The Making of an Overweight Child
August 16, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It’s no secret American children are becoming increasingly overweight. Statistics suggest the number has grown by one-third since the late 1970s. Now, 15 percent of all kids between ages 12 and 19 are overweight.
But why kids are growing so large is a different question, and now Arizona researchers reveal some surprising new answers from a study that involved more than 6,000 kids nationwide.
Sure, kids are gaining weight because they have poor eating habits and do not get enough exercise. But the study also links increased weight to not getting kids involved in meaningful activities, regardless of whether those activities are exercise-related or not. For example, children who participated in non-exercise related activities ranging from school clubs and volunteer work to part-time jobs and church activities were significantly less likely to be overweight than those who were not involved in such activities.
The research also noted a link between parental educational levels and childhood weight. Kids with better-educated parents were less likely to be overweight. The study also suggests a strong parent-child connection may actually promote weight gain. Kids who were closest to their parents were more likely to be overweight. No links were found between the weight of kids and race or ethnic background or whether the child was from a single parent or two parent home.
Regardless of the cause, however, these investigators believe their study points squarely to the home as the best place to combat excessive weight in children. "Our research suggests that prevention must begin at home," says study author Ashley Fenzi Crossman, graduate teaching assistant at the Arizona State University Department of Sociology. "We need a public health campaign that educates all adults and children in the home on the importance of creating a family environment that promotes healthy habits.
SOURCE: The American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Aug. 14, 2005
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