Healthy Living: Combating Childhood Obesity

THAT’S YOUR MOST ACCURATE FORECAST FROM ABC, 7. >> AND UNITED STATES ONE IN 5 CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED BY OBESITY. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CHILDHOOD OBESITY. THINGS LIKE GENETICS. BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO HELP KIDS MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT AND LIFESTYLE. SO THIS MORNING WE HAVE DOCTOR SALVATORE ENZONE FROM THE HEALTHCARE NETWORK GETTING US SOME MORE ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING RECENTLY. SURE, APPRECIATE THIS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT FOR FAMILIES AS A WHOLE THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. SOME OF THE STATISTICS YOU PROVIDED ARE STAGGERING. >> YET IT’S AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR POPULATION IN COLLIER AND LEE COUNTY WHEN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS ABOUT 20%. AND, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT A GROUP OF KIDS THAT WE HAD IT. HEALTHCARE NETWORK SO WERE THE ORDER OF ABOUT 45,000 CHARTS THAT WE LOOKED AT AND WE SAW THAT. THE INCIDENT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 40 3% OF OUR POPULATION WERE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. I WAS CONCERT. AND AND YOU KNOW, IF HE STARTED LOOKING AT WITH THERE’S WAS AN EPIDEMIC COVID. BUT THAT AS WE’RE LED TO ANOTHER EPIDEMIC, WHICH IS CHILDHOOD OBESITY. WOW. SO THIS IS WHERE WE’RE AT RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE KIDS MORE SEDENTARY THING AT AND ACCESS TO MORE PERHAPS ON HEALTHY FOOD VERSUS SCHOOL IT’S TERRIFYING. AS YOU SAID, ESPECIALLY AT SOME OF THE STATISTICS OUT OF INCLUDED. >> A LOT OF THESE KIDS ALSO COMING FROM FAMILIES WHO HAVE OBESITY OR HEALTH ISSUES THAT THE RUN IN THE FAMILY. RIGHT. SO THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT OBESITY. SO IT’S VERY COMPLEX. SOCIAL ECONOMIC FACTORS. YOU KNOW, WHETHER THERE’S SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEIR BACKGROUND TO GENETICS, IT VARIES WHEN WE LOOKED AT IMMOKALEE WE SAW THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT MIGHT BE VERSUS THE REST OF OUR POPULATION. WE SAW THAT THEY WERE AT 48%. YEAH. SO THEY ARE HIGHER THAN GENERAL POPULATION. SO WE SAW SPECIFICALLY THERE THINGS THAT COULD BE CULTURE LIKE THE TYPES OF FOODS WHAT’S YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS BEING OVERWEIGHT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THEY’RE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT HAVE FOOD, MAYBE IN THEIR COUNTRIES ARE THINNER BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO NOW HAVE ACCESS FOOD. IT’S A SIGN OF THERE’S A HOPE DIFFERENT MINDSET IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU LOOK AT ABC, THIS CULTURAL THINGS AND THERE IS THAT YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURAL BY SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WE HAVE. WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN TERMS OF HOW THE APPROACH FOOD IN THE TYPES OF FOODS THEY THERE SEEMS TO BE A MISNOMER TO FAMILIES ARE UNDERPRIVILEGED. THEY WOULD NATURALLY BE THIN. BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE. SOMETIMES THE ONLY FOOD THEY GET ARE PROCESSED FOODS RIGHT OR THINGS THAT ARE NOT HEALTHY. AND THEREFORE THAT LEADS TO WEIGHT. RIGHT. AND THE FAMILY’S WORK LATE NIGHTS AND SOMETIMES THE EASIEST THING TO DO IS TO GO MCDONALD, SOMETHING SOME SORT OF FAST FOOD PRODUCT AND GET FOOD ON THE TABLE AND IT’S OUT OF CONVENIENCE AND 40 SOUTH. THE BEST FOODS ALWAYS TO EAT ON A REGULAR BASIS, SADL AND IT CAN LEAD TO LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS. AND THIS IS WHY HEALTH CARE NETWORK IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT A SPECIFIC SPECIFICALLY THIS YOUNGER POPULATION AND THE STATISTICS, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, CHILDREN IN OBESITY, IT’S NOT JUST THE LONG TERM. IT’S ALSO SHORT TIME. SO KIDS WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT AND HAVE DISRUPTIONS AND THERE. ENDOCRINE FUNCTION, GIRLS MAY HAVE POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME. YOU HAVE A CHILD WHO’S 11, 10, 12 YEARS OLD, MAY END UP HAVING THEIR GROWTH PLATES START SLIPPING. WOW. AND THEN THE UP WITH A SURGICAL YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT GOES DOWN LOAD OF THAT. WE DO KNOW THAT ADULTS OVERWEIGHT, BUT THEY MAY HAVE STARTED AS CHILDREN. THEY GO INTO ADULTHOOD AND NOW THEY’RE OVERWEIGHT AND NOT ALL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S A GOOD PORTION OF KIDS ARE OVERWEIGHT WILL BECOME OVERWEIGHT ADULTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WILL LEAD TO CHRONIC DISEASES LIKE HYPERTENSION, YOU KNOW, TYPE 2 DIABETES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, STROKE. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, REALLY APPRECIATE AND THE SILENT DISEASE OF FATTY LIVER, WHICH LEADS TO CIRRHOSIS SO. THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE’RE NOW IN COUNTERING THAT. WE KNOW WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE EARLY ON SO WE CAN HELP OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE WE’RE SPENDING QUITE A BIT OF MONEY DOWN THE ROAD. IF WE DON’T TAKE CARE OF THIS CHRONIC DISEASES. IF WE INVEST HERE, WE’LL SAVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS HERE. SO THIS IS WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DEAL WITH IT HERE. SO WE’RE NOT DEALING WITH SICK ADULTS. HOW DO WE ADDRESS AN EPIDEMIC LIKE THIS? ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE DEALING WITH SOME CULTURAL BARRIERS AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS? WELL, THERE WERE. SO THE ISSUE HERE IS WE KNOW THAT CERTAIN THINGS WORK LIKE IN OUR PROGRAM LEAST. WE LOOKED AT 600. WE LOOKED AT OUR OUT OF GROUP OF KIDS. WE HAD 600 KIDS THAT WE ACTUALLY DANA FIGHT AS OVERWEIGHT AND PLUG THEM INTO NUTRITION PROGRAM. AND WE SHOW THAT EACH TIME THEY HAD NUTRITION COUNSELING, THEY’RE THE CHRISTIAN OBESITY INCREASE OF 1, 2, 3, 4, WE SAW UP TO 64% OF THE BMI IS BY THE TIME THEY HAVE THE 4TH, THE 5TH VISIT. WITH ADDITION SO WE DIDN’T KNEW EDUCATION WAS CRITICAL AND TO GET INFORMATION TO THEM WAS CRITICAL. WE ALSO NOTED THAT 25% OF THE PATIENTS THAT WERE REFERRED DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR THE APPOINTMENTS. SO WE FIGURED THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD THEY BRING THAT TRISHA’S INTO THE. CLINIC LIKE WE DO WITH BEHAVIOR HEALTH AND INCLUDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION WITH ATTRITION COUNCIL RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT WHERE IT’S HAPPENING AND CAPTURE KIDS. AND WE’RE FINDING RIGHT NOW THAT ARE KIDS THAT ARE PROPPED PLUGGED INTO OUR PROGRESS. RIGHT NOW. WE’RE IN WITH 2 SESSIONS. WE’RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY A 64% REDUCTION IN THE B MINUS IN THE SHORT PILOT AND SMALL PILE THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY WE KNOW IT’S VERY EFFECTIVE. WE JUST HAVE TO GO A LITTLE LONGER. GO A LITTLE FURTHER AND SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE IN ABOUT 5 OR 6 MONTHS. THAT’S INCREDIBLE TURNAROUND. YEAH. >> AND IF SOMEONE IS WATCHING RIGHT NOW AND INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAMS THAT HELP NETWORK IS OFFERING, BECAUSE YOU DO OFFER INCREDIBLE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. HOW CAN THEY REACH OUT AND HOW CAN THEY GET INVOLVED? WE’LL HEALTHCARE NETWORK OBVIOUSLY IT’S FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST CHILDREN, IT’S FOR ADULTS. IT’S IT’S FOR >> OBGYN. SO YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE THE WHOLE PICTURE. SO WE’RE AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR A PROGRAM, JUST GO TO HEALTHCARE. SWFL DOT ORG CALL 2, 3, 9, 6, 5, 8, 3,000. THEY’LL BE SOMEBODY THERE TO PICK UP YOUR CALL AND TELL YOU’RE REALLY INTERESTED AND WE’LL GET WE’LL GET YOU PLUGGED INTO WHATEVER PROGRAM WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US. SUCH AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM DEAL. AND AND HOPEFULLY WE’LL SEE THIS TREND STARTED TURNER. YES, THANK YOU. WE’LL PUT ALL TH

