Research shows that bad eating habits learnt when young, stay with you and are difficult to break.
Many child and adult cancers are caused by bad eating habits.
Is Good Nutrition REALLY That Important ?
A
comprehensive report
that explores the extent to which food and nutrition, physical activity
and
body composition affect the risk of cancer found that healthy patterns
of
eating and physical activity, and healthy ways of life protect against
cancer,
as they do against other diseases. Cancer Research Initiative of
Compelling
evidence
shows that the atherosclerotic process (buildup of fatty
plaque in
arteries) begins in childhood and progresses slowly into
adulthood. Then
it often leads to coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in
the
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Overweight and Obesity How
much weight we carry is the result of a simple equation: it depends on the amount of energy
we take in – as food and drink – and the amount of energy we
expend – our physical activity. We need an “energy balance” that
helps us maintain a healthy body weight. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 1.6 The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 1.6 billion adults are overweight globally, and at least 400 million of these are obese. By 2015, 2.3 billion adults will be overweight, and of these 700 million will be obese. Not only are too many people overweight today, but the situation is getting worse. Further, it is not just adults who are affected: overweight and obesity are increasing among children and adolescents as well. How do you define overweight and obesity ?
Various measures can be used to measure overweight and obesity, including the commonly used “body mass index” (BMI). BMI is calculated as a person’s weight, in kilograms, divided by the square of his or her height (measured in metres). A BMI of 30 or more = obese A BMI equal to or greater than 25 = overweight. Why are we getting fatter?
We are eating more… and moving less Many factors are driving the obesity epidemic. Some have to do with the amount of energy we take in – our nutrition – and others with decreasing physical activity. Changing eating habits Around the world, diets are changing. People are moving away from traditional diets and eating foods that are higher in fats, sugars and salt. Less active lifestyles At the same time, our lifestyles are becoming less active. More and more hours are spent in front of computers or TV. Urban lifestyles and transport systems mean we walk less than we used to and fewer people engage in manual labour. What does this mean for our children?
Most of the evidence about the link between overweight and obesity and cancer is drawn from studies on adults. There is, however, a strong link between overweight and obesity in childhood and body weight in later life: 70% of those who are overweight in adolescence go on to become overweight adults. It makes good sense, therefore, to teach children healthy habits of diet and exercise early in life. We also need to create a society that encourages good habits and makes healthy choices easy choices. Parents and families can : • ensure healthy meals at home • encourage an active family lifestyle • set a good example through their own actions and by maintaining their own body weight at a healthy level World Cancer Campaign 2009 - Factsheet 1
Obesity in Children becoming a worrying fact Obesity is now recognised as
a major public health problem
in many countries like In The combination of eating too much food or the wrong types of food and lack of physical activity are the leading causes of childhood obesity. It is a multi-factorial disorder, which is often associated with many other significant lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and certain cancers. Parents and
care-givers play a pivotal role in a child's life and therefore can
influence what children eat daily. As children are still growing, we
need to
slow down the rate of weight gain but not growth. Healthy lunchboxes
packed
from home can positively influence a child's nutritional intake. A
child also
spends most of his/her day at school, and so their environment should
be changed
to a healthy one. The school tuck shop or canteen is a great way to
start
providing children with healthier food choices.
Ayesha Seedat -
Registered
Dietitian at The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA.
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