Define the problem Childhood obesity epidemic is growing and becoming ever more costly in United States. More than one in six U.S. children is obese --- three times the rate in the 1970s. The main causes of excess weight in youth are similar to those in adults, including individual causes such as behavior and genetics. Behaviors include dietary pattern and physical activity. In addition to insufficient exercise, obesity results from unhealthy diet. According to the Dietary Guidelines for American, we should be eating whole grain, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat and fat-free dairy products and drinking water. A poor diet containing high levels of fat or sugar and few nutrients can cause kids to gain weight quickly. Changing the eating …show more content…
A negative externality is the external cost resulting from a particular action. Though intake of too much sweetened beverages and fatty foods are not easily quantified, it has many negative effects on the body and has large impact on society and the environment. According to the Center of Disease Control, unhealthy diet leads to a number of serious health problems and many individuals are forced to seek medical care and treatment. Disease like type II diabetes and heart disease are largely affected by one’s diet. Besides, the younger a person is when they become obese, the more likely and severe their health problems are expected to be as they get older. The negative externalities associated with childhood obesity result in decreased productivity and the standard of living. The second market failure is information asymmetry. In most markets, suppliers and consumers do not have the same information. Foods and beverages consumers know far less about the information of products than suppliers. A consumer may think that a certain food is low in sugar and fat because they do not have the nutritional information of the food, and thus decide to eat more of the food than they would if they knew that information. Consumers do not have ability to make a better choice. This situation leads to an over allocation of resources to foods that are high in fats and …show more content…
Studies show that children who are obese after age six have a greater than 50 percent chance of being obese as adults, regardless of parental obesity status; 80 percent of children who were overweight at ages 10–15 were obese at age 25. Obesity in children under age eight that persists into adulthood is also associated with more severe adult obesity. Treating adult obesity has not been very successful. It is very difficult for adults to maintain long term weight loss and there is a health risk associated with weight-cycling. Weight-cycling, the cyclical increasing and decreasing of large quantities of weight on a regular basis, is observed in many adult weight loss efforts. Through these studies, we can see that treating childhood obesity is more effective than treating adult obesity. Obese children also have an increased list for other diseases. About 70 percent of obese youth have at least one additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (for example, hypertension or high cholesterol), and nearly 40 percent have at least two additional risk factors. Additional, less harmful diseases such as sleep apnea, asthma and self-esteem issues have also been related to childhood obesity. No matter the diseases are serious or not, all of these are harmful to the growth and well-being of children. These
On the other hand, not all cases of childhood obesity are a result of external forces. In some cases a child’s problem with their weight is mainly a genetic problem. In this case even the healthiest of habits may not be enough to prevent a child from becoming obese. (American Obesity Association) Yet the dramatic increase of overweight adolescents in the past few decades has clearly not been a result of genetics, but rather has in fact been do to poor health habits.
Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States in the past three decades. In 2012, roughly 17% or 12.5 million children and adolescents are overweight or obese” (“Childhood Obesity Facts,” 2014). According to the Centers of Disease Control and
Health issues like obesity are rampant due to low levels of nutrition in food served in public schools. Childhood obesity is a serious disaster in today's world as it is on the reverse spectrum of as eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa, but still carries with it serious health implications that can affect an individual throughout their lifetime. One specific factor playing a role in childhood obesity is the fact that the food eaten by children is not nutritious.
Obesity in both adult and children is a major public health crisis. Childhood related obesity is an increasing concern with respect to the health and wellbeing of a child.
Childhood obesity in the United States has reached an alarming prevalence, this serious epidemic, which directly correlates to several health concerns. The future lies in the hands of today’s children and the first priority ought to be the empowering America's youth. Research is centered on treatment, however the point of convergence ought to be counteractive action. Two-thirds of Americans are obese or overweight, not to mention that the number of obese adults has double within the last thirty years. Furthermore, twenty five million children in the United States are currently obese or overweight. These children are at an increased risk for diseases, which incorporate diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, just to give some examples. It
Consequences of the Health Problem: Childhood obesity has substantial consequences for not only the individual affected, but for society as well. Obesity puts
The past several decades have seen an escalating trend in the rate of childhood obesity. Obesity results from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and inadequate physical activity. Childhood obesity has continued to be a major issue in the public healthcare system, and has more than tripled. Obesity has increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 20% in 2014 among children aged 6 to 11. During the same 30 year period, obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 increased from 5.0% to 18.1%. With that said, America is experiencing a very serious health issue concerning its youth.
Childhood obesity continues to increase substantially each generation, especially here in the United States. Today, children have become more lazy while eating unhealthy and in excess. This trend ultimately results in increased healthcare problems throughout their life. Childhood obesity has increased because children eat in excess, they are allowed to eat food which is unhealthy, they lack the exercise needed to maintain a healthy weight, and are permitted by family to become and remain obese.
Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. Studies show that overweight kids are likely to become overweight and obese adults. This is a significant issue in the U.S. and needs to be monitored closely. Some parents are in denial that their children are obese and do not do anything to help or prevent it. When obesity is a problem at a young age it is very easy to have, it become a habit all throughout their life.
The CDC estimated that around one out of three children are obese and the numbers are on the rise. Obesity affects around seventeen percent of children in the United States. There are many other factors that can cause children to be obese like no exercise, eating junk food, being lazy, also the child’s surrounding can affect them. Some people may argue that the lifestyle changes are bigger contributions to the rising number of childhood obesity. There are many serious diseases that can a result from being obese.
Obesity is the second leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Being overweight and obese has become more prevalent and increased during the last three decades in both adults and children. Currently, 25 million children in the United States are obese or overweight (Babey, Wolstein, Diamant, Bloom, and Goldstein, 2011). The rise in childhood obesity and related health diseases are indicators of a decrease in life expectancy and increased individual and societal costs (Olshansky et al., 2005).
Childhood obesity rates in United States have skyrocketed thus making it a major public health concern. “There is a rapid climb in the prevalence of obesity in children in the United States over the last two decades such that in 2009-2010, 16.9% of US children and adolescents were obese”(Karnick, & Kanekar, 2014, p. 2). Today more than 23 million children and teens in US, nearly three in one young people are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity threatens the health of our young people now and their future potential. They are at high risk for serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Also they miss more school and have more psychological stress and are more likely
According to Cummings, Welch, Mason, Burbage, Kwon, and Kuo (2014) the food environment is the most important factor in combating childhood obesity. For children and adolescents the school nutrition programs are major parts of the food environment (Cummings et al., n.d.). “Adequate energy and nutrients are required for young children’s growth and development, but excess energy over the long term can lead to overweight and obesity” (Briefel et al., 2013 P.269). There are many different factors that contribute to the continuing growth of childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity is one of the most severe public health challenges of the 21st century. In the previous 30 years, childhood obesity has dramatically increased in children and tripled in adolescents (Ogden et al. 2011-2012). Parents must aware about the statistic of childhood obesity as it can cause many health problems and shorten children’ life. The children who are overweight have the high possibility to become an obese adult. Childhood obesity will happen when a child is above the normal weight for his or her height and weight.
Childhood obesity is a tremendous problem among our youth today. Over the past couple of decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically. Studies show that in the last 30 years the percent of 6-to 11- year-olds as well as the percent of 12- to 19- year -olds who fall under the obese or overweight category has tripled (Finkelstein). Nearly two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese, and one out of every eight deaths in the United States is caused by an obesity-related illness (Carmona). Obesity has always been an issue, but in recent decades the severity of the cases of obesity as well as the percent of obese people has increased dramatically.