Childhood Obesity Kristy Unkel Walden University Childhood obesity is a serious chronic medical condition that affects millions of children in our country. It is a rapidly growing public health concern in the United States. As obese children grow into adulthood, their risk for health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension also grows (“Overweight and obesity”, n.d.). Obesity is a difficult disease to manage since obese children are “predisposed to obesity for the rest of their lives” (“Overweight and obesity”, n.d.). According to the surgeon general, in the year 2000, “the total annual cost of obesity and complications in the United States was $117 billion and more than 300,000 Americans died from illnesses related to obesity” (“Overweight and obesity”, n.d.).
Temptations In Cyberspace: New Battlefields In Childhood Obesity. Health Affairs, 29(3), 425-429. Retrieved November 18, 2010, from ProQuest Health Management. Sothern, M, Almen, T, & Schumacher, H. (2001). Trim Kids.
Introduction One of the most challenging community and public health issues facing the United States today is childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the past thirty years overweight children in the US have more than double in children and tripled in adolescents (“Childhood obesity facts”, 2013). The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced similar concerns and reported nearly one third of children and adolescents are overweight, and committed to an $8 million dollar commitment aimed at reversing this epidemic by 2015. The Healthy People 2020 objectives have shown convincing science supporting a healthy and nutritional diet lifestyle. These objectives are focusing on the health risk
The economic cost of supporting and increasingly overweight population with more diseases is another concern (U.S. obesity). Childhood obesity has not only prominent immediate effects but dangerous long-terms effects on children’s health and wellbeing. The effected children can more likely to have risk factor, cardiovascular disease, such a high cholesterol and high blood pressure. In a population based sample of 5 to 17 years old, 70% of obese youth had one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. (Journal of Pediatrics,
Retrieve from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes/index.html South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. (2012). Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.scdhec.gov/health/chcdp/obesity/data.htm U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2009).
An ancient secret that is now lost to mankind. She started eating healthy, less portions and exercising more. While my friend was getting thinner, an annual report put out by two public health groups shows that America is getting fatter. During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. According to a research done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,
Adolescents Obesity and Intervention Strategy Adolescents Obesity Intervention and Prevention Strategy According to Schwarz and Peterson (2010) “adolescents’ obesity in the United States has many important implications for both the health and well-being of the individual and society.” The negative health consequences of obesity include many diseases, chronic health disorders, psychological disorders, and early death. This contributes to billions of dollars of health care costs each year. The healthcare costs due to the adolescent obesity rate are estimated at more than $14 billion per year. The direct and indirect cost totals more than $140 billion dollars annually. The United States spends six to 10 percent of healthcare on costs caused by obesity compared to 2 to 3.5 percent in other western countries (Schwarz & Peterson, 2010).
9 Dec. 2013. Obesity prevention: Strategies to improve effectiveness and reduce harm. Bauer, Katherine W.; Haines, Jess; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne Smolak, Linda (Ed); Thompson, J. Kevin (Ed), (2009). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment, prevention, and treatment. (2nd ed).
People who are obese are more likely to have health problems such as: high blood pressure, raised cholesterol high insulin levels, impaired glucose tolerance, type two diabetes, heart attacks, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, kidney problems and polycystic ovary syndrome. Not all children will have these health problems but doctors are finding these problems in children and the children are getting younger. As a whole childhood obesity puts children in harm’s way and the future of America. And that is why the cycle must be reversed. We owe to the country and the kids who live
America’s Issue Childhood Obesity America’s Issue Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is becoming more and more of an issue that greatly effects the overall health of America’s youth. In almost every case the obesity follows the youth well into adulthood resulting in terrifying health conditions and even death. It is an ever growing issue amongst America’s youth and adult health. America is suffering from a heart disease epidemic that ranged in the medical cost of 273 billion dollars in 2010. The cost is expected to sky rocket well into the 800 billion dollar range by 2020.