Child Obesity Rates Are Higher in the US than in Canada

A new study issued by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that child obesity rates are higher in the US than in Canada.

The obesity rates began to change in the 80s, whereas in the 70s they were most likely similar in both countries, approximately 5 percent. Moreover, an epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and study lead author, Cynthia Ogden, stated that in the 1980s and 1990s childhood obesity rates increased.

It seems that approximately 17 percent of American children are obese, in comparison to just 13 percent of kids from Canada. Statistics showed their age ranged in between 3 to 19.

Obese children are prone to be obese as adults, as well, therefore this might lead to increased risks of heart disease and diabetes, compared to those who have a healthy, normal weight.

Researchers from the CDC also said that obese kids are inclined to develop high blood pressure and an increased cholesterol level, as well as social problems.

The CDC study’s aim was, essentially, to draw a comparison between Canada and The US, both countries facing this exact same problem of childhood obesity.

Furthermore, director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Dr. Bruce Lee, said that everything revolved around the environment in which people grow and develop, while this environmental factor impacted their diet and their daily exercise routine. He explained that one should take into consideration all the facts, instead of blaming a specific obese individual for having weight problems.

Thus, it was revealed that eating patterns and habits made a difference. As US kids tend to eat out more, Canadian children eat at home, with their parents, therefore the latter have lower obesity issues, said a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

In comparison to Canada’s restaurants, US ones serve bigger portion sizes, whereas kids in the US ingest a higher level of calories.

Also, ingesting sugar is yet another factor which leads to obesity, and parents from either countries should avoid providing too many sugary foods in their children’s diet. It may seem that, essentially, preventing obesity is linked, in a high degree, to how healthy children eat.

Even television sets play a role regarding childhood obesity, as Canadian parents tend to not approve of televisions in the child’s bedroom. It is widely known that sedentary behavior such as watching TV for countless hours and not exercising leads to obesity.

It could finally be pointed out that Canada seems to be doing a better job at preventing the obesity pattern in children.

Photo Credits thestar.com