes, which are in jeopardy due to budget constraints and the ever-increasing importance placed on test scores. The CDC reports that fewer children are involved in any physical activity at school with only 32% of children attending a daily PE class; only 19% on the high school level. Parents must support initiatives that encourage healthy living, Kaufman says. But more importantly, they must serve as role models. “You are the role model for your children. We have tons of data that, when it comes down to children, says they are markedly influenced by what their parents say and do.” Kimberly A. Porrazzo is senior writer for OC Family Magazine. |
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