One of my most vivid childhood memories is being weighed in grade five in gym class. I remember a skinny girl taunting a classmate for coming in at 100 pounds – and remember just being grateful that it wasn’t me. Although, I’ve never been tiny. I swear, my bones weigh 100 pounds. Since then, childhood obesity has exploded as an epidemic. So, what do we do to fix this? At what point should parents be responsible?
Is Childhood Obesity an Issue?
According to an article on CBC, one in ten children in Canada are obese. In the United States, the numbers are more like one in five children who are obese. We know that obesity leads to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. That’s not even considering the bullying and stigma they face, which can lead to higher rates of anxiety and depression.
But, is it really getting worse, or are we just paying attention more? According to the World Health Organization, in 1975 the rate of children aged 5 to 19 who were overweight or obese was just 4%. In 2016, the rate was over 18%. That means it’s quadrupled in just over 40 years. That’s a lot. So, I would say it is definitely an issue.
Can Parents Be Criminally Responsible?
In the United States, there have been cases brought forward, charging parents with criminal negligence for “letting” their children become obese. People who agree with this stance say that parents can be criminally charged for neglect if they don’t feed their children enough. Therefore, they should be criminally charged if they feed their children too much or the wrong foods. I agree that parents do have a lot of control over their children’s food intake. I also agree that parents need to be role models and teach their children what healthy food is. It can’t just be “do what I say, not what I do.” But, should they actually be criminally charged with neglect?
Why Childhood Obesity is a Complex Issue
The problem with holding parents solely responsible is that there are many contributing factors to childhood obesity. It’s not just about food and exercise. There are genetic, environmental, and socio-economic reasons for it. We also know are genetic differences between people from different ethnicities, and yet we all eat the same standard American diet. There can be hormone imbalances, which are only increased by the genetically altered foods we eat. It is also proven that people who face discrimination are more at risk for obesity. Families who live in poverty are more at risk of obesity.
I knew many families who had to use a food bank for their monthly food requirements. You know what they get at the food bank? Pasta, cheap tomato sauces, white bread, and packaged baked goods like cookies. All carb-heavy, with little nutritional value. Throughout the month, they balance what money they have for food with what will fill up their families the most. Buy a big bag of chips that will last a few days, or a bag of nuts that are twice the price for half the food.
How to Fix Childhood Obesity
The article on CBC notes that we need to look at people’s overall lifestyles and community – not just what they eat and how much they exercise. You need to look at a family’s entire life and make sure people have equal access to health care, healthy food, and emotional support. Here’s the thing – it’s not about fixing one child. It’s much bigger than that. The CBC article points out that just focusing on eating less and moving more adds to the stereotype that obesity is all about controlling yourself.
Yes! I hope doctors read this article! For so long, doctors told those of us who were overweight that if we just lose a few pounds, our other health issues would disappear. We joked that if we went in without an arm, they’d tell us to lose 50 pounds and the arm would grow back. It goes so much deeper than that!
Individual Solutions
So, while we do need to look at community impacts on children’s weights, we also do need to actually help individuals too. This article talks about considering medications that balance hormone levels. They even discuss bariatric surgery for some children. Before we get there, should we look at possibly changing a diet? Could keto be an option for some of these children?
I did an article a while ago on the controversy of kids on keto. I’m not saying it would work for everyone. I’m not even saying it should be a go-to for childhood obesity. But, before we start doing surgery, isn’t it worth a try? It’s certainly changed our lives for the better, and if everyone in the family is doing the same thing, maybe – just maybe – it could work in bringing down the overall rates of obesity. Just a thought to throw out there.
Wendy
