Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The percentage of Americans who are overweight or obese appears to have leveled off at 68 percent, according to a new survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• This rate has remained the same between 2007 and 2008, when the last data was collected.
• The exception to the leveling off was boys ages 6 to 19 years old. In this group, the percentage of overweight has risen.
• More than one third of American adults are obese.

A CDC spokesperson said that one key to a recovery from the obesity epidemic is stopping childhood obesity. About 80 percent of children who are overweight grow up to become overweight adults.

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A study that was presented before the European Congress on Obesity found that the obesity epidemic in the United States is a result of overeating, not under-exercising.

"Weight gain in the American population seems to be virtually explained by eating more calories ... Changes in physical activity played a minimal role," said Boyd Swinburn, director of the World Health Organization.

Researchers calculated the actual number of calories needed every day by tracking 1,400 adults and 960 children. Then they calculated the number of calories Americans actually ate between the years 1970 and 2000, based on the amount of food produced annually, the amount thrown away, and the amount used by animals.

By comparing the figures, the researchers then predicted that adults would be 23.8 pounds heavier in 2000 than they were in 1970. The actual number was 19.6 pounds, which was close to the estimate.

The researchers explained that modern American adults would have to cut 500 calories a day, or exercise moderately for 110 minutes a day, to weigh what they did 30 years ago. For children, the statistics translate to a decrease of 350 calories per day and an increase of 150 minutes of moderate daily exercise.

As summertime approaches, children who are having trouble following a healthy diet or getting adequate amounts of exercise may benefit from participating in a science-based, professionally supervised weight-loss summer camp.

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The National Center for Health Statistics reports that there are now more obese Americans (34 percent of the population) than overweight ones (32.7 percent).

About 72 million people are overweight, based on a formula that uses height and weight to determine body mass. Under that formula, a person who is 5 ft. 5 inches is overweight at 150 pounds, and obese at 180 pounds.

The Public Health Advocacy Institute, a nonprofit organization located in the Northwestern School of Law, brought together many experts to develop 47 recommendations for public policies to combat the obesity epidemic. Among their suggestions are to tax unhealthy foods; improve food choices in schools; require more physical education; limit advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages; and increase funding for nutritional research. Members of the Institute presented the recommendations to representatives of the incoming Obama administration.

Many experts, a group that includes Dr. Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington in Seattle, believe that obesity and overweight may increase even more during economically difficult times.

"People are going to economize [during a recession]," he said. "As they save money on food, they will eat more empty calories or foods high in sugar, saturated fasts, and refined grains, which are cheaper."

During economic downturns, low cost restaurants such as McDonalds tend to do well, whereas stores that sell organic and natural foods, such as Whole Foods, tend to lose money.

"We associate poverty with obesity because energy-dense foods are less expensive," noted Dr. Robert Eckel, former president of the American Heart Association.

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Researchers have found that obese teenagers are far more likely to die of heart disease and other illnesses than teens that are at a healthy weight. The study followed more than 200,000 Norwegians from adolescence through middle age.

"Study participants who were obese as teenagers... tended to remain obese into adulthood. Obesity later in life has long been implicated as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers...whereas the long-term effects of childhood obesity are uncertain."

The study found long-term health risks not only for heart disease, but also colon cancer and respiratory diseases. Source: National Institutes of Health

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After 25 years of steady increases, 2005-2006 saw the first leveling off of obesity rates among U.S. children. The rate is still high, at 32 percent, but remained the same as 2003-2004.

"Some experts said that if the leveling-off is real, it could be because more schools and parents are emphasizing better eating habits and more exercise."

Experts also warn that it's too early to celebrate. The next few years will be good indicators as to whether the leveling off is genuine or was simply an anomaly. Source: The Associated Press

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Children and teens that are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are five times more likely to develop kidney disease than people who develop diabetes as adults. The risk of kidney disease is equated, not with age, but with how long someone has had Type 2 diabetes.

"Citing an example [Robert Nelson] explained, 'A 15-year-old person with 10 years of type 2 diabetes has the same risk of kidney disease as a 55-year-old with 10 years of type 2 diabetes.'"

Diabetes is becoming increasingly common among young people as obesity rates rise. While kidney disease can be prevent through proper management of diabetes, Mr. Nelson also emphasized the importance of reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity.

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Though obesity rates for kids haven't been released yet, the rates for adults show promise. Based on surveys and physical examinations of about 4,400 adults, it appears that obesity rates are beginning to plateau. That's good news considering the fact that rates have steadily increased since the 1908s.

"In generalizing the results to the U.S. population, researchers calculated a margin of error that swallows up the differences between years. In other words, the increases were not considered statistically significant."

The new report compared four years' worth of data.

Read more at LATimes.com.

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