Childhood Obesity: A Growing Epidemic Obesity continues to become an increasing cause for death worldwide, none as true as in the United States. Obesity is a “lifestyle risk resulting from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure”. Internationally, at least 10% of school age children are considered obese. In the United States, this number is near 32%. Childhood obesity is so important to tackle at an early age, because studies have shown that it leads to long term health risk such as diabetes, heart disease, and cardiovascular disease.
And when taking a look at the statistics of obesity in children and adolescents in the United States, 18.8 percent of 6 - 11 year old children are obese, 17.4 percent of children ages 12-19 are obese (www.cdc.gov). Childhood obesity is associated with many different health related problems and issues. They may experience health risk and may be at risk for other health related problems as adults. Obesity in children and adolescents are psychosocial. Many obese children are discriminated against at an early age and can be targeted for bullying, low self-esteem, having a lack of social skills, and can hinder academics; these issues can persist into adulthood.
Another 49 percent exceeded recommended intakes of dietary cholesterol; subsequently, these individuals were more likely to show early signs of atherosclerosis. Aim for a Healthy Weight According to the American Heart Association, experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) have said that obesity is rapidly increasing and is a threat to the health of populations worldwide. These W.H.O experts also noted that obesity affects adults and children alike. It's been found out that children between the ages of 5 and 17 who were overweight were 2.4 times more likely to have elevated total blood cholesterol levels than children of normal weight. The study also indicated that of those children who were overweight, more than half had at least one risk factor for heart disease.
These families usually have to purchase these foods with the SNAP benefits which these stores accept for payment. As research is conducted daily about childhood obesity, it will be proven that low income resident are provided healthier facilities. Children who are overweight or obese are at greater risk at facing major health problems. Health problems can cause an increase in a child’s health care cost. Annual medical cost for a child diagnosed with obesity is an average three times higher than those children
It contains information that is useful to help combat the childhood obesity epidemic. The information throughout the article identifies the risks of obesity, causes of obesity, and how to combat obesity. This article focused on trends and prevalence of childhood obesity from 1980 to present times, the health consequences of obesity in childhood, and nutrition benefits from infancy thru teenage years. This article is a peer-reviewed article which was accessed using the University of Phoenix library database. The reason the article is identified as a peer-reviewed article is because the information was reviewed prior to being
Indeed, just this past March the New England Journal of Medicine presented a “Special Report,” by S. Jay Olshansky, David B. Allison and others that seemed to confirm such fears. The authors asserted that because of the obesity epidemic, “the steady rise in life expectancy during the past two centuries may soon come to an end.” Articles about the special report by the New York Times, the Washington Post and many other news outlets emphasized its forecast that obesity may shave up to five years off average life spans in coming decades. And yet an increasing number of scholars have begun accusing obesity experts, public health officials and the media of exaggerating the health effects of the epidemic of overweight and obesity. The charges appear in a recent flurry of scholarly books, including The Obesity Myth, by Paul F. Campos (Gotham Books, 2004); The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality and Ideology, by
Running Head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AMERICA 1 Childhood Obesity in America Kilah Bryan-Lawson Liberty University Online CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AMERICA 2 Abstract Childhood obesity has become quite a problem in America. This paper describes the obesity problem as a nationwide epidemic. It defines what it is to be medically obese and addresses the issues that adolescents face when they encounter this issue. This paper also discusses the reasons that childhood obesity has become an epidemic. It also discusses ways in which schools enable childhood obesity and gives ideas on what schools can do help prevent childhood obesity.
Childhood Obesity: A Preventable Epidemic Dr. Andrew H. Locke University of Connecticut Childhood Obesity: A Preventable Epidemic Over the course of recent years, childhood obesity has become a modern problem of epidemic proportions. Being the fact that the population of obese American children is estimated to be 30% total, the risks need to be appropriately managed by parents to dampen this growing populous (Benac, 2010). Just in the past 30 years among American adolescents alone, obesity rates have tripled in size which consequentially increases complications resulting in the possibility of early mortality. Furthermore, a child suffering from obesity may live and develop weight-related debilitating diseases such as type-2 diabetes, high
CHILDHOOD OBESITY The research topic that will be discussed is childhood obesity; childhood obesity is the number one cause of diabetes in children today. It has reached epidemic proportion; worldwide approximately twenty two million children under five years of age are overweight ( Rocchini, A.P par. 1, March 14 2002). The number of overweight children in the United States has more than double during the past three decades. The reason I am doing a research on childhood obesity because is to inform millions of parents with children to understand that this is a deadly disease that can stay with you throughout your adult hood, and it is best to take care of it while you are at a young age.
Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1 The Causes and Prevention of Childhood Obesity Patricia Stewart ENG 122 Prof. Craig Smith August 27, 2012 CHILDHOOD OBESITY 2 The Causes and Prevention of Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a major cause for concern because it has become an epidemic in our society. The causes are surprising and concerning as well. There are multiple factors causing childhood obesity that can be prevented, which include health and lifestyle. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants, “Obesity in childhood is influenced by social and familial factors as well as the child’s genetics and activity level” (Perplech; Russ; Rizzolo; Sedrak, 2011). The medical conditions that contribute to childhood obesity are due to genetics.