Preschooler Obesity

For some time now, the much discussed obesity epidemic in America has affected preschoolers too. Though it’s frightening to think that preschoolers are at risk for the illnesses that obesity can lay the ground work for (such as diabetes and high blood pressure) this has become increasingly true in our society. Read more about preschooler obesity and grow in your awareness of this unhealthy trend.

Preschooler obesity statistics

Overall the children of America are becoming too heavy for their age, and negative health consequences usually follow. In 2003, a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics showed that from 1999 to 2000, 15% of children between the ages of 12-19 were overweight and 15% between the ages of 6-11 were overweight.

 How has this carried over to preschoolers? In January 2005, the American Heart Association reported that over 10 percent of 2 to 5 year olds are obese or overweight. Additionally, a 2004 study in Preventive Cardiology measuring the weight, height and blood lipids of over a thousand children entering Head Start preschools reported that 17% were overweight, 15% were obese, and 13% had high blood pressure.

How can obesity affect your preschooler’s life?

According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, there is a link between being an overweight preschooler and being an overweight adolescent. Researchers found that children who were overweight at least once from ages 2 to 4 ½ were 5 times more likely to be overweight at age 12 when compared to children who were not overweight from that same age range. Since obesity is definitively linked to things like diabetes, high blood pressure and poor heart health, the effects are far reaching.

The physical health detriments are never isolated from the mental and socially stigmatizing effects of obesity. Obese preschoolers are often teased about their weight and have trouble “keeping up” with their peers physically. The emotional effects of “not measuring up” can have a lifetime of effects.

Tips and other things to think about:

1. Consider your role as a model of behavior for your preschooler. Do you reach for unhealthy foods but admonish your preschooler about the importance of eating healthy? There must be a reconciliation of nutritional advice and behavior by you as a role model.

2. Emphasizing proper nutrition may not be enough. Advocating for physical activity and healthy eating together is usually more helpful than either method alone.

3. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that maternal obesity in the first trimester correlated with being overweight in childhood, even in those as young as 2. This emphasizes the need for proper diet as a parent even when your preschooler is in utero!

4. Take your preschooler to the pediatrician for regular health and weight checkups. They can tell you if your preschooler’s body mass index (BMI) is abnormal and give you personalized practical advice on establishing a healthy weight for your child.

5. Preschoolers are not too young to learn about health! Talk to them about maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, heart health, etc… They’re listening more than you think!

6. Parents need to seriously look at why preschoolers may one day face things like insulin shots and blood pressure and cholesterol medication in their adolescence, especially considering that excessive weight is preventable. Creating an atmosphere of health, food moderation and physical activity early in life is a gift you give to your child...and the preschool years are a perfect time to start!

By: Pia Chaparro

References

American Heart Association. Cardiovascular statistics updated for 2005: New data on risk factors in America's youth. Retreived from http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3027696 on 21 Feb 2008.

National Institutes of Health. Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Retrieved from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/od/secc/index.htm on 21 Feb 2008.

Whitaker RC. Predicting preschooler obesity at birth: the role of maternal obesity in early pregnancy. Pediatrics 114 (1): e29-e36.

Williams CL, Strobino BA, Bollella M, Brotanek J. Body size and cardiovascular risk factors in a preschool population. Preventive Cardiology 2004;7:116-121.