MAKING A DIFFERENCE: CHILDHOOD OBESITY
CHILDREN
Wallace Nelson
CHILDHOOD OBESITY RATES HAVE MORE THAN TRIPLED SINCE 1980. MORE THAN A THIRD OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS ARE NOW OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, WITH NUMBERS QUICKLY IN THE RISE.¹ FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 200 YEARS, THE CURRENT GENERATION
OF CHILDREN COULD POTENTIALLY LIVE SHORTER LIVES THAN THEIR PARENTS.² IF CHILDHOOD OBESITY RATES CONTINUE AT THEIR CURRENT PACE, LIVES MAY BE SHORTENED BY AS MUCH AS FIVE YEARS. THESE CONDITIONS STRAIN AN ALREADY-TROUBLED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND MAKE CHILDHOOD OBESITY ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING HEALTH CONCERNS OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
In the short-term, childhood obesity puts kids at risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, sleep disorders, and psychological illness. These effects are well known. However, the effects of childhood obesity on longevity and quality of adult life have been poorly understood for many years. Research is beginning to reveal that childhood obesity doesn’t just affect children in childhood. Behaviors that are learned in childhood echo deeply throughout an individual’s life. This is why it’s so important that chiropractors offer weight management services to pediatric patients.
Inactivity, Sleep Deprivation, and Stress:
Childhood Behaviors that Set the Stage for Adult Disease
Today, two out of three children don’t get any daily physical activity.3 Most elementary schools don’t offer physical education classes, and many children find themselves occupied by homework and TV programs in the evening. Though children between the ages of 5 and 17 should be accumulating at least 60 minutes of exercise each day,4 few children meet these requirements. Screen time is beginning to replace active play time, with kids spending an average of seven hours in front of TV and computer screens on a daily basis.
Screen time doesn’t just interfere with physical activity - it extends into evening hours, throwing off the body’s natural sleep cycle.5 When children don’t get enough sleep, their bodies produce inadequate amounts of the hormones that control appetite and satiation.6 This makes it easier for children to overeat throughout the day and increases their risk of weight gain and obesity. A study published in the November 2014 edition of The Journal of Pediatrics confirms this link, finding that children who slept too little between the ages of 5 and 6 were at significant risk of developing obesity by age 15.7
Together, a lack of sleep and physical activity contribute to
higher stress levels, which in turn exacerbate an existing weight problem.8 Higher stress levels interfere with blood sugar regulation and trigger cravings that lead to overeating. Overeating can lead to weight gain, which in turn causes additional social stress for children that are already struggling. Without intervention, stress and weight gain can spiral out of control.
Too little sleep, too much stress, and too little physical activity can all contribute to obesity in childhood. However, childhood obesity doesn’t just affect children - it contributes to growth abnormalities,9 glucose tolerance,10 hypertension, 11 and orthopedic complications12 well into adulthood. As physicians who are aware of the long-term health effects of childhood obesity, chiropractors can offer pediatric patients help to achieve a healthy weight.
Sugar, Fast Food, and Omega Ratios: The LongTerm Effects of Childhood Nutrition
With childhood obesity rates on the rise, nearly 20% of all newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes aie among youth. The reasons for this fiend are troubling, but not surprising. Children and adolescents ai e eating far more sugar and fast food than ever before, and far less of the omega-3 than their young bodies need. This has long-term implications for the cognitive development and health of the rising generation.
Though the consumption of dietary fat has been on the decline since 1980, obesity levels have continued to skyrocket. Researchers are now suggesting that sugar - not fat - is the primary culprit in rising obesity levels. Adolescents consume many of their calories from sugar-sweetened beverages, finit juices, sugary breakfast cereals, and snacks throughout the day. Intake
of these foods and beverages is strongly correlated with obesity in children and adolescents.13 This is particularly troublesome because the development of food preferences in childhood have long lasting effects on dietary choices later in life.14
When it comes to childhood obesity, sugar isn’t the only culprit. The standard American diet is woefully lacking in the basic nutrients needed for children’s physical and cognitive development. Children who eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables aie more likely to maintain a healthy weight and perform better in school. A study released in the December 2014 issue of Clinical Pediatrics demonstrated that children who ate fast food “frequently” had 20% lower test scores, even after other variables were controlled for (socioeconomic status, family background, other foods in diet, etc.).15 Nutrient-deficient fast food meals are unable to sustain the fast-paced cognitive development that takes place in childhood.
On top of a poor nutrient profile, children aie over-consuming omega-6 fatty acids at the expense of healthier omega-3. Record-high levels of omega-6 fatty acids are found in the refined vegetable oils that are so prevalent in the fast food industry. These drastically skewed omega ratios predispose children to obesity, inflammatory diseases, and stunted cognitive development. 16 While children are over-consuming omega-6 fatty acids, they’re also failing to eat the omega-3 rich foods that reduce inflammation and promote healthy cognitive development in the long run.
Hope on the Horizon: Options for Early Intervention
Fortunately, obesity is a preventable disease. With early intervention, children can be taught to make healthy choices
throughout their lives. As a chiropractor, you can provide nutritional support, lifestyle education, and meaningful supplementation to pediatric patients. Start by making child-friendly supplements and educational materials available in your clinic for parents to peruse. This will help to ensure that your adult patients - many of whom aie parents - aie aware of the resources available to their children.
To increase physical activity, advise parents to replace two hours of their children’s screen time with active play time. At the end of the evening, parents should provide children with a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment that is free of ambient lighting (particularly light-emitting electronic devices). During the day, parents can help expose children to healthier foods by involving them in the planning and cooking process. Continually involving children in food preparation empowers them take ownership of their own healthy food choices.
Because dietary changes are sometimes not enough, chiropractors can offer child-friendly supplements to maximize their patients’ nutritional intake. Unfortunately, most vitamin capsules on the market are difficult for children to swallow, dosed for adults, and easy to forget. Though gummy vitamins are a popular alternative, most brands contain unwanted additives (preservatives, food coloring, etc.) and added sugar. To deliver adequate nutrients to children, many chiropractors have turned to meal-replacement shakes and other whole-food supplements that are easier to dose and easier to get children to eat. Many meal-replacement shakes come in a variety of flavors and are easy to mix with other healthy foods (fruit smoothies, almond milk, etc.).
The decisions made in childhood can dramatically affect individuals for their entire lives. What you do as a chiropractor - and what services you offer - matters a great deal in the fight against obesity. As a chiropractor, you play a critical role in offering holistic health services that aren’t available elsewhere. It’s up to you to ensure that your patients are receiving the quality of care that they deserve.
a clinical Wallace holistic Nelson health is company the President based of in SolutionsJ, Salt Lake City, Utah. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition and a Naturopathic Doctorate. Wallace is a
featured speaker at holistic health conferences, on several radio programs, and in several print publications. Throughout his career at SolutionsJ, Wallace has overseen the design, production, and implementation of products andprograms that are popular in chiropractic offices across the country. Wallace is an active outdoor athlete, and enjoys the mountains of Utah where he lives with his wife and five children. You can reach him at wnelsonasoluJ. com or by phone 1-877-81 7-6074. Please visit http: /fwww.sohitions4.com/
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