That's Fit

There's new evidence the childhood obesity epidemic may be leveling off. The past three decades have been an utter disaster in terms of childhood obesity, with the percentage of obese six-to-11-year-olds rising from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 16.3 percent in 2002. Currently, 32 percent of American schoolchildren are overweight or obese.

After analyzing 1999-2006 survey data, researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the level of overweight and obese schoolchildren in America has plateaued at around 32 percent. The rates have remained constant for the first time in 45 years. It's not clear whether kids have simply gotten as heavy they're going to get under current lifestyle habits or if family, school and community interventions to eat right and exercise are making a difference. Some wonder whether a 'fat ceiling' could be a false ceiling -- researchers acknowledge more time and data are required before the obesity rate is definitively deemed stable.

As a fan of fitness and nutrition, I'd like to think advocacy for healthier living is strongly pushing back against obesity's four-decade rising tide. But that's the optimist in me. The hearts of advocacy organizations such as The Alliance for a Healthier Generation must be enjoying a lighthearted moment right now -- AHG's immediate goal was to halt the rise of childhood obesity by 2010. But the moment must be brief as our nation has an immense amount of work to do -- 32 percent is no number to celebrate. In the 1960s, childhood obesity stood in the single digits.

It's not necessarily rain, sleet and snow that keep children off the playground and inside child-care centers, says one new study. After researchers held focus groups with 49 child-care center staff across 34 diverse centers, a few surprises emerged. Staff identified several previously unreported barriers to child-care kids' outdoor play, such as:

• Flip flops/No coat: If one child wears inappropriate flip flops or a parent does not pack a winter coat, some centers kept their entire class inside. Staff even reported some parents intentionally keep their child's coat because they don't want their child to get dirty, injured or a cold virus to worsen. I figure the decision to keep the entire class indoors is due to lack of staff, but the article did not clarify.
• Focus on Cognitive Skills: Some parents stress more time for the ABCs than gross motor skills such as kickball and swinging on the monkey bars.
• Mulch: You'd think mulch would enhance outdoor play, but it can be a barrier, too. Staff reported kids eat mulch, throw it at peers, it gets caught in between toes. Mulch also requires regular maintenance.
• Staff: Some staff irresponsibly chat or text on their cell phones while outside, others simply don't want to go out in the cold or make the effort to put on/take off kids' coats. Some overweight staff admitted their weight dampened their desire to inspire children's physical play.

As ridiculous as these barriers are, they are real, and identifying them is a first step to facilitate change. Unfortunately, child-care kids aren't the only ones inside. As our nation's childhood obesity rates continue to tick upward, many of today's children are spending more time indoors than in the sandbox, playing at the park and riding their bikes around the neighborhood. My husband and I have tried to address the problem by keeping computers and televisions out of our kids' rooms, and they're only allowed so much TV and computer time per day. During non-school hours I do my best to slide away from the computer and choose gardening, lawn work and walks to the park instead. The result is magical -- the kids go outside ... and play.

• Be a good role model
• Don't keep junk in the house
• Be active as a family, everyone together
• Focus on health, not on appearances
• Teach portion control

Wii Fit has been selling in Britain for a few weeks and the game's candidness has caused a bit of a stir. After a ten-year-old British girl stepped on the game's electronic balance board and entered her height, Wii labeled her 'overweight.' She was reportedly devastated.

The girl is 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weighs six stone, 8 pounds -- that's 92 pounds to an American. I logged in this height, weight, and the age of exactly ten years old into a BMI Calculator for Children and Teens and it calculated a BMI of 19.9, placing BMI-for-age in the 84th percentile, at the very top level of 'a healthy weight' for girls this age. Adding a pound (93 pounds) sends the calculation into the 'at risk for being overweight' zone.

Obesity experts are outraged -- they are concerned Wi Fit could damage children's body image and are calling for a warning to parents. One expert stated BMI should not be used with children since a child's BMI can change month-to-month and it's possible a child can be both stocky and very fit. A Nintendo spokesman apologized to any customers offended by the game's terminology and stated Wii Fit is capable of measuring BMI for people aged two and 20, but acknowledged resulting figures may not be entirely accurate for younger kids due to varying levels of development.

Yes, there are real criticisms of utilizing BMI to measure obesity in children. But what bothers me the most about this story is the young girl's devastation. Girls and women are under tremendous societal pressure to be thin.

• No dental health difference was noted in 2-5-year-olds regardless of weight range
• One of the surveys showed that 6-11-year-old children who were overweight or at risk of being overweight were actually less likely to have cavities in both baby and permanent teeth. The later survey revealed no difference in dental health when compared to weight.
  
• As in the 6-11 category, the first survey showed that 12-18-year-olds who were overweight were less likely to have dental health issues; the second survey showed no correlation between dental health and weight.
  

As we fight to stay fit and lean, your bloodline is an ever-present contender in the ring. If your parents are overweight or obese, it can be tough not to walk in their footsteps. A new twin study reveals the power of genetics -- nature beats nurture when it comes to childhood obesity.

British researchers compared measurements of identical twins (same genes) with non-identical twins (share half their genes). While I have no idea how they crunched the stats on this, the study concluded differences in the children's body mass index and waist circumference were 77 percent attributable to genes and 23 percent to the family environment.

While this study is a bit depressing, 23 percent is an important number to focus on. If your children are genetically predisposed to obesity, this study by no means suggests there is no hope or benefit in modeling healthy eating and exercise to your children. Besides, this one study does not necessarily negate previous research identifying the environment as a major player in obesity, either.

We're all trying. In some way, shape or form, we're all doing what we can to stay healthy. But, let's face it, it's not always easy. If you were to break down how much it costs to eat healthy versus eating a bunch of junk, you'll find that it's much more inexpensive to eat the unhealthier stuff. Therein lies reason number one: It has become cost prohibitive to eat healthy. Reason number two deals with time. Our workdays are longer than they have ever been, and the average commute to work is around forty-five minutes. So, by the time you're finally getting home -- after working ten hours or so -- you simply do not have time to exercise. And the list of reasons for the worldwide weight gain for adults goes on and on and on...

What about kids? Their school day is the same length as yours or mine was. The commute is basically the same bus route. So why is it that research demonstrates a significant rise in childhood obesity, especially among girls? Before I attempt to answer, allow me to first point out just how much of a rise I'm talking about.

Swedish researchers found that in 2002, the average ten-year-old girl was 2.1 percent taller and 13.4 percent heavier than her 1982 counterpart, with a 13.3 percent increase in BMI. Boys were found to be about 1.1 percent taller and 7.6 percent heavier, with a 5.1 percent increase in BMI. What the hell is going on?!! Personally, I think it has to do with two things: 1) What these kids are eating, and 2) The lack of emphasis on physical activity. With respect to the former, you know as well as I do that those damn Lunchables aren't healthy. You know what I'm talking about; the fake pizza thing you make on a cracker. And it certainly doesn't end there. The cookies, the soda, the potato chips, the Doritos, the candy -- it's all to blame.