Guest AuthorAs dinner comes to a close, Emeline, our 3-year-old, sometimes asks us a question: “Can I have something that’s not good for me?” What she means is, “can I have dessert?”
It is easy to either give her dessert or not depending on how well she ate what was good for her during dinner. What is more difficult to know is how to feel about this question itself. In one sense, it is good news that she knows that the small bowl full of ice cream or a sliver of candy bar is not good food, not good for her, and not to be eaten in lieu of a healthy meal. On the other hand, we worry about the apparent expectation at her young age.
Either way, the immediate responsibility certainly rests with us, her parents. And if she hasn’t eaten well at dinner, she doesn’t get “something not good for her.”
We do not necessarily think about this as doing our small part to fight a three decades-long nationwide trend, but perhaps we are.
Childhood obesity rates in America have tripled in that time, and now nearly one in three children in America are overweight or even classified as obese. Within African-American and Hispanic communities, the numbers are even worse.
This is an epidemic and it is incredibly expensive, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008. Typically, medical costs for people who are classified as obese are approximately $1,400 higher than people of normal weight.
The CDC did have some good news, recently reported promising trends in childhood obesity rates. Several states, including Florida, have seen slight declines in obesity rates from a 2008-2011 reporting period.
Despite the early good news, the problem is still pervasive in Florida. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than 33 percent of the children in Florida today can be classified as overweight or obese.
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and in Florida, state Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D) is leading the public policy fight. She wants to make sure those promising early trends continue and remind everyone of the fiscal effect of obesity and health care costs.
“These youngsters risk developing serious health problems in adulthood, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer,” Sobel said. “The financial impact is a sobering $14 billion per year in direct health care costs alone. The psychosocial consequences can hinder these kids academically and socially.”
These are deficits from which the children almost never recover.
Sobel is partnering with FLIPANY (Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth) and the Children’s Services Council of Broward County to commemorate Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.
On Friday (Sept. 20) at 10 a.m., she is hosting a town hall meeting, “Solutions to Childhood Obesity – Be the Change!” The discussion will be at the Children’s Services Council, 6600 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac.
Experts say that to curb an epidemic of this proportion, most everyone in the public and private sectors has a job to do to reduce childhood obesity. That means elected officials, school leaders, faith-based organizations, health providers and even private businesses must help.
But the foremost role starts with engaged, informed parents. After all, parents are the most important role models for children. When we eat foods that are good for us, instead of having something after dinner that is “not good” for us, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, our children will be more likely to make smart choices.
