{"id":368,"date":"2019-09-09T17:47:36","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T17:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/?p=368"},"modified":"2020-03-05T19:12:46","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T19:12:46","slug":"september-is-childhood-obesity-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utia-dev.tennessee.edu\/news\/september-is-childhood-obesity-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What You Can Do to Help Protect the Children You Love  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. \u2013 Childhood obesity is an important public health issue in the United States, with one out of every three children overweight or obese. While that statistic can be alarming, University of Tennessee Extension community health specialist Soghra Jarvandi says there are steps families and caregivers can take to help children achieve healthy weights.

\u201cObesity is associated with many negative physical outcomes, such as asthma and metabolic issues, and emotional problems as well,\u201d says Jarvandi. \u201cChildren who are overweight or obese may become obese or overweight adults, with a higher risk of several health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, disability and some cancers.\u201d  

In Tennessee, the rates of obesity and overweight are higher than the national average. For students in grades 9-12, 20.5% are obese, compared with the national average of 14.8%, and 17.5% are overweight, compared with 15.6% nationally.

According to Jarvandi, \u201cThere are both hereditary and environmental causes of obesity. Influences begin in utero and early life and continue into adulthood.\u201d The expert sites many lifestyle factors, including poor diet, a lack of physical activity, and too little sleep as risk factors for gaining weight. Environmental factors can also play a role in our health, making eating healthy and being physically active either easier or harder, based on where we live and work. 

Strategies to prevent childhood obesity should target families and individuals, but should also include communities, neighborhoods and broad policies that make healthy choices easier choices.

For families, Jarvandi suggests parents consult healthcare providers about their child\u2019s weight. Healthcare providers use heights and weights to assess a child\u2019s weight status over time and provide nutrition and physical activity counseling. 

Families and caregivers play an important role in the development of food preferences early in a child\u2019s life, starting with breastfeeding and then later as the role models for a child\u2019s eating habits. In general, children should start the day with a healthy breakfast and eat nutritious foods including whole fruits and vegetables. Children should also be physically active, with limited time using a computer, handheld device, or watching television.

For additional help and programs specifically about healthy choices, contact the family and consumer sciences agent at your local county Extension office. You can also visit the UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences website at fcs.tennessee.edu<\/a>. 

Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions.  utia-dev.tennessee.edu<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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