With one-third of Canadians 5-17 considered overweight, there’s plenty of opinions as to why childhood obesity is on the rise.
It’s easy to suggest that today’s kids eat too much and exercise too little, but experts claim kids are just reacting to the environment around them.
In the Scientific American article, Consumption Junction: Childhood Obesity Determined Largely by Environmental Factors, Not Genes or Sloth, Temple University public health professor Jennifer Fisher and Yoni Freedhoff, physician and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa, offer their opinions of how things like the availability of junk food and our plugged in lifestyle have contributed to generation XXL.
“If we look at adult studies on dieting and weight loss, we know that the prospect of maintaining self-control in this environment is fairly grim,” Fisher says. “I think most scientists believe our bodies have evolved to pretty staunchly defend hunger and prevent weight loss, and maybe are not so sensitive in preventing overconsumption.”
Freedhoff says removing vending machines from schools and recreation centres, eating more home cooked meals and rewarding children with something other than high calorie treats are just some of the ways we can create a healthier environment for our kids.
Also worthy of consideration is promoting more active transportation to and from school and friends’ houses and more emphasis on incorporating physical activity breaks into the day. After all, habits learned early are habits that stick, so it’s up to all of us to make sure kids get it right early.