Hi lovelies,
While the rate of obesity among the adult population is reaching an all-time high, the same is also true of the child population. There are more kids with a BMI over 30 than at any point in US history.
For people who understand childhood obesity, this stat is of tremendous concern. Researchers know that childhood obesity dramatically increases the chance that a person will develop chronic diseases in the future, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It also makes kids much more likely to remain obese for the whole of their lives.
The effects of childhood obesity on the kids can be enormous. Larger children are at risk of being bullied, have a poor quality of life, and experience mental health problems. They are also more likely to suffer academically and get bad marks on their exams.
More than 63 percent of overweight girls said that they experienced daily teasing or bullying compared to 30 percent of the general population of girls.
So what's causing the epidemic of childhood obesity? As the following infographic shows, it's a multitude of factors. The main dietary contributors appear to be sugar intake and fast-food consumption. The average American child consumes around 19.4 teaspoons of sugar per day, which is about four times the recommended amount. Furthermore, approximately 34.3 percent of kids consume fast food on a typical day.
Are you worried about the childhood obesity epidemic? If so, take a look at the following infographic. It charts the causes of the current epidemic and suggests what we can do as parents and a society to turn things around.
