Can you guess what ranks as the top health concern for North American children in 2009? Thinking maybe drug abuse? Internet safety? Autism? Well, according to a national poll on children’s health, obesity tops the list.

The Obesity Epidemic Of all the factors endangering children’s health today, obesity is most significant. No other health concern is exploding at such mind-numbing rates. Children today are simply much heavier than they were a few decades ago when we were young.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has found that obesity rates among children ages six to 11 has more than doubled in the past 25 years, increasing from 6.5% in 1980 to 17% in 2006. Among adolescents ages 12 to 19, that rate has more than tripled, from five to 17.6%.

Why Rising Obesity Rates Are Such a Big Deal The media has done a good job of making us aware of the health risks associated with obesity. To quickly recap: The Journal of Pediatrics recently found that an estimated 61% of obese youth have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. The U.S. Surgeon General adds that children who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and social and psychological problems including stigmatization and poor self-esteem. These children are more likely to become overweight or obese as adults, and are therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancers and osteoarthritis.

How Did Our Kids become Overweight? There’s no doubt that diets loaded with non-nutritious, high-calorie foods are at the root of our children’s weight issues. What’s surprising is that the amount of daily calories consumed by our children, is not the main cause of the obesity epidemic.