September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. In the United States, about 1 in every 5 children have obesity. This rate increases with age, and many children with obesity continue to have obesity as adults. Obesity is measured differently in children compared to adults. For children under the age of 18, obesity is defined as having a BMI in the 95th percentile or higher, meaning their BMI is higher than 95% or more of all other children of the same age and sex. Obesity does not impact all children equally. There are glaring racial disparities in obesity with over 26% of Hispanic/Latino children and nearly 25% of non-Hispanic Black children affected. More specifically, non-Hispanic Black girls have the highest rate of childhood obesity at just over 30% with Hispanic/Latino boys closely following at 29.3%. 

Why it Matters

High rates of obesity in children contribute to high rates of obesity in adults. Obesity is a contributing factor to many chronic diseases including hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, and cancer. It’s not surprising then that obesity is associated with early death. Even in children, obesity increases the risk of asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. As a result, health care for those with obesity is expensive – the medical costs for a child with severe obesity is about $900 more per year compared to a child with a healthy weight. These costs add up over the years and can increase into adulthood as the health complications associated with obesity become more prevalent. 

Obesity and Cancer

In recent years the link between obesity and cancer has become more apparent. In fact, a nationwide study that used data from the US Cancer Statistics database estimated that 9.6% of new cancer cases in women aged 30 and older were due to overweight or obesity. For men aged 30 and older, 4.7% of new cancer cases were due to excess body weight. Having obesity as a child can increase the risk of developing cancer as an adult by over 30%. Further, childhood obesity increases the risk of dying from cancer by about 28%. So far, research has linked obesity to increased risk of breast, colorectal, endometrial/uterine, kidney, liver, pancreatic, ovarian, and thyroid cancers.

Obesity is thought to increase the risk of cancer in a few ways:

• Fat cells produce hormones that can impact cell growth
• Fat tissue produces excess estrogen, which increases the risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers
• Obesity contributes to insulin resistance, leading to higher levels of insulin in the blood, which increases the risk of colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancers
• People who have obesity often have chronic inflammation, which can lead to DNA damage and contribute to an increased risk of cancer

How to Reduce Your Child’s Risk

While children with obesity are more likely to have obesity as adults, there are many steps you can take to help your child reach and maintain a healthy weight to reduce their health risks now and in the future. Even if a healthy weight isn’t achieved, taking steps to develop healthy lifestyle behaviors can still help reduce the risk of the many diseases associated with obesity. 

It's important for children to follow the MyPlate guidelines and meet the CDC’s recommendations for physical activity. Children aged 3-5 need to be active throughout the day, this should be achieved through active play. Children aged 6-17 should aim for an hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. This activity should include muscle and bone strengthening activities such as climbing, hanging, jumping, and running on at least two days per week. 

Establishing healthy lifestyle habits at a young age can help make those habits stick as children age and become healthy adults. Luckily, adding a few healthy habits to your family’s routine doesn’t have to be a chore. There are plenty of fun ways to improve the health of your child(ren) that can be fun for the whole family! 

• Plant a garden or join a community garden – children are more likely to eat vegetables when they’ve grown the food themselves! 
• Plan and prepare meals as a family using the MyPlate as a guide
• Learn what fruits and veggies are in season to buy fresh produce at a lower price – eating what’s in season or what you can find at the Farmer’s Market can be a fun way to try new foods!
• Replace sugary drinks such as soda and sports drinks with water – try flavoring water with fresh fruit or a splash of 100% fruit juice!
• Walk or ride bikes as a family to and from school or as part of your daily routine
• Replace screen time with active games like tag, jump roping, or dancing
• Establish a consistent sleep routine – preschoolers need 10-13 hours including naps, children aged 6-12 years need 9-12 hours at night, and youth aged 13-17 years need 8-10 hours at night

Which of these healthy habits are you excited to try with your family? 

About the Author: Caitlin Fredericks is a statewide Physical Health Specialist. As part of the integrated Health Disparities program, she provides education, programs, and resources to reduce health disparities in physical health. She is an ACSM certified personal trainer and an ACE certified group fitness instructor. Caitlin has diverse experience working at the intersection of education and physical activity and is actively collaborating with local coalitions to strengthen our community. The Integrated Health Disparities program tackles health issues with an integrated lens of physical, mental, and community health providing programs and resources to address health inequities.