Does Counseling Help Children with Issues of Obesity? Obesity in children is an epidemic that

Obesity is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Obesity often begin in childhood and is linked to many psychological problems such as asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood. Childhood obesity is related to increased mortality and morbidity in adulthood as many obese children grow up to become obese adults (Johnson, 2016). In the last 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. In the United States, the percentage of children aged six to eleven years who were obese seven percent in 1980 has increased to eighteen percent in 2012. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height, whereas obesity is having excess body fat. Childhood obesity can lead both immediate and long term effects on health and well-being. Obese children are likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. A population based sample of five to seventeen year old shows 70% obese children have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Obese children and adolescents are at risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem and stigmatization. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, stroke, type 2

There have been studies conducted to find out what has caused or what the leading factors to obesity are. Researchers are currently still doing research to find out what causes or what may be the lead to obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which considers a child to be obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. (Rendall., Weden, Lau, Brownell, Nazarov & Fernandes, 2014). Obesity is on a rise in the Unites States and all over the world and can lead or result to other health complications later in life. The crucial breakdown serves as an implication of outlining childhood obesity, collaborating problems of the disease and resolutions, as well as applying critical thinking to give a complete approach to deliver information on childhood obesity. This will be done through citation of scholarly articles, samples and other modes of supporting details.

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

Childhood onset overweight and obesity and its’ associated health consequences are quickly becoming major significant public health issues facing America today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 95th percentile while obese is defined as BMI above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex . The prevalence of overweight children, defined based on 2009 CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data, has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the incidence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% to 17.0% while overweight levels for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 17.6% .

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the last three decades, and conditions in many communities continue to act as barriers to healthy eating and adequate physical activity. Childhood obesity is a serious health problem that has adverse and potentially long-lasting consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Perhaps most shocking, life expectancy for today’s children may be shortened in the United States because of the impact of childhood obesity (Olshansky and Ludwig, 2005).

The obesity epidemic here in the United States affects a mass portion of all children and adolescents. The rapid growth in childhood obesity has become a prevalent health concern that is overlooked due to its’ normality. The main focus of this issue has always been fixated on how to help those facing current problems with obesity. Instead, attention needs to be brought to the prevention of our country’s #1 leading health concern, which has yet to be compromised. This ignorance has led millions of children ill-educated on the importance of lifestyle and the simple concept that “we are what we eat”. The reality of this issue is not one many want to take responsibility for, but the significant impact education has on what children consume is greater than we may think. The lack of effort in our education system and the simple changes in the education we provide can significantly help reduce the obesity crisis we face. Our education career is one of the most influential aspects of all of our lives and though most of children’s time is spent in school, it lacks teaching the importance of food, the consequences of unhealthy diets and its’ little value on health as being part of our future success.

Under this criteria,33% of children account for the 85th percentile and above. 1 out of every 3 children is considered overweight.

instrument of the advancement of obesity is not fully recognized and it is understood to be a

Childhood obesity is a greatest public health concern in our nation because it has an immediate and long-term effect on morbidity and mortality later in life. Experts in this epidemic suggest that there is an immediate need for an action and leadership that is required to intervene this disease (Reilly, Methven, McDowell, Hacking, Alexander, Stewart, & Kelnar, 2003). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for 2011 and

One of the serious public health issues in the United State is obesity in children.”Obesity a condition with an excess accumulation and storage of fat content in the body is also defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. (CDC, 2014). The rationale to choose this specific population is that obesity increases the risk for any serious physical complication in children such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, breathing problems, hepatic

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.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009), Childhood Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index at or above 95th percentile for both male and female children in the United States. Approximately 9 million children are struggling with Obesity (Gootman, J.A., McGinnis, M., & Kraak, V.I., 2006). The rate at which children are being diagnosed with obesity has more than doubled over a span of 25 years form 7% to 18% for children ranging in age from 6-11 years (Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM., 2014). Furthermore, the National Center for Health Statistics reported the percentage of obese adolescents aged 12-19 years more that tripled within the same time span from 5% to nearly 21%. The National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, through collaborative efforts defined overweight as having an excess in body weight, along with a specified height, for a particular combination of mass from fat, muscle, bone and water.

Childhood obesity has become staggering in the United States. Children are considered obese if they have thirty percent amount of body fat or more and is measured by body mass index (BMI). Body mass index conveys the correlation of body weight to height. If a child’s BMI is at or exceeding over the 95th percentile, meaning if their body mass index is greater than 95% of other children that are the same sex and age, they are obese. Doctor Jeffrey Levi, an executive director of the Trust for America’s Health Organization and an advocate of the public health system, has declared along with his associates that childhood obesity rates have tripled since the year of 1980 (8). This committee oversees health issues like obesity and obesity-related diseases. In the year of 1991, children were 10-15% obese nationally, whereas today more than 25% of adolescents ages two to nineteen are considered obese. In our nation, there are many potential causes that contribute to obesity. A child’s socio-economic status, physical position, and eating habits shape the obesity stratum. Genetics have very limited impact, but behavioral and environmental factors augment the chances of a child reaching obesity. According to the Center of Disease Control, “the portion of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012…the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.”

The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s (“Healthy Schools.”). Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers who contain excess body fat. This condition is very common today, having about 3 million cases per year (“Healthy Schools.”). A sign that a child is suffering from obesity is when their weight is well above the average for a child’s height and age. Today about one in five school children, ages 6-19, are obese (“Healthy Schools.”). I will be addressing the causes, health complications, treatments, controversy, and supporting obese students.

“Children and adolescents who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults, putting them more at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, types of cancers, osteoarthritis, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, increases risk for many types of cancer including breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). A person can increase the risk of getting several diseases if having bad eating habits, exercise