According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than nine million children and teens age 6 to19 (or 16 percent) are overweight. This figure is triple the number of overweight children in 1980.

In this issue of Elementary Edition, we'll explore the health and educational problems that overweight/obese children can face and offer some ways you and your family can fight this trend.

The causes of childhood obesity
Think your life is jam packed with activity? This is also true for children today. Researchers believe on-the-go lifestyles are a major culprit in obesity. Increased schoolwork designed to meet educational standards, long bus or car rides to get from place to place and structured after-school sports and lessons now eat up much of the time that children once had to run, jump and let loose each day.

In addition, fewer and fewer families are finding time to prepare and sit down together to eat healthy, wholesome meals. Though most nutritionists recommend that fast food not be eaten more than once a month, statistics show that 40 percent of all American meals are eaten outside the home, many at fast food restaurants. Increasingly, processed foods high in fat, sugar, salt and preservatives are becoming the mainstay of children's at-home diets.

Fit for life
Children who develop healthy eating habits and learn to enjoy physical activity have a greater chance of being healthy for life. They are also more likely to do better in school. Physically active children:

• have the strength and physical development that they need to hold a pencil properly and form letters and numbers,
• are able to hold their heads and bodies upright for lengths of time and make proper eye contact with teachers as they learn,
• are less likely to be disruptive in and out of school, and
• are better able to cope with the stress that accompanies busy lives.

Despite hectic lifestyles, there are many things that families can do to help children stay fit and active. Here are some suggestions:

• Take a family bike ride or make an evening stroll a regular part of your routine. Children whose parents are physically active are much more likely to develop healthy attitudes about being active themselves. When you exercise with your children, you can also be assured that they'll be safe as they play.
• Offer children a variety of healthy food choices. The more healthy foods children are offered, the more they are likely to try. Enlist children's help when food shopping. Show them how to select healthy foods and what they can learn about nutrition from food labels. With summer approaching, consider growing some kid-friendly veggies like cherry tomatoes, string bean and peas. Even the pickiest eaters have been known to gobble down veggies they've grown themselves.
• Limit screen time. On average, elementary age children spend three hours each day watching TV and/or playing computer and videogames. These are all passive activities that burn very few calories and do not stretch bodies or build muscle. It is recommended that school-age children have no more than 1 1/2 hours of combined television and computer time (this includes GameBoys and GameCube) daily. Consider making these activities an option only after your children have spent time with physical activities.
• Empower children to be active and strong and to find activities they like and will stick with. Children, especially girls, tend to become less active as they move into the preteen years. If organized sports aren't their thing, try tapping into what interests them most. Many local gyms and summer camps offer kid-friendly physical activities like hip-hop dance, kickboxing and yoga. YMCAs often offer trial classes or one-day passes.

If you think your child is overweight...
To grow as they should, children need a steady diet of healthy foods. For this reason, dieting or severely restricting children's food intake is never suggested. If you think your child is overweight, talk with the school nurse and/or your pediatrician. They can assess your child's condition and recommend healthy diet and lifestyle changes.