Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat. Obesity is present when total body weight is more than 25 percent fat in boys and more than 32 percent fat in girls (Lohman, 1987). Although childhood obesity is often defined as a weight-for-height in excess of 120 percent of the ideal, skin fold measures are more accurate determinants of fatness (Lohman, 1987).
A trained technician may obtain skin fold measures relatively easily in either a school or clinical setting. The triceps alone, triceps and sub-scapular, triceps and calf, and calf alone have been used with children and adolescents. When the triceps and calf are used, a sum of skin folds of 10-25mm is considered optimal for boys, and 16-30mm is optimal for girls (Lohman, 1987).
Children who are overweight and obese have been increasing for the past two decades. If a child weighs 20 percent more than the average weight for that age, they are considered obese. Why are children becoming obese and what can we do about it?
Studies have shown that only 7 percent of the children born to normal weight parents will be obese. But, if a child is born to an obese parent their chances of being obese are 60 percent. Is this obesity hereditary, or is it bad modeling or programming from the obese parents?
Overeating or simply eating junk foods that are full of empty calories, are the major contributor of obesity in the United States. Foods with empty calories are those that supply hardly any nutritional value compared to the amount of calories they impart.
Usually these foods are full of fat. They are also the foods that are advertised on TV during children’s shows. Children who are always watching TV will see junk food commercials more and will go and get a snack even when they are not hungry..........
