Obesity in US kids growing at alarming rate

With more and more kids spending no time exercising and maximum time watching TV or using the computer, the number of obese children is rising vigorously.

Fast foods, electronics, ready to eat meals, and tough study schedules are some of the main reasons behind the rise in obese kids, said the study.

The study, conducted by Corinna Koebnick, PhD, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, looked at the data of more than 7000 children in the age group of two to 19.

The researchers categorized the children as overweight, obese, or extremely obese depending on their height-weight ratio.

Findings of the study
The study has revealed that 7.3 percent of boys and 5.5 percent of the girls were in the extremely obese category.

Kids can best be led by example i.e. parents ought to be role models for the kids in terms of body fitness, diet and daily work management, recommends the study

19.4 percent of the kids were obese while 37.1 percent were overweight.

''The prevalence of extreme obesity was much higher than we thought," Corinna Koebnick tells WebMD. ''Seven percent of boys and 5% of girls -- that is scary.”

On the race part, extreme obesity was more prevalent in Hispanic boys and in black girls, and the least obese were Asian Pacific Islanders and the white children.

The report is published in the March 18 online edition of the Journal of Pediatrics.

Study calls for immediate action
The study demands immediate steps towards the rising obesity, which is causing the children social, emotional, and psychological repercussions.

''This is a serious health issue,'' Koebnick says. ''These children are very likely to continue to be obese adults and face all the health consequences that come with obesity at a very early age." That includes heart disease and diabetes, among other ailments, she says.

The government is required to take steps like parent educational programs and diet counseling in order to curb the rising obesity among kids.

"Health professionals, food companies and local and state governments need to find ways to help educate, motivate and empower adults and children to lead healthier lives before it is too late to save our children," Samantha Heller, a dietitian, nutritionist, and exercise physiologist said.

Word of advice
Parents should learn to provide healthy food to the kids, as regular intake of fast food is one of the major causes leading to obesity in youngsters.

Kids can best be led by example i.e. parents ought to be role models for the kids in terms of body fitness, diet and daily work management, recommends the study.

Do not hesitate to consult a doctor or a dietitian for the kids, suggests the study.