WITHIN AUSTRALIAN

CHILDREN IN THE 21
ST

CENTURY
WHAT IS CHILDHOOD OBESITY?
Mayo Clinic (2014) describes childhood obesity as
a serious medical condition that affects
children and adolescents. The excess body fat
also affects their health and wellbeing.
It occurs when a child is well above their normal
weight for their age and height.
It is most concerning as it leads children and
adolescents to health problems earlier on in
their life such as diabetes, high blood pressure
and high cholesterol.
It can also lead to poor self-esteem and even
depression



CAUSES OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
GENETICS:
Metabolism
Health issues such as heart, asthma or some disabilities
FAMILY HISTORY:
One or both parents are obese is a greater chance for the child
A shared environment of fatty foods and inactivity
Family or parents background of being overweight will reflect onto yours
GENDER:
Women are more likely to be obese than men as they have less muscle
mass and tend to burn fewer calories at rest then men
AGE:
As you get older you are more likely to be less active and have less
muscle mass which leads to metabolism
Lower your calories intake as you get older to support the less activity





CAUSES OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:
We are less likely to walk or ride to places - driving has turned into a convenience
Especially since you will be getting your licence shortly, if you havent already
Within this digital era, technology is now a big part of our life and discourages people to
be active
Even daily tasks are being converted, for example the new robotic vacuum
Many houses may have small backyards
Outdoors is becoming a dangerous place
Concern about safety
Weight gain occurs when calories exceed physical need
DIET:
Consuming too many calories and not burning them off
Consuming the wrong types of foods
Consuming larger servings and low nutrition food
NEGATIVE EMOTIONS:
Binge eating is eating in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, anger,
stress or to cope with problems
Depression or low self esteem
Difficulty to lose weight


CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY
Obesity is a major social issue that affects the health of
children and families within contemporary Australian society.
There are some serious consequences of obesity. Some include:
Childhood obesity can lead to obesity in adulthood
Being obese in your childhood increases your chances of health
problems
Health disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hip and joint problems or
sleep apnoea
Physical health problems from childhood into adulthood such as
heart disease, asthma, diabetes, types of cancer, skin and sleep
disorders or the possibility of infertility
Emotional and social problems like teasing, bullying, depression,
low self-esteem, eating disorders or poor body image
ONE OF THE TOP ISSUES OF CONCERNS IN
2011
Body image 33.1% (National Survey of Young Australians, 2011)

WHATS GOING ON?
Obesity has become the single biggest threat to
public health in Australia.


STATISTICS OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY WITHIN
AUSTRALIA
1 in 4 children are overweight or obese.
Approx. 30% of the adolescents in WA are classified as obese, which is seen
by government officials as a public health threat.
Only 20% of middle & high-school aged students in all states except WA
were eating the recommended daily servings of fruit & vegetables
Only 14% participated in the minimum recommended levels of physical
activity
46 51% of kids ate fast food or other junk foods 2 - 4 times a week
14 million Australians are either overweight or obese.
More than 900,000 Australians suffer from diabetes.
If weight gain continues at current levels, by 2025, close to 80% of all
Australian adults and a third of all children will be overweight or obese.
Obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature death
and illness in Australia.
On the basis of present trends we can predict that by the time they reach
the age of 20 our kids will have a shorter life expectancy than earlier
generations simply because of obesity.

EXTRA FRIES
OR
EXERCISE?
Which do
you
choose?
EXTRA FRIES LEADS TO
Extra thighs!!
Excess fat to burn off!
Did you know that a large fries from McDonalds would take you approximately 57 mins to burn off
just by jogging.
Top off your lunch by adding a Big Mac and you would have to additionally run up a flight of stairs for
29 mins.
Large fries from KFC however would take over an HOUR to burn off doing moderate cycling.
Add a Works Burger and a Coke to your KFC meal and you would have to add approximately a 1 HOUR
and 25 mins swim to your workout.

EXERCISE LEADS TO
A healthier, happier and fitter you!
Prevent excess weight gain
Combats health conditions and diseases
Improves your mood and sleeping patterns, boosts your energy and
promotes better sleep
Physical activity is important for maintaining good physical and
mental health (Department of Health and Ageing, 1999; AIHW, 2007)
New friendships
Young peoples social participation plays a key part of their lives.
Their interactions with family and friends impact on their social and
emotional well-being. And young people spend considerable time
socialising with friends and undertaking leisure activities like sport
(MuirGriffiths, 2009)
PREVENTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY
HEALTHY EATING:
Eat a balanced diet
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
(aim for at least 2 fruit & 5 veg everyday)
Eat family meals together
Eat home more often



Limit fatty and processed foods
Limit sugary drinks
Healthy food swaps
Remember, fruit is fast food!
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:
Limit screen time (2 hours a day or less)
Exercise can be made fun through
activities
Find one you enjoy
Encourage friends to join


PREVENTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY
At least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day
for young people aged 1218 years (Department of Health and
Ageing, 2004)
Moderate activities may include brisk walking, bike riding,
skateboarding and dancing, while vigorous activities include
football, netball, soccer, running, aerobics and swimming
(Department of Health and Ageing, 1999).
RECOMMENDED EXERCISE TIME
CHANGE YOUR LIFE TODAY!
Reflect on your own lifestyle
Improve your life by making the right choices and
encourage your family, friends and others to do the
same
Have a healthy, balanced diet
Exercise on a regular basis
Beat the statistics, reduce and prevent childhood
obesity!
Treating and preventing childhood obesity helps
protect the health of children and teens now and in
the future as an adult
Do something today, that your future self will thank
you for!
Invest in yourself!
Dont look for motivation when you can be your own!

REFERENCES
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