In The News

Health Plan of San Joaquin observes National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in September, and recognizes that childhood obesity is a major public health problem all year long. Maintaining a healthy weight is a vital part of overall health for our members.

HPSJ knows that childhood obesity is a complex problem. It must be addressed using multiple approaches. HPSJ offers information on health education classes, programs and resources to members about childhood obesity. HPSJ staff also participate in community coalition meetings that work together to create interdisciplinary approaches to address this issue in our service area.

Childhood obesity has short- and long-term impacts on physical, social and emotional health. Here are some examples –

• Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health problems and illnesses that impact physical health, such as asthma, sleep apnea and bone and joint problems.
• Children with obesity are bullied and teased more than their normal weight peers, and are more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression and lower self-esteem.
• Childhood obesity also increases the risk of social stigmatization and depression among youth.[i]
• Overweight or obese preschoolers are 5 times more likely than normal-weight children to be overweight or obese as adults.[ii]
• A study suggested that childhood obesity is the underlying factor for both age of onset of puberty and adult obesity.[iii]

According to the 2013 Community Health Needs Assessment of Stanislaus County, a higher percentage of children in Stanislaus County are overweight for their age, compared to California.[iv] The San Joaquin County 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment found that 21% of its youth were obese compared to 19% in California.

In 2015, the California Department of Education’s Fitnessgram Assessment showed 42.3% of San Joaquin County and 44.2% Stanislaus County fifth graders were obese or overweight which was higher than the California average of 40.3%.

Some of the causes that lead to childhood overweight and obesity are: food choices, not staying active, parental obesity, eating patterns, parenting style, diabetes during pregnancy, low birth weight, too much weight gain during pregnancy, formula feeding, parental eating and staying active habits, and demographic factors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests the use of BMI (body mass index) to screen for overweight and obesity in children starting at 2 years old.

BMI is a value calculated from an individual’s weight and height. BMI is used to screen weight types and health problems linked to weight. The BMI-for-age percentile gives a comparison of one child’s BMI value to other children who are the same age and sex.

HPSJ’s Quality Improvement (QI) Nurse Jennifer Norris reports –

Childhood obesity can lead to grave health issues at an early age. The National Institutes of Health[v] even wrote a study in 2014 about severe obesity. When bad enough, obesity can shorten a person’s life up to 14 years. This is along with higher cancer risk, heart, liver and kidney disease, stroke and diabetes. These diseases occur at much younger ages than normal when very obese. The study shows these risks are the same or more than smokers of normal weight.

Kids who are obese have been shown to often become even more obese as adults. This means rising costs for medical care in the future. It also means a great burden on the community.

Who is most at risk? The American Heart Association[vi] says kids ages 2-19 who are African-American and Mexican-Americans are at higher risk than non-Hispanic Whites to be overweight. Let us make this issue a focus. We can make a better future by teaching our kids how to eat healthy and being active.

Here are some helpful tips for making healthy habits with children –

1. Make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician to talk about any weight-related concerns and questions.
2. Encourage children to stop eating when they are full.
3. Serve and eat a variety of foods from each food group.
4. Give small to moderate portions at meals, but they can have unlimited veggies.
5. Bake, broil, roast or grill meats instead of frying them.
6. Use low-fat or nonfat and lower calorie dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
7. Support participation in play, sports and other physical activity at school or church.
8. Be active as a family. Go on a walk, bike ride, swim or hike together.
9. Avoid eating while watching TV.
10. Replace high-sugared drinks with water and low-fat milk.
11. Encourage free play in young children and provide environments that allow children to play indoors and outdoors.
12. Role model through healthy lifestyle activities.
13. Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” and using food as a reward.[vii]

The home, child care, school and community environments play a vital role in a child’s growth with healthy habits. Health Plan of San Joaquin invites your family to choose healthy habits to prevent and address childhood obesity in our community.

[i] “Childhood Obesity: Assessment, Prevention & Treatment”. http://www.epi.umn.edu/let/nutri/chobese/. Accessed on August 5, 2017.

[ii] “Childhood Overweight”. http://www.obesity.org/obesity/resources/facts-about-obesity/childhood-overweight. Accessed on August 5, 2017.

[iii] “Childhood Obesity and Adult Morbidities”. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/91/5/1499S.full. Accessed on August 7, 2017.

[iv] Community Health Needs Assessment of Stanislaus County. 2013, page 31.

[v]https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-extreme-obesity-may-shorten-life-expectancy-14-years [Kitahara CM, et al. Association between Class III Obesity (BMI of 40–59 kg/m) and Mortality: A Pooled Analysis of 20 Prospective Studies. PLOS Medicine. July 8, 2014. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001673.]

[vi] http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyKids/ChildhoodObesity/Overweight-in-Children_UCM_304054_Article.jsp#.WYosJ6Pn86Y

[vii] “Childhood Overweight”. http://www.obesity.org/obesity/resources/facts-about-obesity/childhood-overweight. Accessed on August 5, 2017.

© Health Plan of San Joaquin, August, 2017