April 07, 2015

Study: 40 percent of N.J. children are obese

Similar statistics across the country find one in every five children are considered overweight

By Elisa Lala
PhillyVoice Contributor

Does this statistic shock you? A recent report by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids found a staggering 40 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds in the Garden State are obese.

While these findings should be alarming, similar studies of children throughout the United States show they're average. One out of every five U.S. children are considered overweight or obese, a number that's continuing to increase.

Similarly, a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of American children may have a shorter life span than their parents by as much as five years.

Overweight children are also at higher risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults, placing them at risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and depression later in life.

THREE TIPS TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD OBESITY

• TIME Magazine recently published a report that found children who exercise with other children are more likely to stick to it.

The study, which relied on interviews of more than 100 children of various ages, found that kids enjoyed working out more when they did it with friends. Children also got over typical excuses, like not having the right equipment or not being good at, when accompanied by their friends.

• Get active as a family. According to research by the American Heart Association, active parents raise active children. Your child's health is in your hands.

• Eat dinner together as a family. According to research conducted by Cornell University, families that eat together are healthier. Their children, especially young boys, have lower weights and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Elisa Lala
PhillyVoice Contributor