Children fighting obesity, too

   In the past, obesity was believed to be a problem that only affected adults.

  We know better now.

  According to experts, obesity is the cause of many health disorders among children, included among the most dangerous are diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

  “Obesity refers to the basic metabolic index between weight and height," said Rudy Valenzuela, a nurse practitioner of medicine.

  "When a person has between 29 to about 36 pounds over his normal weight, he/she is considered overweight; if the person weighs between 32 to 38 pounds more than his normal weight, he/she is considered obese.

  "But when a person exceeds his/her weight by more than those extra pounds of weight, he/she is considered morbidly obese."

  According to experts, being obese and being overweight is not necessarily the same. An obese person has a large amount of extra body fat, not merely a few pounds. Obese people are very overweight and at risk of having serious health problems.

  "Obesity brings on problems of Diabetes Type II and cardiovascular problems among others," said Emma Torres, executive director of Campesinos Sin Fronteras (CSF), a nonprofit organization based in Somerton. "Maybe some people do not agree with us, but this problem is worsening so much it’s becoming an epidemic."

  Today, the life without exercise that children live has caused their being overweight. A reason for this could be, that children now spend many hours in front of the TV set, playing with video games, surfing on the Internet and playing with other electronic devices, things that do not motivate them to physically move.

  "Obesity is not hereditary, it's something familiar," said Valenzuela, FSP, MSN, RN, FNP-C, who is also president and chief executive officer of the Camillus Health Clinic in San Luis, Ariz.

  "It is a disease that is learned, is the way that parents teach their children to eat. More than genetics, it is something cultural, dietary habits. It is children consuming so many processed foods, starches, carbohydrates and other stuff,"

  Valenzuela is not alone in this thinking. Medical statistics show that currently there are more and more obese children.

  "Obesity is a consequence of little physical activity, because they pass the time texting, or playing video games," added Torres. "And unfortunately some parents do not help, allowing them to consume junk food like potato chips, sodas and these thing do nothing but making them fatter."

  "Definitely there are more obese people than before, especially more children. It's a catastrophic pandemic that is affecting everyone from infants up. The situation is truly alarming," emphasized Valenzuela, who is currently completing his Ph.D. at the University of Arizona.

  Torres added, "The problem is really serious. In the Yuma area, it is so serious that we do not have enough doctors to treat diabetes as a consequence of overweight. And it has grown so much that they cannot treat so many people with this condition.

  "According to our reports, there are more than 20 million people living with diabetes. Much of this is as a result of overweight or being obese. The problem is so severe, which some experts are calling it 'Diabecity.'"

  Obesity has increased worldwide and is a serious health problem, but there are solutions.

  "What is needed first to stop this problem is education. Educate families and second, proper handling of food at home and in schools. Ensuring the portions eaten are not very big," said Valenzuela.

  "Sometimes the determining factor is financial, sometimes it is cheaper to buy more food with carbohydrates than healthy foods that are more expensive."

  Another thing that Valenzuela attributed to the increase in overweight children is "the lack of recreational places; the economic factor prevents them taking children to a park. The good thing would be to have a park five blocks away.

  "Families have to participate more and see the crisis that exists in school districts. I think that just as we have the Neighborhood Watch, we should have the ‘Obesity’ Watch."

  Apart from physical activity, there are other resources in the community, and CSF offers some alternatives.

  "There is a remedy for this situation. Campesinos offers alternatives to the community at large, for two years already," said Flor Redondo, director of external affairs at CSF. "We have support programs for parents and for children.

  "Our program Familias Sanas (Healthy Families) offers parents advice and nutrition classes. Children attend this class after their regular classes.

  "The health promoters meet with the cafeteria ladies in the school to practice a recipe for a healthy meal, and the next day invite parents and children to prepare this recipe."

  Also, children in grades six, seven and eight are invited to attend the Somerton Youth Center, which under the care of CSF, to follow up the classes they offer. Classes are offered in both  Somerton and in Gadsden school districts.

  Torres advises parents to be involved in choosing their children’s school menu. "It is important that parents realize the influence they can have on this.

  "Contrary to what many believe, we are not necessarily focused only on the Hispanic community and farm workers," said Torres. "We, in our office, tend to any person seeking help, all are welcome."

  The best way to prevent childhood obesity is creating the habit in the child to eat well. Feed him/her the proper food from birth.

  For more information on activities and classes, call 627-1060.

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Obesity can lead to...

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases
• Problems in bones and joints
• Difficulty to participate in a sport or other physical exercise
• Premature maturity; obese girls may enter puberty earlier
• Low morale, fatigue, depression, lack of stamina
• Low self-esteem, social isolation, discrimination
• Disorders that result in bulimia and anorexia
• Skin problems