Childhood Obesity Epidemic Analysis

Research has shown an ethnic and racial disparity in the frequency of childhood overweight and obesity. Specifically, minority children face a disproportionately higher chance of obesity; Taveras, Gillman, Kleinman, Rich-Edwards, and Rifas-Shiman agree: “…many risk factors for child obesity are more prevalent among black and Hispanic children than among white children (p. 693). ” They go on to write that additional variables affecting those two minority groups include belonging to a lower socioeconomic class, sleeping less than their white counterparts, and a greater likelihood of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food after age two .

Overweight and obesity, an excessive accumulation of body fat, is one of the major public health challenge in the 21st century, affecting one in every six people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2013a). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimation, globally over 42 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010 (WHO, 2011). A recent study estimated that the worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschool children aged 2-5 years increased from 4.2% to 6.7% within two decades and is expected to reach 12.7% by 2020 (de Onis et al., 2010). The results of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that in the United State (US) obesity among pre-school children increased from 5% to 10.4% between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 respectively. In addition, about 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years were obese in the US in 2007-2008 (Pan et al., 2012). A recent study by Grow et al. (2010) found that obesity was mostly prevalent among poor or minority groups with low socioeconomic status residing in disadvantaged areas in the US.

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 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.

Obesity in children can be caused by many broad factors depending on the individual child. Research has shown the influence of genetics, as well as unhealthy home environments, in the development of childhood obesity. External factors such as the educational system and the food industry, promoting unhealthy eating, may also contribute to this problem. Physical inactivity in children is also a contributing factor. Therefore, it is

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about “17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese” (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157). “Surveys

The number of children affected by childhood obesity has substantially risen over the last 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014; National Center for Health Statistics, 2011). After reading this statistic we begin to understand how rapidly childhood obesity has taken a hold on children. In the last 30 years childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese (Ogden et al., 2014). It is vital that parents and schools properly educate children on the value of proper nutrition and

Childhood obesity is a significant problem in our society, and has become one of the most prevalent health conditions affecting the welfare of children (Siegel & Parker, 2008). Research indicates that since the 1980’s the incidence of a BMI at the 95th percentile or higher has tripled among school age children and adolescents and remains at approximately 17% (Ogden et al, 2010). In addition, obese children today are heavier, in general, than obese children in the past. (Estabrooks, Fisher, & Hayman, 2008). According to Sharkey, Yetter, Felix & Furlong (2006), childhood obesity may have multiple, potentially negative effects on children, and has been linked to a number of physical, social, emotional and psychological ailments.

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. The UK has estimated through their schools’ National Child Measurement Program that one-third of the children there are overweight, and by 2050 that number could rise to an alarming two-thirds (Phillips 2).

Obesity is considered one of the major healthcare challenges in the 21st century. It has become a growing epidemic among men and women, especially children (Penney,2014). With the expanding population, there seem to be an increase in the number of children who are considered to be obese. There have been countless and numerous cases related to childhood obesity in healthcare in the recent years (Maggio, 2014). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period. In 2012, more than one third of children were overweight or obese.

Childhood Obesity has taken over the lives of American children in the United States. Presently, 23 million children and teens in the United States are obese (CDC 2014). This epidemic affects children of all ages and mostly minority children at a seemingly unstoppable rate. For instance, 18 percent of American children age 6 to 11 and teens ages 12 to 19 are obese (Spradlin 2012). When examining ethnicity, Caucasian American children 28.2 percent is far lower percentage when compared to that of the 33.1 percent of African American children and 44.7 percent of Hispanic children (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal 2014). Childhood obesity is caused by the consumption of unhealthy food and beverages in large portions with the absence of daily physical activity; allowing left over energy to become fat and eventually lead to obesity. The factors that are the major reasons why childhood obesity is a continuous prevalent issue are environment and behavioral systems.

Obesity has been a major health issue in the community for the past three decades, and has recently become a spreading concern for children (Black & Hager, 2013). Childhood obesity leads to many health and financial burdens in the future, and has become a public health priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016), childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Black and Hager (2013) state that pediatric obesity is a major public health problem that effects a child’s mental and physical health. Having childhood obesity also increases the risk of developing adult obesity and many other chronic illnesses. Childhood obesity will be further explored in the following sections and will include: background, current surveillance methods, epidemiology analysis, screening and diagnosis, and the plan of action.

An increase in the average weight of children has been observed throughout the past several decades. This is due to many varying factors, such as diet, lack of knowledge of general health for both parent and child, and social class standings. Child obesity is defined by the BMI, or body mass index, percentage in relation to the child’s personal weight and height. Studies have shown that the main causes of childhood obesity are attributed to the parents’ diet for their child, the amount of exercise the child participates in, or lack thereof, and the amount of the child’s consumption of particularly unhealthy foods. Major health concerns include the development of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea and social discrimination due to the child’s possible extreme health issues.

The incidence of obesity in children between the ages of two and nineteen was 17% (CDC, 2014). There were several racial, cultural, gender, and social influences that were contributing factors to an increased

Childhood obesity in America and in many developed regions is a prevalent problem that, to date, has been unresolved. As noted by Tailor et al. (2010), the prevalence of obesity has substantially increased the existence of metabolic syndrome in children with prevalence reaching nearly 60% in some studies. Currently, 17% of youth in America are obese, and while the prevalence has not substantially increased in recent years, the trend has not shown a decrease either (Ogden et al., 2014). Factors contributing to obesity amongst adolescents may include physical inactivity, genetics, diet, lifestyle, and more recently surmised, basal