Healthy Living: Combating Childhood Obesity

September is National Childhood Obesity Month, and Dr. Salvatore Anzalone from the Healthcare Network joined ABC7 to discuss some local efforts to combat childhood obesity.

Updated: 9:52 AM EDT Sep 16, 2024

ABC7 News, Author at ABC7 Southwest Florida

In the United States, one in five children are affected by obesity. Now there are many factors that contribute to childhood obesity like diet and genetics. However, there are ways to help children maintain a healthy weights and lifestyle.September is National Childhood Obesity Month, and Dr. Salvatore Anzalone, the director of pediatrics from the Healthcare Network, joined ABC7 to discuss some local efforts to combat childhood obesity.An obesity screening of 447 children in Immokalee found that nearly half – 49.4% – were overweight or obese. That rate of obesity is far higher than county, state and national averages. Obese children are more likely to develop health conditions as they grow older. Health conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and mental illness. They are also at increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer and stroke. In addition to impacting the potential of children, childhood obesity increases the cost of health care for everyone.As a result, a new initiative at the Healthcare Network has been developed to focus on referrals of patients with type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, so it’s important to address obesity in the home before other diseases develop.For information, visit HealthCareSWFL.org, or call 239-658-3000.WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE!

NAPLES, Fla. —

In the United States, one in five children are affected by obesity. Now there are many factors that contribute to childhood obesity like diet and genetics. However, there are ways to help children maintain a healthy weights and lifestyle.

September is National Childhood Obesity Month, and Dr. Salvatore Anzalone, the director of pediatrics from the Healthcare Network, joined ABC7 to discuss some local efforts to combat childhood obesity.

An obesity screening of 447 children in Immokalee found that nearly half – 49.4% – were overweight or obese. That rate of obesity is far higher than county, state and national averages. Obese children are more likely to develop health conditions as they grow older. Health conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and mental illness. They are also at increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer and stroke. In addition to impacting the potential of children, childhood obesity increases the cost of health care for everyone.

As a result, a new initiative at the Healthcare Network has been developed to focus on referrals of patients with type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, so it’s important to address obesity in the home before other diseases develop.

For information, visit HealthCareSWFL.org, or call 239-658-3000.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE!