Why We Need to Care About Childhood Obesity

By Melissa Hanson, Säjai Foundation CEO/President

Childhood obesity is the biggest health issue facing our nation today, and yet getting people involved doesn’t seem to catch on. Many groups talk about the statistics. Facts like 1 in 3 children expected to develop Type 2 diabetes in their life time are frightening. Have you ever met an adult in their 50s that has diabetes? They really struggle with the life-changing requirements of insulin injections and issues like poor circulation which makes it difficult to heal wounds and recover from illness. So if that’s the outlook for 30% or more of our kids, why don’t we get involved?

Often, I think, people assume overweight adults and kids should know better. Or that they do it to themselves and it’s “their problem.” While many adults do choose unhealthy habits, most children simply may not have someone in their life who can help teach to build healthy habits at an early age. Research notes that a child who is overweight has a 70% chance of being an overweight or obese adult, jumping to 80% if they have an overweight/obese parent. It’s a downward spiral for our children. If obesity-related diseases are astronomically impacting our health care system and budget now, think what it will be like in 20-30 years as those children become adults suffering, at a higher incidence, from obesity-related diseases. One program leader told us that he attended a funeral for a 15-year-old boy who died because of weight-related diabetes. It wasn’t his first funeral for a child suffering from weight issues and diabetes. Sadly, he realized he needed to get to kids in his program earlier because he just couldn’t face another funeral on his watch.

Overweight and obesity in children is the result of many things, some in our control and some out of our control. We all can work on those things like preventive wellness education. We can’t cook for every child or give them unlimited access to every activity on the planet. But we can work together to make wellness and outdoor education a part of every child’s life.

Not every child has a role model teaching them what it means to be healthy. But we can make a difference. We can make sure youth organizations and schools can teach the basics of healthy living so kids don’t grow up thinking unlimited TV time and junk food for every meal is OK. We know it’s not. In fact, those habits might well shorten their life. But by stepping in and helping all children have an opportunity to learn about healthy living, we can give those kids who need that knowledge the chance they need and the confidence to make healthier choices.

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