According to a 2024 study featured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 36% of people in Oklahoma suffer from obesity. That means, in a room with nine people, at least three of them are struggling with a serious condition that can bring life-threatening issues with it, such as heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues. The question is… how did this happen?
Starting at the beginning, many issues with obesity stem from bad habits developed during childhood. A lack of access to healthy food, for one, can do some serious damage to a child’s diet.
Dr. Jeanie Tryggestad, an associate professor of pediatrics said “Obesity is multifactorial,” when asked about some of the factors that cause childhood obesity.
“It very much has a genetic component to it, and then, of course, there are lifestyle pieces as well. Physical activity plays a huge role in weight and maintenance, as does diet.”
According to MyPlate.gov, a child between the ages of four to eight should have about two and a half cups of vegetables per day, with a fruit intake of up to one and a half cups per day. Dr.Tryggestad stated that children should eat “...five servings of fruits and vegetables per day…,” and should “...only drink beverages that are sugar free or calorie free…,”
In data shown by the CDC, over half of Oklahoma’s youth aged one to five don't even eat a daily vegetable, let alone two and a half cups. Green veggies contain many vitamins and other nutrients that are absolutely necessary for a child’s developing mind and body. One bowl of raw cabbage, according to data sourced from University Hospitals, contains roughly 33 grams of calcium, one fifth gram of potassium, one and a half grams of dietary fiber, and about 23 grams of vitamin C all with about four carbs and zero cholesterol. Compare that to eating one serving of Pringles®, which contains, according to Smartlabel®, 17 grams of carbs with less than one gram of dietary fiber and one tenth gram of potassium. It may seem like a small difference on paper, but when it comes to a child’s daily diet, it makes a big impact on their health.
The other huge issue is a sedentary lifestyle. “Physical activity plays a huge role in weight and maintenance,” says Dr. Tryggestad. The average child aged six through 17 should have at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Only 23% of Oklahoma youth, however, participate in the recommended amount of physical activity per day, according to an article published by oklahoma.gov in 2022. This issue is exacerbated by the way Oklahoma neighborhoods are designed. While speaking with Dr.Tryggestad, many good points were brought up.
“What is the walkability[ of the local environment ]? What is the access, or the safety, even, to be outside and play for a child?”
With a large caloric intake, a low amount of exercise, and a nutrient deficient diet, Oklahoma children are on a very dangerous path when it comes to health. As stated by Dr. Tryggestad: “Really and truthfully, there are very many factors…”
These problems can, and frequently do, carry on into adulthood and can carry some serious problems with them. According to a study held in 2015, there was a high correlation between childhood and adulthood obesity, with obese children being about 5 times more likely to be obese later on in life. Results from the same study also showed a high correlation between childhood BMI and the likelihood to develop “heart disease, diabetes and a range of cancers…” These cancers include thyroid, liver and brain cancer.
Changes can be made, however; you have to be ready. Dr.Tryggestad said, “One of the approaches to trying to make changes is what we call motivational interviewing, and that's what we use a lot of times to try to assess if the family is ready to make changes.”
The heart posture for change can be a hard thing to obtain. When you stay in a certain lifestyle, or ‘groove’ so to speak, it can be extremely difficult to get out of it. Food addiction, for one, is likened unto drug addiction, in terms of the progression of overconsumption. After receiving a positive feeling for so long, the habit of overeating then becomes a crutch due to the negative feelings associated with breaking such habits.
So, what does scripture say about this? Well, let's look at Paul's writing to the Roman church. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
When we are faced with issues of self control, or with lack of opportunities to do good things for our body, we must look to God, and trust in Him, that we may find a way. We must take care of our bodies. As said by Paul:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”[I Corinthians 6:19-20]
Over 36 percent of adults are obese in Oklahoma. Over 36 percent of Oklahoman adults have a higher chance of developing diabetes, heart diseases and multiple kinds of cancers. The next generation of children doesn’t have to deal with these issues. We know the statistics. We know the scriptures. Act accordingly.
God bless.
Sources will be linked below.
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 0 · Sources for the Obesity Article. · The Oklahoman https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2023/02/24/food-insecurity-oklahoma-c
The Oklahoman https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2023/02/24/food-insecurity-oklahoma-children-health-eat-less-fruits-vegetables-veggies-cdc-study/69928550007/
CDC
This report describes infrequent intake of fruits and vegetables among young children in the United States.
MyPlate.gov
Concerns about child and adolescent obesity are due in large part to the potential link to adult obesity and associated morbidity. We did no
The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
Food addiction (FA) is loosely defined as hedonic eating behavior involving the consumption of highly palatable foods (ie, foods high in sal
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