April 2011 - Two of the biggest influences on children - parents and schools - may unintentionally contribute to childhood obesity. That's the observation of Susan Terwilliger, clinical as�sociate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University, who studies the problem.
"As a pediatric nurse practitioner I've taken care of children and their families for about 30 years, and I saw this huge increase [in childhood obesity] from 5 to 30 percent over about a 10-year period when I was in the school-based health centers," she says.
In researching childhood obesity, Terwilliger studied third-graders in four schools in Binghamton, NY. Some of the cold, hard facts may no longer surprise us: 70 percent of the children drank between two and five sweetened beverages a day; 85 percent watched between two and five hours of television a day; and 42 percent ate two or more fast-food meals per week.
But these numbers, all hallmarks of childhood obesity, can be the unintended consequences of rational decisions.
- Children who are told by parents to avoid water foun�tains because of germs may instead drink sweetened juices.
- Fear of potential danger can prompt parents to restrict children's play space to a backyard or inside the house.
- Schools sometimes trade gym class or recess for aca�demics as they try to raise test scores.
Eating fast food on the way to soccer may seem like a tradeoff healthwise. But, Terwilliger points out: One of the reasons fast food fits into a hectic schedule is that pro�cessed food, with its high fat content, literally slips down easily. And the quicker and easier it is to eat, the more you may consume.
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There is a lot of data that say today's kids won't live as long as their parents, Terwilliger says.
"I now have 13-year-olds with type 2 diabetes." Heart attack is the number one cause of death and stroke the number three cause, and diabetes and hypertension, both caused by obesity, con�tribute to both, she adds.
Source: Binghamton University
