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Only 2 percent of children meet the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid — the standard for a healthy diet.
The consequences of poor eating habits and an inactive lifestyle are troubling. A December report in the Journal of the American Medical Association concludes that being overweight is now the most common health problem facing children today. Data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination survey indicates that 13-14 percent of children and adolescents are overweight — a three-fold increase since the 1960s. Another 14 percent are at risk of being overweight. Particularly hard hit are African American and Hispanic children with overweight increasing more than 120 percent between 1986 and 1998 for these two ethnic groups. Children’s health and education are being compromised by these trends. Risk factors for heart disease, like high blood lipids and hypertension, are occurring with increased frequency in overweight children. Health professionals are concerned that Type 2 diabetes, once limited to adults, is now showing up in children as young as 14. Overweight adolescents also have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults with greater risk for chronic disease problems later in life. But perhaps the most immediate consequence of being overweight is social discrimination, poor self-esteem and depression — all significant barriers to education. This should be a wake-up call for all of us to work together to take action before the problem gets worse. Please join the Illinois prevention team and help make a difference for Illinois children! |
