By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 1, 2004
What is the greatest tragedy that can befall a parent? Most parents will reply, "That one of our children will die before we do". The call that a child has been killed in an accident is a tragedy impossible to measure. Equally tragic is that today's obese children may die before their parents. But this is a preventable tragedy and parents can do something to avoid it.
Many years ago I attended a service in Westminster Abbey in London, England. I can't recall the sermon. But I do remember seeing chubby choir boys. I realized then how obesity was starting to affect children. Now, a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows the extent of childhood obesity and how it can be prevented.
5,517 grade 5 students in 291 public schools in Nova Scotia were involved in this study. Of these students 32.9 percent were overweight and 9.9 percent obese. One in 10 is a frightening figure.
The study confirmed what common sense should tell everyone. Students were less obese when schools had regular physical education classes. What was less obvious was the reason for this discrepancy. Research revealed that some school boards in low income areas did not have the funds to purchase recreation and gymnastic equipment.
But preventive measures against obesity don't all require money. The study also found that children of families who eat together regularly are less likely to be overweight or obese. These children generally consumed a healthier diet. Dining together also prevented children from eating in front of television. Researchers found that T.V munching often lead to what they called "mindless eating", that resulted in increased caloric intake. We've all seen that scenario.
If a child is driven to school and it's longer than 30 minutes this routine adds pounds. So do soft drinks if they're available at school. And if the household income is under $60,000 the study suggested there's a greater chance a child will be overweight.
The problem that should worry parents and society is that obese children are starting to show medical problems that used to be seen primarily in adults. Dr. Noel Merz, a Los Angeles cardiologist, reported this problem at a meeting of The American College of Cardiology.
She pointed out that the intake of fat of today's children is higher due to increased calories. And she further stated that, "Only in North America can we manufacture a reduced-fat Oreo (cookie) that actually has more fat than the original one!"
Another California study showed that 37 percent of Latino children had elevated blood cholesterol and 14 percent suffered from rising blood pressures.
This portends big trouble down the road. There's already shocking physical evidence of what's happening. For instance, Dr. Jacques Bart, another California researcher, reported that ultrasound of carotid arteries showed thickened atherosclerotic walls in 11 percent of adolescents studied. This finding would normally be seen only in adults.
In all probability the presence of thickened carotid arteries also means thickened atherosclerotic coronary arteries. The terrible truth is that obese children are developing adult diseases early in life. And it does not take deep thinking to predict that many will succumb before their parents from diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
Health authorities must act quickly to stop this from happening. Surely their top priority should be to find the funds so that schools in low income areas receive the necessary equipment to encourage children to participate in sports. It makes no sense to penny-pinch on schoolyard equipment and then spend millions later treating fatal diseases that should never happen.
But in the final analysis it's parents that must become proactive in school matters. Remember it's your child that's in danger. I know that one group of parents in Toronto who recently raised $20,000 for outdoor school equipment.
To prevent premature clogging of children's arteries a good beginning would be for families to start eating together, stop the mindless munching in front of television, toss out pre-packaged foods loaded with salt and sugar, and encourage children to use their legs more. A bathroom scale to monitor weight gain would be a good purchase. It's biological wrong that children should die before their parents, especially from preventable causes.
W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com
My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:
Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1
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