With a number of different factors affecting children today, obesity has become a problem among young people throughout the country.
The obesity problem with children is often called an epidemic; experts say that's because from the 1970's to the 2000's, the rate of people who are overweight or obese has tripled, and Ohio's rate of childhood obesity is actually higher than the national rate. Dr. Laura Young with Mercy Health Children's Hospital says that changes in technology and diet have been major causes of the epidemic.
"There’s been a lot of changes from a nutrition standpoint in terms of portion sizes, the food is a lot more of concentrated sugars, a lot of processed foods, portions are more readily available to children that are marketed - every corner there’s a couple of fast food places now, and that might not have been the case 30 or 40 years ago," said Dr. Young, an Pediatric Endocrinologist.
Dr. Young says that if you're concerned about your child's health, it may be a good idea to talk to your pediatrician.
"What I like to tell parents to do if they're really worried about the child’s weight is an issue or a potential issue in the future, either because of a family history or because they're seeing that trend in their child, to touch base with their pediatrician and see if it’s something that might warrant work by a specialist," said Dr. Young.
With the weather growing warmer, it's recommended that families spend around 15 to 20 minutes outside to promote getting active.
