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We all know the devastating effect of obesity on our society. What is far more worrying is the growth of childhood obesity. Statistics from the most recent large-scale survey in the UK, shockingly reveal that 25 percent of boys and 33 percent of girls aged between two and 19 years are overweight or obese - and there's little sign the incidence is slowing.
Since the mid-seventies, in the US, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply for both adults and children. Data from two NHANES surveys show that among adults aged 20-74 years the prevalence of obesity increased from 15.0% (in the 1976-1980 survey) to 32.9% (in the 2003-2004 survey).
The two surveys also show increases in overweight among children and teens. For children aged 2-5 years, the prevalence of overweight increased from 5.0% to 13.9%; for those aged 6-11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5% to 18.8%; and for those aged 12-19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.4%.
Obesity currently costs the UK around £2 billion annually and shortens lives by nine years, due to the associated health problems. Annual direct costs of obesity to the American economy in 1995 were $100 billion. Some health experts even believe we'll soon see parents outliving their children.
For children to grow up and not out, they need a healthy attitude to food and its use. They also need to be helped to develop sound beliefs and habits around food and exercise. This cannot be achieved where the role models themselves - parents, grandparents, teachers etc., demonstrated inappropriate and unhealthy habits and beliefs.
Our very culture has become dominated by an obsession with weight, size and image. How we pass on this obsession to our children is often so subtle that we may not even be aware of it ourselves.
To grow up healthily a child requires, not only a well balanced diet and exercise but also well-balanced and appropriate belief systems about food, themselves and their body image. They require sound nurturing and structure (rules and boundaries). They require skills in how to manage their emotions and life in a way that is healthy and productive to their positive self-esteem and happiness.
So what are some of the messages and habits that may contribute to obesity in childhood and through into adulthood?
· Foods are either 'good' or 'bad'. This is incorrect. All food is good when taken in a balance that suits our body. This negative thinking only sets up food restriction that inevitably leads to craving, overeating, guilt and shame.
This teaches our children to reach out for food when they are stressed or looking to cheer themselves up. It stops them learning how to use food appropriately and how to comfort/reward themselves with self-loving actions.
This stops a child from learning how to be in touch with its own instinctive body satiety signals. As they grow they have no idea what it is to eat until they are just full enough.
This has such a devastating effect on self-esteem that the messages about not being good enough can stay with them all their life. This in turn can see many reaching out for food as a friend and comforter especially where there are...
Children need structure and this also applies to food. Both over-restricting and under-restricting can lead to children overeating.
This can lead to over or under-eating as a means of the child gaining attention, all be it negative. There is a deep instinctive need for all children to gain attention. Where they cannot gain positive attention they will instinctively create situations to gain it in a negative form.
This can lead to a state of rebellion in the child where food is the only thing a parent does not control. Food is therefore used as a means of burying the thoughts and feelings that are not allowed to be expressed openly.
It goes without saying that most people love their children and want only the best for them. To offer them that, and avoid the problems of childhood obesity, we need to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves. We need to ask ourselves the question "What type of a role model am I?"
Sometimes our role modelling may not quite be up to scratch. This may be because we missed out on some of the skills in our childhood. On the other hand our healthy attitude to food, exercise and our body may have changed over years of playing the dieting game.
The good news is that this can be changed. We can re-parent ourselves as part of the process of bringing up our own children or work at making the changes alone. Re-parenting is where we consider our thoughts, beliefs and actions and reframe or make adjustments to them, to bring them back in line with good healthy parenting.
We owe it to the next generations NOT to put them on diets or teach them the beliefs, attitudes and actions of a dieter. After all, if they have not worked for you, as a permanent solution to weight issues, how can they possibly work for your children?
The answer is they can't. Only a healthy relationship with food, self and body image can create happy healthy children who find and sustain the weight they were born to be.
· A lack of nurturing love from parents This can lead to a child feeling unloved and unlovable. The empty void that this creates, within a child, may well be filled with food in an attempt to fill the void.
· Being overly controlling in a parenting role, especially where thoughts, opinions and feelings are not expressed in a healthy way.
· A lack of positive attention from either parent, where the only attention that is given is in a negative way at meal times.
· No sensible rules or boundaries around food that are not overly restrictive or without any clear guidelines.
· Making fun of a child's look and size or comparing them with others who are thought to be 'normal.
· Being obsessively over-controlling about what and how much a child eats.
· The giving of food as a comforter or reward
The focus of so much advice is, quite rightly, based around healthy eating and regular exercise. However, we also need to consider how we as parents and grandparents may be influencing the next generations to grow into overweight children and adults.
Chrissie Webber is a published author and weight management motivation coach. Through her online company http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/ she offers support, motivation and re-parenting to the 95% - 97% of dieters who are still struggling to find the weight they were born to be. Her web site and blog [http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk/] offer motivation 'Keys' that help children, parents and adults discover a life without guilt, shame and self-loathing. To learn/relearn the skills of 'Conscious Eating' and how to live in harmony with food and nature become an online member today: http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/
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