Childhood Obesity : A Major Health Issue

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. More than one third of children are overweight. This figure is increasing rapidly. This epidemic puts children at risk for various health problems such as type two diabetes and heart problems. Although they are several risk factors for obesity, parents play a significant role in this issue. This paper will look into how parents are influential to their children, how they contribute to this problem and how they may help fight the fight against obesity. Obesity is a very serious problem and there are solutions that parents can apply to help their children lead a healthy lifestyle. Obesity does not only affect a person physically, but mentally and psychologically as well.

America is facing a serious challenge! Children’s health is becoming a critical concern. Childhood obesity has become an “epidemic disease” that has rapidly grown over the years in the United States. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2011 states that, “childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. In 2012, more than one- third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese” (Childhood, 2015, para.1).I would like to inform you all of childhood obesity in children, and ways to get involved in preventing obesity in our future generation. Childhood obesity has many factors, and is a preventable disorder that can be controlled, and if not, it could greatly affect the health of an individual.

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in U.S. In the year of 2012, about “one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” Also, percentages of childhood obesity have increased by over ten percent in the last thirty years in children and adolescents (Childhood Obesity Facts 2015). These statistics are shocking, and many people are concerned for the health of their children. This medical condition, as defined by Mayo Clinic, leads to serious health conditions in the future in the children’s adult lives, which can only be treated with pricey medication, treatments, and surgeries (Mayo Clinic Staff 2015); some can also lead to a very short life, ending their lives in between the ages 40 and 60. Due to many studies and research, 1childhood obesity can be easy prevented early on from infancy by analyzing the causes, studying the effects and finding the solutions to the problem.

Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern for Americans; it is a very serious health concern. It doesn’t just impact the way Americans look, this serious condition can change the course of our lives, and not for the better (American Heart Association, 2005). Childhood obesity is a national epidemic that is affecting our children and adolescents of America at high and alarming rates. It occurs when children are exceeding the normal weight for his or her age and height. Up to one out of every five children in the U.S. is overweight or obese, and one and three are obese, and this number has continually to rise (Benaroch, 2012) for over 30 years. Since 1963, kids and teens overweight issues and medical conditions are increasing at an alarming rate and unfortunately some of the same overweight and obese kids / teens become overweight / obese adults with serious health issues. Overweight kids have a 70–80 percent chance of staying overweight (American Heart Association, 2005). The most common causes for children being overweight and obese is genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of all these factors.

Many studies have shown the increasing trend in early childhood obesity over the past few decades. But in recent years that trend has begun to level out and even decrease in some cases. In this paper, these trends will discussed along with the health implications that follow childhood obesity, how big of a problem it has become, as well as how to fix the problem and what we can do in the future to prevent this problem.

Childhood obesity is a complex health issue in today’s society. It occurs when a child is well above the healthy weight for the average age and height. Excess weight during growing years is of great importance for at least three main reasons. First, it constitutes a risk of overweight and obesity during adult life. Second, childhood obesity correlates with adulthood risk factors for common chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other morbidities. Third, obese children already undergo many health adverse effects including orthopedic problems, sleep apnea, impaired quality of life, psychological or mental disorders, and some cardio metabolic abnormalities. One of the most important obesity-related metabolic disorders is currently known as the metabolic syndrome (Segel 2). Americans do not realize or take note in that the lifestyle we live in needs to change. This issue sadly goes unnoticed in several ways. Some contributing factors in our society include the food, technology interrupting a physical activity environment, and food marketing.

Childhood and adolescent obesity is a growing endemic in the United States. It affects more than thirty percent of children, making it the most common chronic disease of childhood. According to the research article Prevalence of Childhood and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity from 2003 to 2010 in an Integrated Health Care Delivery System by Lynn Acknerson “this number has more than tripled since 1980.” It has now become a major health issue. Today, more and more children are being diagnosed with morbid health conditions associated with obesity.

Purpose of the Study: Childhood obesity is a growing, public health disorder that has actually been turned into a disease because it is so ordinary, now, in many Americans. When it comes to childhood obesity, most people ask why the parents are not doing something about it or why they did not interfere, earlier, before the disease came to be obesity. Traditionally, being a fat kid meant being a healthy and strong kid, a kid who was likely to survive the diligence of gaunt and viruses or infection.

Although childhood obesity is a serious issue, there has been a great decrease over the past decade, thanks to research on childhood obesity and programs that help decrease the number of children and adolescents who are overweight. Childhood obesity can have long term and lasting effects on the overall well-being of a child, including cardiovascular disease, high risk for development of diabetes, and other health issues for children and adolescents. Over the years, there have been several research done on childhood obesity and because of the research, several programs have been developed, so that childhood

Childhood obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic that has lasting psychological effects because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers’ lives today. Who is to blame? Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years (cdc.gov). this takes us to the focus of how childhood obesity has become an enormous issue today. For us to understand the impact of obesity and why we should prevent it, we will need to figure out the causes of obesity and what keeps people obese.

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem that is increasingly affecting children and adolescents in the United States. Obesity occurs when an individual is clearly over the normal weight for his or her age and height. It is the result of children eating more calories then they are burning through physical activity. Genetic factors are also a common cause of obesity. A tool to measure whether one is obese or underweight is the body mass index, or BMI, which is a weight-to-height ratio. For children and adolescents, the BMI-for-age and sex percentile is used to measure obesity because it differs for boys and girls as they age. As defined by the CDC, children and adolescents age 2 to

Childhood Obesity is a world-wide health problem for our children. There are many costs associated with obesity. The total cost of obesity in America is 100 billion dollars and climbing. Ninety seven million Americans are overweight or obese. Should we as Americans be concerned about our children?

Childhood obesity has become a growing health concerns in the heart of American population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2015) estimates that 1 in 3 American children aged 6 – 11 years old were either overweight or obese in 2013 which is a staggering increase from 7 percent in 1980 to 18% to date. It is scary to know that childhood obesity is one of the leading factors to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in later life according to American Heart Association. To further address the childhood obesity in American, a look at childhood obesity in the community of Langley will be examined and

Childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be resolved. Many people may say it is the Child’s fault, he is weak willed. This is just a common misconception; there are hundreds of different reasons for childhood obesity. I will just be scratching the surface of this paper. By the same token childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be resolved. We can achieve this by understanding some common misconceptions, understanding health problems, and understanding fitness.

Child Obesity is a large problem in America. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases death and illnesses, and has long term economic and social costs. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that in teens ages 12 to 19, overweight rates have tripled (5.0% to 17.6%) in the last twenty five years; this is a higher percentage than in any other industrialized country. Teen obesity leads to obese adults that are going to have poor health later like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. Prevention now is better than dealing with all these health issues later. Three approaches could help solve the child obesity problem: offering healthier foods in schools, controlling unhealthy food advertisements targeting teens, and promoting exercise.