Introduction: Today’s column is about childhood obesity. Here is a quiz to get your mind revved up.
1. Childhood obesity is neither an epidemic nor a health crisis. True False
2. Obese kids grow out of their “baby fat.” T F
3. Diet alone can’t cure childhood obesity. T F
4. How a child eats is just as important as what they eat. T F
5. The term “health literacy” refers to the parent’s ability to read, comprehend and utilize information such as weight loss strategies to prevent their children from becoming obese. T F
6. Which of the following weight control strategies are unsafe for children:
a. More exercise
b. Increase fruit intake
c. Laxatives
d. Diet pills
7. Obese kids always have obese parents who purchase unhealthy food. T F
8. Twenty percent of all-American children are overweight or obese. T F
9. 1 in 5 children become overweight or obese by age 6. How many of these children became overweight before the age of two?
a.10%
b. 20%
c. 50%
10. If a child is breastfed, they are 22% less likely to become obese. T F
11. You see a 10-year-old girl who is extremely obese. What is your belief about the cause of her obesity?
a. The child’s fault.
b. Parent’s lack of health literacy
c. Child inherited a genetic predisposition for obesity.
d. Lack of exercise
e. Child’s neighborhood is too dangerous to walk in
f. All the above except for A.
12. Childhood obesity puts the child at risk for psychiatric and social problems such as depression, anxiety and social rejection. T F
13. Childhood obesity occurs when the intake of calories from food and drink exceeds the output of energy expended. T F
14. Obese children rarely seek treatment — psychological or medical — for the causes of obesity. Instead, they seek help for the consequences of obesity. T F
15. Small changes in the energy intake — output, has a huge effect on obesity. For example, 150 calories per day (one can of pop) causes a child to gain 12 pounds of fat in one-year T F
Answers:
1 : F 2 : F 3 : T 4 : T 5: T 6: C and D 7: F 8: T 9: C 10: T 11: F 12: T 13: T 14: T 15: T
Conclusion: Listen to the voices of two children as they discuss their struggles with childhood obesity.
“Sara, that’s my name. I’m 13, five feet, two inches tall, and I used to weigh 229 pounds. My current weight is 140. When I was severely obese, boys would make noises at me, “Oink, oink, piggy.” Now, they want to date me. I’m still the same person I’ve always been. Do you think we have a sick, Hollywood-driven definition of beauty?”
The sounds of childhood obesity:
“My name is Nathan, I’m 17, and I weigh 301 pounds. Here are the sounds of my obesity:”
1. The groaning of stairway steps as my legs lumber up a staircase.
2. The gasp of breathlessness upon reaching the top stairs.
3. The echo of sonic bullets ... “Fatso, Big Butt,” bouncing off school hallways.
4. The lonely sobs at night, when I wonder, “will I ever lose this weight?”
The content of this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for treatment by a professional. The characters in this story are not real. Names and details have been changed to protect confidentiality.
References:
1. “Childhood Obesity,” Chicago Tribune, Superville, May 12, 2010.
2. “Public Health Crisis,” Childhood Obesity, Wilfley, Register, vol. 37, 2011.
3. “Health Literacy,” Leichty, Inside Illinois, Aug. 6, 2015, vol. 35.
Dr. Richard Elghammer contributes his column each week to the Journal Review.
