YOUR HEALTH MATTERS
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JULY 4 - 10, 2013
Obesity in Children For the last several years I have placed classified as obesity. Similar to adults, my oldest daughter in a rigorous swim obesity can increase the child’s risk of camp here in the city. Every year I have developing hypertension, diabetes, high had to endure the endless complaints and cholesterol, and endocrine abnormalities huffs/puffs. such as menstrual irregularities. In “Why me?” addition, socially, obese children are often “I don’t want to go!” she said each bullied which may then result in social time. withdrawal and eventual depression. I am However, as I have sure many of us remember those mentioned on several occasions, children growing up who were my old-fashioned southern always picked last for kickball, upbringing allowed me to look never got asked to dance, and at that child and declare with who had very few friends. I authority akin to a four star think we often underestimate general that she had no voting the stigma that obesity has on power in the matter. It had been the lives of our children. settled. Further conversation Because obesity rates have was unnecessary at that point. tripled over the last three For what my short-sighted decades, first lady Michelle child could not comprehend Obama championed childhood was that her mother understood obesity as her signature Denise Hooks- platform in 2010. Her “Let’s the obesity epidemic that Anderson M.D. Move” campaign focuses on had been plaguing minority communities all too well. Her healthier foods in the schools mother understood that if she did and at home, childhood activity not make deliberate interventions and providing support to into the lives of her children that they too parents. Both the American Academy of would be walking down a medical disaster Pediatrics and the American Academy of path. Her mother also knew that about a Family Physicians support Ms. Obama’s third of the teens living in Missouri were initiative. either overweight or obese. Ms. Obama also brought needed A BMI, body mass index, greater attention to the vast array of “food than the 95th percentile in a child is deserts” in which so many of our local
Your Health Matters
A bi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American
JULY 4 - 210, 2013 Your Health Matters provides up-to-date information, from an African-American perspective, about one of the most important subjects in evryone’s life – their personal health.
Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President Chris King, Editorial Director Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Medical Accuracy Editor Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Pamela Simmons, Sales Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager Angelita Jackson, Cover Design Wiley Price, Photojournalist
citizens live. These areas have minimal access to quality fresh fruits and vegetables but are home to many minimarts that sell mostly processed foods high in salt and sugar. Unfortunately, these are the places that children often frequent for their after school snack. Children not only are choosing the high caloric food options they are also spending greater than two hours daily couched in front of the television, computer, or video game. Those days when children actually played games such as double Dutch and freeze tag are mostly over. It is so rare to see children actually outside running, jumping, or skipping. Furthermore, during educational budget deficits, physical education time is usually always first on the list for elimination. Children spend less and less time exercising their bodies as compared to the time they spend sitting behind a desk preparing for a standardized test. However, this method has yet to improve any test scores. John Ratey, M.D., author of A User’s Guide to the Brain and an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard states, “Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being.” Therefore, it is counter intuitive to expect children to sit for six to eight hours a day and be able to fully
grasp the various concepts taught during that time. The clarity simply is not there. Thus, not only is a lack of exercise in the school fueling the obesity epidemic but it is also fueling the academic disparities our children face as well. This crisis in our community will not be eradicated overnight. It will take each of us making conscious decisions on behalf of our children. For example, turning off the television and having our children eat dinner at the table with the family is a great first step. Research shows that children that eat structured meals as a family unit are less obese. In addition, joining a sports team is not just about wanting to be the next Lebron James. It is about exercise. The local boys and girls clubs have a variety of teams such as basketball, football and dance which have minimal joining fees. And how about just good old fashioned neighborhood play? As parents, we simply need to make sure our children are getting as much activity as possible and in the words of Malcolm X: “by any means necessary!” Yours in Service, Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Assistant Professor SLUCare Family Medicine yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com