Children 's Excessive Weight Gain

Obesity in America is literally a growing problem, affecting every age group. Children are the most venerable group because they have no control over where they have dinner or how often they have fast food. Parents and guardians make decisions about food and are responsible for the health of children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last twenty years. This is concerning because Type Two diabetes is a horrible, crippling disease that is affecting children and teens dramatically whereas the disease was primarily seen in adults. Children are said to have a shorter life span than their parents for the first time ever. In the United States sixty-six percent of adults are overweight and one in

The childhood obesity plague in America is a nationwide health emergency. One in every three children (31.7%) ages 2-19 is overweight or obese. The life-threatening price of this epidemic makes a persuasive and serious call for action that cannot go unnoticed. Obesity is anticipated to cause 112,000 deaths per year in the United States, and one third of all kids born in the year 2000 are likely to develop diabetes at some stage in their lifetime. The present age group may even be on a pathway to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. There needs to be change so we don’t lose our children. Most people may not know that America is leading with the most childhood obesity issues. People that are obese are more likely to have risk factors such

In 1970, only 5-7% of U.S. children were obese; today, over 17% of U.S. children and adolescents are obese (Johnson, 2012). One out of every three American children are either obese or overweight (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2016; American Heart Association, 2017; & Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], 2017). More importantly, obese children grow up to become obese adults, resulting in numerous preventable chronic diseases and increased mortality and morbidity (Johnson, 2012; ODPHP, 2017). Furthermore, childhood obesity creates is a financial catastrophe with over 21% of the United States’ health care spent on obesity, totaling over 14 billion dollars of the United States’ annual health care expenses (National League of Cities,

The rate of childhood obesity has grown an enormous amount over the years with more than 40 million children being overweight! That number is astonishingly high and it is very obvious that something needs to be done about this. Studies had shown in 2008 that more than 40 million children were said to be overweight and the sad truth is that they are still increasing rapidly to this day; also every 1 in 4 teenagers is said to not reach the fitness guidelines (Tanner) according to an article by Lindsey Tanner. For this problem to be resolved not only do the parents of children need to make sure their kids are staying active but also, the schools they attend need to make sure they are getting a well-balanced meal and have some type of physical activity during their school day. Each state in America is given a percentage rate on the number of obese people in that particular state. The highest ranking state is Mississippi with a percentage of 34.9 and the state ranking the least is Connecticut with 24.5 percent. Different researches have shown that each day 850 lives are taken due to obesity and each year there are more than 300,000 people that die from obesity related illnesses. These are deaths that most likely could have been avoided if these individuals would have had the proper exercise and diet in their lives.

Childhood obesity is an increasing problem here in the United States. According to Schuab and Marian (2011) “Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions” (P.553). The prevalence of child obesity and overweight has increased over the last 30 years all over the United States, becoming one of the biggest public health challenges (Moreno, Johnson-Shelton, & Boles, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to give a background of the obesity epidemic, a review of current policy, and make a policy recommendation.

One of the greatest health risks that children face today is not an atrocious disease like cancer nor is it learning or behavioral problems—it is obesity! The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, health education and research, defines child hood obesity as “a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents, that occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height” (Mayo). The Mayo Clinic goes on to say that childhood obesity is particularly troubling because it starts kids off on an early path to health complications that they could encounter later in life (Mayo). The Centers for Decease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently started referring to obesity as an “epidemic” and new national statistics show that about 16.06% of American children, ages six years old to eleven years old, are considered to be overweigh (Childhood Obesity Facts). The California Department of Public Health Nutrition concluded that in California, 15.8% of children, ages six to eleven years old, are considered overweight (Obesity in California: The Weight of the State, 2000-2012). With these percentages in mind, Childhood Obesity must be viewed as an immediate serious concern that is impacting our children at the national, state, county, and local level.

As a matter a fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said “[o]verweight or obese preschoolers are five times as likely to become overweight or obese adults as their normal weight peers” ( Phil 1). American children are easier to become obese adults that will later become a greater problem to society. “More shocking, an obese child can expect a shorter life” (Dalton 35 ) . Obese children are likely to face health problems such as “cardiovascular disease, such as elevated blood pressure or serum insulin levels or dyslipidemia, and 25 percent had two or more risk factors, type 2 diabetes” (Dietz 1) . For this reason, parents need to take action and solve the problem with obesity because it will affect children's health that can later result as a bigger

Over the past decade there has been an epidemic on the rise. This epidemic is child obesity. We spend millions of dollars each year trying to help or prevent the onset of obesity. Some of the reasons are due to our youth consuming more processed foods and not being physically active. However, we as a society cannot just blame the laziness and not eating the correct types of foods as the cause for obesity. This problem is more complex than people think and we can fix it, but we do need government cooperation. There are many causes of obesity some of which are poverty, food insecurity, parenting, and physical activity.

