Here’s why children need our programs:
Obesity
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008.
Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5 to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition most often associated with adults. But kids can have high blood pressure too, even as infants.
An estimated 3% of kids have high blood pressure. In babies, it’s usually caused by prematurity or problems with the kidneys or heart. While hypertension is far more common among adults, the rate among kids is on the rise, a trend that experts link to the increase in childhood obesity.
Many kids and teens with high blood pressure have no other health problems but do have a family history of hypertension and an unhealthy lifestyle — a bad diet, excess weight, stress, and insufficient physical activity.
Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association, data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet (released Jan. 26, 2011), the total prevalence of diabetes is: 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes.
Under 20 years of age
- 215,000, or .26% of all people in this age group have diabetes
- About 1 in every 400 children and adolescents has type 1 diabetes
According to the most recent CDC study, children and teens consume about 16 percent of their average daily caloric requirements—or 322 calories—from sugar alone. Teen boys from 12 to 19 ranked the highest, with sugar consumption at an average of 442 daily calories.
While this is below the 22 percent reported in a previous study, it’s still above the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendations. They advise that all children and teens cap their calories from sugar, fat and other “empty” sources at between 5 and 15 percent.
A separate study based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which assesses the health and nutrition status of the U.S. population, has found that too much added sugar is linked to weight gain and higher cholesterol levels in teens, and may raise the risk of heart disease.
5 Things a Parent Can Do
Parents can help their children cut down on added sugar intake with a few simple changes in their diet and lifestyle. Read labels for words that actually mean “added sugar,” like high fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener, crystalline fructose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose and sucrose. Also remember that honey, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, raw sugar, brown sugar and agave nectar may all sound like healthy sweeteners, but actually just add up to extra sugar. Tips for parents:
- Avoid using sweets as bribery or reward. You could be setting them up for an unhealthy lifelong habit.
- The obvious—cut back on sweets. Check all snack labels for sugar levels.
- Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. In addition to soda, seemingly “healthy” fruit juices may actually contain high levels of added sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners.
- Watch out for processed foods. Main culprits are products like canned spaghetti sauces, frozen meals, granola bars and “lunch-able” items. Some of these can contain up to 30 grams of sugar.
- Guard against events that derail good eating. It’s easy to get caught up in eating junk food at movies and sporting events. Skip the “power drinks” and caramel corn, and replace them with water and fresh fruit or other healthy snacks.
Fast Fact: Adults also consume about three times their recommended daily sugar content.
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