Obese Children Outgrowing Furniture & Clothes
One size no longer fits all Americans.
CNN reports on the growing problem of childhood obesity. Once a problem restricted to adults, American children are increasing dealing with excessive weight. They are testing the limits of school chairs, safety seats, and clothes. The following excerpts are from the CNN article:
"In middle school, Taylor LeBaron struggled to fit into his seat. The desks in class had a ceramic plate attached to the chair. 'I was so large, I couldn't fit in there,' said LeBaron, now 19. 'Every other student could. I couldn't get my legs to fit underneath the desk or my stomach to fit between the chair without getting the desk stuck with me.'
Seventeen percent of children are obese, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And one in three kids is obese or overweight. The rate of childhood obesity has tripled to the point that pediatricians say growth charts no longer apply to today's kids.
To accommodate larger kids, some schools have instructions for teachers to provide separate chairs and desks for students who cannot fit into the pupil chairs. And school furniture makers are increasing the size of chairs and desks to accommodate larger students...
A 2005 Pediatrics study found limited child safety seats for the increasing number of obese young children. 'There was a risk of kids not being covered for safety,' said the study author, Lara McKenzie. 'If there are bigger kids, maybe there are some safety devices or equipment that wouldn't fit them properly.' The study suggested that car seats should maximize 'the protection of obese children.' Another study in 2009 suggested that most children in the study were too heavy to be compliant with child safety seat laws...
Clothing is often an issue. Many obese kids and teenagers find that the plus sizes aren't fashionable. At his peak weight, LeBaron wore 42-inch-waist pants and triple-X-large shirts...In recent years, the apparel industry has paid more attention to the growing size of kids, tweens and teens. Retailers such as the Gap, Forever 21, Old Navy and Target have plus-sized clothing lines for kids and teenagers. The boy's plus sizes with bigger waist sizes and baggier tees are called 'husky.'"
The number of overweight and obese Americans is growing at an alarming weight. From our experience, it is not simply a matter of people not eating what is recommended. Part of the problem is bad nutritional advice that has been repeated for years. This is only starting to change more recently. When it comes to feeding children, consider the following five recommendations for healthy eating:
Read the full CNN article here.
"In middle school, Taylor LeBaron struggled to fit into his seat. The desks in class had a ceramic plate attached to the chair. 'I was so large, I couldn't fit in there,' said LeBaron, now 19. 'Every other student could. I couldn't get my legs to fit underneath the desk or my stomach to fit between the chair without getting the desk stuck with me.'
Seventeen percent of children are obese, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And one in three kids is obese or overweight. The rate of childhood obesity has tripled to the point that pediatricians say growth charts no longer apply to today's kids.
To accommodate larger kids, some schools have instructions for teachers to provide separate chairs and desks for students who cannot fit into the pupil chairs. And school furniture makers are increasing the size of chairs and desks to accommodate larger students...
A 2005 Pediatrics study found limited child safety seats for the increasing number of obese young children. 'There was a risk of kids not being covered for safety,' said the study author, Lara McKenzie. 'If there are bigger kids, maybe there are some safety devices or equipment that wouldn't fit them properly.' The study suggested that car seats should maximize 'the protection of obese children.' Another study in 2009 suggested that most children in the study were too heavy to be compliant with child safety seat laws...
Clothing is often an issue. Many obese kids and teenagers find that the plus sizes aren't fashionable. At his peak weight, LeBaron wore 42-inch-waist pants and triple-X-large shirts...In recent years, the apparel industry has paid more attention to the growing size of kids, tweens and teens. Retailers such as the Gap, Forever 21, Old Navy and Target have plus-sized clothing lines for kids and teenagers. The boy's plus sizes with bigger waist sizes and baggier tees are called 'husky.'"
The number of overweight and obese Americans is growing at an alarming weight. From our experience, it is not simply a matter of people not eating what is recommended. Part of the problem is bad nutritional advice that has been repeated for years. This is only starting to change more recently. When it comes to feeding children, consider the following five recommendations for healthy eating:
- Fill up on fruits & veggies - most American don't eat enough, and juice doesn't count unless you made it yourself.
- Eat nuts and seeds - a healthy and satisfying snack full of good fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Eat good quality meat and eggs - look for pastured chicken, beef, pork, and eggs; all raised without chemicals.
- Eat healthy fats - extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil are great for salad dressing or eating raw, but choose butter or coconut oil for cooking.
- Avoid processed foods - refined grains, breads, cereals, pastas, crackers, sweets, industrial vegetable oils, preservatives, additives, etc.
Read the full CNN article here.