When people observe children who are overweight, they think they are cute, but in reality the obese children are setting themselves up for numerous health risks. The problem of obesity in children is on the rise in America. One in three children in America is obese (Kelly). Anyone can recognize there is a problem with the growing numbers of children overweight, however, no one has come up with a way to stop the obesity epidemic. This epidemic in children has been caused by numerous factors now numerous solutions can stop this if they are put in use.

Obesity is a condition where someone is significantly overweight for their age and height. On a child, it can lead to life-threatening diseases and health problems in the future. This excessive amount of weight that a child bears can lead to future diseases and mental abuse from peers and even on rare occasion 's parents. Childhood obesity has become a national problem in the United States and continues to grow at a substantial rate. This growing health problem presented with children is affecting them negatively for the future. Is fast food really to blame, or is it the new lazy lifestyle that revolves around technology? With technology growing quickly, children seem to be less likely to play outside and live an active lifestyle than

Childhood obesity is the constant build up of excessive fats that impair the health of a child. When children are obese, they have high cholesterol and high blood pressure that threatens their lives with CVD. It also causes extreme breathing problems, joint problems, and an increase in contracting type 2 diabetes. Nearly one in three kids in the United States is obese and that is more than triple the amount from the 1960’s. Childhood obesity is taking control of many kid’s lives throughout the country, and they need help (Par, 1-2). Childhood obesity has had a dramatic increase over the past fifty years due to many low budget families and cheap fast food. This makes it more convenient for families to buy their products. The government has taken part in trying to reduce this epidemic by doing a number of things. To start off, they have promoted better eating habits, and enforcing the younger ages to not eat fast food as much as they do now. The first lady, Michelle Obama, has put childhood obesity at the top of her list of problems in the Unites States. Let 's Move, “a federal program intended to increase the rates of physical activity among children and educate them about nutrition and proper eating” (Par. 3), was launched by Michelle in 2010. This is one prime example of how the government is helping fight this epidemic. Also, the FDA and the USDA have brought together some health and marketing experts. According to the experts, a guide with a set of principles

Childhood obesity is a real world problem, and it’s growing. Childhood obesity is when a child has excess body fat for his age, height, and gender. It has been estimated that one out of every three children are considered obese. Not only do children suffer from obesity but also with the problems that obesity carries. Children with obesity may suffer from high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, depression, upon many other diseases and health complications. I have seen many children that are above their suggested body weight in my own community. Children at fast food restaurants eating a meal made for an adult. Parents buying each of their children the “king size” candy bars and “party size” chip bags. It is not the child’s fault that they are obese, it is their parents for buying them foods high in fat, sugars, and calories. Both the parent and the child should work together to put an end to childhood obesity.

Did you know that one in every six children is now facing obesity? Obesity is becoming a huge issue in the United States not only with children but everyone. Obese parents are now raising children that are also become obese. This is putting children at risk for many dangerous health related disease such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases. Some of these diseases can become life threatening to the children who are forced to grow up with these. High blood pressure is a disease that is very hard to get under control. Along with diabetes which can be a life-long disease that children have to deal with.

“Two-thirds of adults and almost one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese” (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies). All around the country school boards, a small number of parents, and the department of Agriculture have tried to make school lunches healthier for students. They typically get shut down rather quickly by parents who say making his or her child eat a fruit or vegetable along with their lunch is ridiculous and uncalled for. Some schools have sent home letters to parents describing obesity and how to help his or her child not struggle with it. With so many people closed off from the idea that his or her child might be obese or have obesity it’s hard to make them understand the severity of it. “Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese.” (United States). Childhood obesity has grown so much that type two diabetes was once only known as onset adult diabetes; now doctors are seeing it in children younger than ten years old. In a study done by Stanford School of Medicine, they discovered that the overall percentage of obese children has tripled over the last thirty years. If that startling discovery doesn’t make people want to make a difference, I challenge them to think what the children will look like in another thirty years from now.

In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier. This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society.