Nutrition Education and
the Prevention of Obesity
Teaching healthy behaviors at a young age is important
since change becomes more difficult with age. Behaviors
involving physical activity and nutrition are the cornerstone
of preventing obesity in children and adolescents.
Families and schools are the two most critical links
in
providing the foundation for those behaviors.
Data from the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey -
NHANES I (1971–1974) to NHANES (2003-2004)
show increases
in overweight among all age groups:
- preschool children,
aged 2 to 5 years, the prevalence of
overweight increased from 5.0% to 13.9%.
- school children, aged 6 to 11 years, the prevalence of
overweight increased from 4.0% to 18.8%.
- adolescents, aged 12 to 19 years, the prevalence of
overweight increased from 6.1% to 17.4%
*NHANES Website:USA.gov (Accessed 9/9/2007)
*NHANES - (National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey)
The World Health Organization
Consultation on Obesity
"Obesity is a chronic disease, affecting children
as well as adults. Indeed it is so common that
it
is replacing the more traditional public health
concerns, including undernutrition and infectious
diseases,
as one of the most significant
contributors to ill health."
Maternal
and Child Health Bureau
"Obesity represents a chronic disease,
and obesity
in children and adolescents
represents one of the most frustrating
and difficult diseases to treat."