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Why focus on food and physical activity environments?

There are a variety of environmental factors that determine whether or not the healthy choice is the easy choice for children and their parents. American society has become characterized by environments that promote increased consumption of less healthy food and physical inactivity. It can be difficult for children to make healthy food choices and get enough physical activity when they are exposed to environments in their home, child care center, school, or community that are influenced by

Sugar drinks and less healthy foods on school campuses. About 55 million school-aged children are enrolled in schools across the United States,1 and many eat and drink meals and snacks there. Yet, more than half of U.S. middle and high schools still offer sugar drinks and less healthy foods for purchase.2 Students have access to sugar drinks and less healthy foods at school throughout the day from vending machines and school canteens and at fundraising events, school parties, and sporting events. Advertising of less healthy foods. Nearly half of U.S. middle and high schools allow advertising of less healthy foods,2 which impacts students' ability to make healthy food choices. In addition, foods high in total calories, sugars, salt, and fat, and low in nutrients are highly advertised and marketed through media targeted to children and adolescents,3 while advertising for healthier foods is almost nonexistent in comparison.

Variation in licensure regulations among child care centers. More than 12 million children regularly spend time in child care arrangements outside the home.4 However, not all states use licensing regulations to ensure that child care facilities encourage more healthful eating and physical activity.5

Lack of daily, quality physical activity in all schools. Most adolescents fall short of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americansrecommendation of at least 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity each day, as only 18% of students in grades 912 met this recommendation in 2007.6Daily, quality physical education in school can help students meet the Guidelines. However, in 2009 only 33% attended daily physical education classes.7 No safe and appealing place, in many communities, to play or be active. Many communities are built in ways that make it difficult or unsafe to be physically active. For some families, getting to parks and recreation centers may be difficult, and public transportation may not be available. For many children, safe routes for walking or biking to school or play may not exist. Half of the children in the United States do not have a park, community center, and sidewalk in their neighborhood. Only 27 states have policies directing community-scale design.8

Limited access to healthy affordable foods. Some people have less access to stores and supermarkets that sell healthy, affordable food such as fruits and vegetables, especially in rural, minority, and lowerincome neighborhoods.9 Supermarket access is associated with a reduced risk for obesity.9 Choosing healthy foods is difficult for parents who live in areas with an overabundance of food retailers that tend to sell less healthy food, such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants. Greater availability of high-energy-dense foods and sugar drinks. High-energy-dense foods are ones that have a lot of calories in each bite. A recent study among children showed that a high-energydense diet is associated with a higher risk for excess body fat during childhood.10,11 Sugar drinks are the largest source of added sugar and an important contributor of calories in the diets of children in the United States.12 High consumption of sugar drinks, which have few, if any, nutrients, has been associated with obesity.13 On a typical day, 80% of youth drink sugar drinks.14 Increasing portion sizes. Portion sizes of less healthy foods and beverages have increased over time in restaurants, grocery stores, and vending machines. Research shows that children eat more without realizing it if they are served larger portions.15,16 This can mean they are consuming a lot of extra calories, especially when eating highcalorie foods.

Lack of breastfeeding support. Breastfeeding protects against childhood overweight and obesity.17,18 However, in the United States, while 75% of mothers start out breastfeeding, only 13% of babies are exclusively breastfed at the end of 6 months. The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers, and policymakers.

