Epidemic of Obesity in U.S. Kids Began in Late '90s

THURSDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- The epidemic of excess weight gain and obesity among young Americans began about 15 years ago, a new study finds.
"Our research documents the emergence of the obesity epidemic among adolescents in the later half of the 1990s, and among young adults in 2000," said Hedwig Lee, who led the study while at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is now an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
"The jury is still out about all the possible causes for the increasing weight gain among adolescents . . . as well as for the entire population," said Lee.
However, she cited a number of possible factors, including a rise in time spent in front of computer or TV screens and longer time spent in post-secondary education, "transitioning" to adulthood. According to Lee, poor diet and couch-potato lifestyles rise when young people leave the parental home and go out on their own, before starting their own families.
The research focused on a measure called the body mass index, or BMI, which calculates a relationship between weight and height.
As BMI grows, so do concerns arise about obesity-related illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, stroke, liver disease, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis and fertility problems, Lee said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one-third of Americans are now either overweight or obese, with slightly more women than men affected.
The study of about 100,000 adolescents and young adults used four large national databases tracking the BMIs of 12- to 26-year-olds from 1959 to 2002. More....Yahoo Health

Help Your Kids Stay in Shape This Summer

SATURDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- A bit of planning can help parents ensure their children eat right and get enough exercise during the summer, experts say.
To start, parents can seek a minimum commitment from their children of one hour of physical activity a day, suggested Dr. Stephenie Wallace, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"Set an expectation of doing something in the house -- chores, set some goals and rewards for your young person," she said in a university news release. "Get them to play basketball with their friends or spend some time in the neighborhood, and really encourage them to do so."
Parents should remember that active children need to stay hydrated with water, not calorie-laden sugary drinks, Wallace added.
Summer is also a good time for parents to reinforce healthy eating habits among children.
"One key is to keep healthy foods in the house, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain granola bars, but don't deprive the kids either," Beth Kitchin, an assistant professor of nutrition sciences at UAB, said in the news release.
"Get the kids involved in choosing foods. Take them grocery shopping. Show them healthy choices and have them choose," she recommended.
The authors said they hope that parent involvement will help prevent more children from becoming overweight or obese. Poor diet and lack of physical activity have led to a tripling of obesity among American children over the last 30 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sourced By Yahoo Health