Obesity and Malnutrition

Dehydration resulting from loose stool is a serious problem in

________ less- developed countries, one of main causes of death in these areas.

Poor diet depresses the

________immune system, making children far more susceptible to disease.

Deprivations negatively affect

________physical growth and well- being, as well as cognitive and psychosocial development.

Obesity is a serious problem among

________U.S. preschoolers.

Early education helps counter

________the effects of undernourishment.

Based on a comparison of 34 countries, the United States has the

second highest rate of childhood obesity

Contributing factors to obesity include

both hereditary and environmental influences.

Minority and low-income children are at

a disproportionately high risk of being obese

In one study, all the children were at or above the 95th percentile in weight for their height, but

81% of their parents said their child was healthy and 50% were not concerned about their child’s weight

When creating an intervention, it is important to understand

parents’ perspectives on a situation to help motivate and explain the use of resources.

Data suggest that three factors are important in the prevention of obesity

1. Regularly eating an evening meal as a family.

2. Getting adequate sleep

3. Watching less than 2 hours of television a day

Other recommendations for obesity prevention include:

• Encourage a child to help prepare food.

• Limit snacking while watching television.

• Have regular family meals.

• Don’t fight individual preferences and rituals

CDC recommends that children under the age of 5 get

at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day, many children do not reach this goal

Children are more likely to spend time in vigorous physical activity

when they are outdoors

Boys engage in more

physical activity than girls

The amount of daily physical activity varies considerably

from one preschool setting to another

In one study, 70% of the children’s time in childcare was sedentary, and

for 88% of their day, there were no opportunities for active play

Some of the factors that make it difficult for more physical activity include:

• lack of facilities or time in the daily schedule

• lack of training for care providers on what activities are appropriate for their age group

• restrictive center policies regarding the safety of children

Parents can give young children
opportunities by

getting them outside whenever possible or creating some space inside where they can move freely.

Undernourished children live in

extremely deprived circumstances.

Parents can often

be in denial.

Parents often explained their lack of concern by saying

the child would simply grow out of it, was tall or big-boned.

Prevention of obesity in the early years,

when excessive weight gain usually begins, is critical.