Television and media. Children 818 years of age spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, including TV, computers, video games, cell phones, and movies. Of those 7.5 hours, about 4.5 hours is dedicated to viewing TV.19 Eighty-three percent of children from 6 months to less than 6 years of age view TV or videos about 1 hour and 57 minutes a day.20 TV viewing is a contributing factor to childhood obesity because it may take away from the time children spend in physical activities; lead to increased energy intake through snacking and eating meals in front of the TV; and, influence children to make unhealthy food choices through exposure to food advertisements.21,22

The Three Main Causes of Childhood Obesity What are the causes of childhood obesity? There are many convictions about causes of childhood obesity. Among them, bag eating habit gets most important role. There are vast improvements in the world. According to the modern trend we are changing our attitude in all kinds of our life. Our food habits are changed likewise. In ancient times, food and culture got much important and our ancestors lived well-disciplined life. We are inviting troubles by ourselves as the way of our improvement in Industrial and modern technology. Causes of childhood obesity are due to the way of eating habits of the children. Now we are eating variety of foods and all are contains mostly fried foods. We should take many efforts to control the children against their wish. Though it may be difficult it is our duty to take care the children and we should enforced them slowly to restrict fast food products, sugary snacks, pre - packaged foods and beverages instead we have to give them fruits and vegetables mostly home made foods. Carrot and celery sticks, apples, bananas and even salads that include a wide variety of vegetables are also the nutritional foods. Once we take much strain in enforcing these good eating habits undoubtedly we are giving better future to them and thus we can proud of. Importance of Exercise in reducing the Causes of Childhood Obesity Exercise plays important part in reducing childhood obesity. By the lack of supervision, not having enough time to take care and love, we are inviting childhood obesity. Television and video games are the main choice of the children and the children are avoiding playing and it is very rare that playing sports, walked to school, and enjoyed outside activities in the modern society. These are high choices of childhood obesity. Children can make aware of the importance of physical activities and they can be entrusted with small work also besides exercise i.e. keeping room clean, gardening etc. Genetics

Causes of childhood obesity are defined with other kind of genetics reasons. If the parents are affected with obesity problem or they are having the hereditary behavior their children are affected by these factors automatically. To prevent the children from such causes of childhood obesity, it is extremely important to give proper care of the children. Parents should keep keen interest on their activities and educate them to go on correct way. We all know that parent is a best teacher of the children. Be practiced and accompany them with physical activities and entrust them to run and play. Routine exercise will always be helpful to children. Over eating without getting physical activities are the main causes of childhood obesity.

How to combat Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States. It is proved that probably thirteen percent of the children in America are becoming obese by medical consequences. It is a fact that, if children are obese , they are becoming obese in adult stage also. So that behavioral change can be reduced the percentage of adult obesity. Childhood obesity can be tackled easily by the parents, teachers and medical professions and also their friends and relatives. What are the ways to do at Home? Childhood obesity may be gone out by hiding the way of intervention to children. For this parents should take much care and show affection on them as like to think they are under the very bid shelter. That kind of mentality will always be helpful to their entire carrier. There are many effective steps to reduce the overweight. Parents should note that the children are associated with the behavior of their parents. According to that, the parents should act. The most important behavior is eating and activity behaviors. From the infant stage itself, children should be practiced with all tastes. Grocery shops are stored their shelves with full of sweets and snacks with admiring look. So the parents are forced to give them to the children by their adamant. They are containing lot of sweets and fatty contents. Parents should educate the children in getting healthy foods instead of sugary snack and all. Thus they invite childhood obesity. Another thing is parents should entrust the whole family members to involve physical activities. Most of the children do not like to get exercise and they are interested in playing video games, watching television or browsing through Internet. If these are the routine life of them, how can they get physical activity. These are all the main causes of childhood obesity.

Involving physical activity at school Childhood obesity can be condoned at the school itself. In schools teachers should examine their lunch menu and ensure that they are getting good and wholesome foods, instead of fried and fatty foods. Also, children should be involved in physical activity. This is an important thing and could not be escaped. In the higher class children should practice with sports and extra curricular activities. Parents should accompany with Schools and make suggestion to them if need be. Parents and teachers are playing the vital role on eradicating childhood obesity. Children should be aware of the childhood obesity and what are the ways of fighting with it. Parents and teachers should help the children to their healthy life and to meet the challenges on the way of becoming adults. Health education is to be taught to the children , thereby , they are having great chances of reducing childhood obesity.

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