Page 7 - JacksonHospital

COMPARE A TYPICAL school class photo from today with one taken 30 years ago. Besides clothing and hairstyles, what other difference stands out?

More times than not, a current photo will show far more youngsters to be over-weight, or even obese, than kids three de-cades ago. In fact, a third of all children and adolescents in this country are cur-rently overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association. “According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 34 percent ofAmerican children are at risk for becoming overweight,while 19percent are either overweight or obese,” said Mor-gan Cadrette, Jackson Hospital licensed dietitian. “Obesity rates are rapidly in-creasing to record numbers, putting children at greater risk for diet-related chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

Overweight and obese children and adolescents are at risk for a number of physical, social and emotional problems. Immediate physical problems may in-clude joint pain, asthma, sleep apnea and skin infections.

Social and emotional problems may include being teased and having low self-esteem, depression and a poor body im-age. Obesity also has been linked to poor school performance and risky behaviors, like alcohol and tobacco use.

But as signifcant as these immediate problems can be, an overweight or obese child is also likely to face some serious health issues in the future.

For example, being overweight raises risks associated with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, glucose in-tolerance and type 2 diabetes. Today’s obese child is also at long-term risk for

stroke and cancers of the breast, colon and kidney.

How can you tell if your child is over-weight or obese?

According to the CDC, the most widely accepted measure is body mass in-dex (BMI), which is based on weight in relation to height.

A child between the ages of 2 and 19 is considered overweight if his or her BMI is at or above the 85th percentile compared to other children of the same age and sex. Obesity is defned as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile.

Your child’s doctor can help determine your child’s BMI and which percentile it falls in.

“The important thing is for the family as a whole to try to make some adjustments,” said Anne Francis, MD, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Obesity Leadership Workgroup.

“Families who make a commitment to learning about nutrition; to exercis-ing more; and to making small, sustain-able types of changes in their lifestyle are the ones who are going to have the most success.”

And that can develop into a pretty healthy picture.

A CONCERN AT ANY AGE • Check our online Health Library for helpful facts on weight, weight c and healthy eati Visit www .jackson.org . From the Fast Finder drop-down menu, select “Obesity,” “Nutrition” or “Weight Management.”

Jackson Hospital recently imple-mented the Healthy Vending Machine Project from the Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Depart-ment of Rehabilitation Services. Now, all snacks in Jackson Hospital vending machines that meet the 10-10-5 rule are marked with a “Good Choice” logo to help buyers make a healthier choice. For snacks to meet the 10-10-5 rule, both fat and carbohydrates are equal to or below 10 percent Daily Value and they must contain 5 percent or higher of the Daily Value in at least one or more of fber, vitamin A, vita-min C, iron or calcium. Sodium should be under 360 mg.

With the Healthy Vending Machine Project, 50 percent of the snacks meet the 10-10-5 nutrition standard. The goal of the Healthy Vending Machine Project is to increase access to healthy foods and beverages and reduce or eliminate the availability of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods in public services venues. For more information on better quality snacks, visit www.adph.org/nutrition and click on “Vending Machines.”