Childhood obesity rates in the U.S. have quadrupled since 1978, from 5% to 19.3%. That’s a huge increase in a relatively short amount of time. It’s literally a de-evolution of our species. This means that approximately 14.7 million U.S. youths aged 2-19 have obesity. That’s 1 in 5. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in the U.S. and is becoming a pandemic globally.

Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health or well-being.  These conditions lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and lipid disorders, which contribute to metabolic syndrome. Childhood obesity also leads to bullying. Kids with obesity are twice as likely to be bullied as normal-weight kids.

A preschooler is considered overweight if their BMI exceeds the 85^th percentile. Research tells us that these children are at a significantly higher risk of being overweight during adolescence. This underscores the misconception that children simply “outgrow” overweight issues.

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, which is aimed at educating the public about childhood obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles for kids.

As a community that promotes health, it’s important to understand why our world has changed so rapidly for our kids. Let’s take a deeper dive into some of the factors influencing childhood obesity and talk about how we can effect change.

Sugary Drinks

Sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods are the two main drivers of the childhood obesity epidemic.

Sugary drinks are the single leading source of added sugars in the American diet. Nearly half (46%), of all added sugars consumed by the U.S. population ages 2 and older come from sugary drinks. According to statistics from The American Heart Association, the average child drinks more than 30 gallons of sugary drinks every year.

Sugar calories in liquid form seem to slip under the bodyweight regulating radar system, causing more weight gain than expected for calories consumed. In 2012, a randomized control trial published in The New England Journal of medicine found that adolescents who eliminated sugary beverages weighed about 4 pounds less after a year than those who continued their normal sugar beverage habit. Among Hispanics, there was a 14 pound difference after 1 year.

Well-meaning parents often try to substitute low-calorie (diet) beverages as an alternative to sugary drinks. Turns out that’s not the answer. A study published in 2019 at George Washington University found that U.S. teens who consumed low-calorie or zero-calorie sweetened beverages took in 200 extra calories on a given day compared to those who drank water, and they took in the same number of calories as those who consumed sugary beverages.

The only beverages kids should be allowed to drink are water and milk. That’s it. And yes, it can be done. My wife and I have been able to do this with our kids.

Ultra-Processed Foods

Ultra-processed foods are substances produced in a factory with a long list of artificial ingredients and little resemblance to anything found in nature. They are highly concentrated in calories and almost totally devoid of nutrition.

A report published last month by the CDC found that the average percentage of daily calories children and teens consumed from ultra-processed foods between August 2021 and August 2023 was 61.9%. The same report found the average adult aged 19 and older consumes 55.0% of their calories from ultra-processed foods. What the heck!?! We are allowing our kids to eat more junk than we eat.

A study published last year in the British Medical Journal found that ultra-processed foods are linked to 32 heath conditions, including obesity. Most of the food we are feeding our kids makes them sick and unhealthy. And it significantly impairs their brain, affecting their decision making and cognitive control.

We need to educate kids and parents. If it comes from a factory instead of nature, just don’t eat it. I know that sounds too simple, but that’s the best place to start. Parents must make wise choices for their kids and have plenty of real food options in the home for kids all the time.

• Always have a bowl of fruit sitting on your kitchen counter so kids can grab it any time they want.
• Keep grapes and berries in the fridge; kids love both of those as snacks.
• Snap peas, sliced peppers, carrots and cucumbers are vegetables that are easy for kids to grab on the run.
• Hummus and ranch dressing from Primal Kitchen work great as dips for vegetables.
• Keep small bags of nuts and small boxes of raisins around all the time for your kids.

Physical Activity and Screen Time

Kids are less physically active than they used to be, but the bigger issue is the amount of time they spend watching TV. The average kid spends 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen. Seventy-one percent of kids between the ages of 8 and 18 have TV sets in their rooms. Why??? Putting a TV in your kids’ room is one of the worst things you can do for them. It destroys their physical and emotional health. It will also rob them of their sleep.

What’s more concerning is the 10,000 commercials for ultra-processed foods the average kid sees each year. TV is brainwashing them to eat the foods that will destroy their bodies.

Parents Need to Model Healthy Eating

Kids need to see mom and dad eating real, whole, unprocessed foods, limiting their TV time, and getting plenty of exercise. “More is caught than taught” will play out in every area of your parenting, including healthy living.

A child with one obese parent has a 50% chance of being obese. When both parents are obese, their children have an 80% chance of obesity. This is due to both genetic and environmental factors.

Create a Healthy Environment

Make sure your kids have a schedule that allows plenty of sleep. Start each day with a great breakfast that includes some protein and fruit. Make sure there are always plenty of healthy snack options for your kids to grab and go.

Limit TV time to no more than an hour a day and maybe two hours a day on the weekend. Make sure you as a parent or grandparent spend time playing with your kids or grandkids. Take a real interest in getting outside and getting physically active with them.

Childhood obesity is destroying the health of our kids. Making a change starts with parents and grandparents making the right choices about the foods they buy and the habits they allow.

Let’s do this!

Stay Strong,

Bo Railey