F is for fat report released - trends for childhood obesity revealed

F is for Fat report has been published and the news continues to be very sobering.

Childhood obesity has tripled since 1980!

• Currently, more than 12 million children and adolescents are considered obese.
• More than one-third of children ages 10–17 are obese (16.4%) or overweight (18.2%).
• State-specific rates ranged from a low of 9.6 percent in Oregon to a high of 21.9 percent in Mississippi.
• Eight states, plus D.C., have childhood obesity rates greater than 20 percent: Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
• Nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of obese children are in the South, as are nine out of the 10 states with the highest rates of poverty.
• Recent studies have shown that the number of obese children and adolescents may have leveled off since 1999, except among the very heaviest boys ages 6–19, but the rates remain startlingly high
• Nationwide, less than one-third of all children ages 6–17 engage in vigorous activity, defined as at least 20 minutes of physical activity that makes the child sweat and breathe hard.
• The percentage of children engaging in daily, vigorous physical activity ranged from a low of 17.6 percent in Utah to a high of 38.5 percent in North Carolina.

One of the encouraging findings:

The first step to solving any problem is accepting that we have a problem.  According to the report, Americans now realize that childhood obesity is a serious issue and is ready to invest in solving this problem.  The poll shows that:

• 80 percent of Americans recognize that childhood obesity is a significant and growing challenge for the country
• 50 percent of Americans believe childhood obesity is such an important issue that we need to invest more to prevent it immediately

Read the F is for Fat 2010 Report

Support for the Parents with the Overweight Child

Is My Child Overweight Article Resources and suggestions to promote healthy habits.

Should I Put My Child On A Diet Article Dietitians advice on dieting and the overweight child.

Understanding Childhood Obesity Related Conditions Article Implications of childhood obesity related conditions.

Understanding the BMI For Children Article What is BMI and how it is used to determine your child is at a healthy weight.