Factors Contributing Factors That Causes Obesity Among Children Essay

In 2015, 15% of children between the ages of 2 to 15, in Scotland, were at risk of obesity, in relation to their Body Mass Index (Scottish Health Survey, 2015). For children, the BMI ranges changes as they grow and get older, as well as being dependent on gender. For example, if a 12 year old boy and a 9 year old boy have the same BMI, and the 12 year old is classed as healthy, it doesn’t mean that subsequently the 9 year old is healthy too. It can, in fact, allude that the younger boy is overweight. Obesity in childhood can lead to a plethora of health issues in later life, and the children are more likely to be obese or overweight in adulthood. The World Health Organisation identified some of the future health outcomes of being obese in childhood. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, such as osteoarthritis, and in the worst case; death. WHO has estimated that, globally, over two million people die annually from health problems associated with being obese or overweight (WHO, 2016). There are several contributing factors to a child’s weight, including; parental weight and activity level, geographical location and deprivation.

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 is becoming more prevalent in the western world as statistics show that in Australia, one quarter of children are either overweight or obese. (Australian Bureau of statistics)

“During the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has risen greatly worldwide. Obesity in childhood causes a wide range of serious complications, and increases the risk of premature illness and death later in life, raising public-health concerns.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002 p.471) Currently in the Australian community and schools there is an obesity epidemic in young people with many children doing less and less physical activity then advised. “In 2007-08 the National health survey, run by the Australian Government indicated that 24.9% of children aged 5-17 years old were either overweight or obese” (Healthy Active, 2009). These figures show that children are not being properly educated about healthy

The specific health promotion topic in this paper is childhood obesity. Obesity is defined as a body mass index equivalent or greater than 95th percentile of a child's body weight. Obesity identifies biologically those children who will later in life develop comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and muskoskeletal problems. This health promotion topic is chosen because of the recent epidemics and prevalence of childhood obesity. The prevalence of obesity in childhood is a big concern because of its adverse consequences in the short and long term. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the rise in childhood obesity for the past ten years has been very alarming. It was noted that Overweight and obesity now rank as the

Obesity in childhood has become a global epidemic in developed and developing countries, and is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st Century (Chan, Deave, & Greenhalgh, 2010; Fleming & Parker, 2015). One-quarter of all Australian children between the ages of five and seven in 2007-2008 were overweight or obese (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABOS], 2015). Obesity in childhood is known to have a significant impact on both physical and psychological health (Wieting, 2008). These children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop non‑communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age (Hoey, 2014; Perpich, Russ, Rizzolo, & Sedrak, 2011; Throsby, 2007). It is widely

Childhood obesity has taken center stage in the Australian public health debate. This is not surprising given the 500% increase in the rate of childhood overweight and obesity from just 5% in the 1960s to 25% today.(1) While many developed countries face similar obesity levels, (2, 3) this essay explores the childhood obesity epidemic in an Australian context. It argues that a portfolio of primary prevention programs will be needed to curb the incidence of obesity. The essay has three parts. The first looks at the impact of childhood obesity at an individual and societal level. The second identifies the risk factors for overweight and obesity in childhood. The third offers up some primary prevention programs and outlines the

obesity is okay and that it is not that big of a deal, they are wrong. There

Obesity levels of the adolescents are significantly increasing throughout Australia. Australia is known to be the …… most obese country. There is an estimated ……. males and ……. females obese in Australia, in 2012. In this year it is estimated that only 55.7% of Australians were trying to lose weight but only 30% were obese. It is said that “only one in three obese people are concerned about their weight”. The obesity rate has doubled over the years for young adolescents as now one quarter of children are predicted to be overweight. 80% of the adolescents that are currently obese are said to remain that way in their adulthood. Obesity is a concerning issue as it can cause coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, abnormal blood fats, metabolic syndrome, cancer, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea.Obesity is caused due to many factors such as time, budget, peers, advertising, age, accessibility, motivation,

Childhood obesity is a major health concern in NZ (No, Kelly, Devi, Swinburn & Vandevijvere, 2014). Evidence has illustrated a rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity among NZ children. The most recent NZ health survey revealed

“Childhood Obesity in Florida.” States of Obesity. Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

I write to you today in order to urge you to do more about the rising problem of childhood obesity. Until now, Australia has completely underestimated the role and scale at which obesity is at work in our country, not only with our adults, but also, and especially, with our children. From 1985 to 1995, we witnessed a large increase in the number of obese 5-6 year olds alone, from boys jumping from 10.7% to 20.5% and girls from 11.8% to 21.1%. Between 1995 and 2007-8 there was only a slight increase from 21% to 22%. In 2011-12 the number was 26%. Many statistics show that from 1996 onward, the childhood obesity rates in 5-6 year olds have plateaued. However, this does not mean Australia is doing enough. While there has been only slight increases over the years and nearly unnoticeable change, the rates remain high and cause concern, and therefore must be addressed accordingly.

In New Zealand obesity is one of the major risk factors that affect the health especially the children due to their socio-economic status (McMurray&Clendon, 2015). Children in high family income are healthier than those families with low socioeconomic status (McMurray, 2007). Child health depends on the family, an environment that includes cultural belief, values, peer relationship, neighbourhood and community (McMurray, 2015). Unhealthy eating behaviour and less intake of fresh

When speaking of her 8-year old daughter's obesity, a prideful mother replies "Oh it's no big deal, she just still has her baby fat." Unfortunately, chances are that the daughter's obesity is not caused by her baby fat, but can be contributed to a combination of diet, genetics, and a sedentary lifestyle. Studies show that obesity among children 6-17 years of age, has increased by 50% in the last 20 years, with the most dramatic increase seen in children ages 6-11 (Axmaker, 1). This obvious epidemic has raised great concern in the medical community because widespread childhood obesity has increased the prevalence of the once rare juvenile diabetes and pediatric hypertension (Bastin, 45). This concern has prompted intense investigation

Many children are currently suffering from obesity all around the world (Zuraikat 2010). Often times if parents don’t have a good nutritional balance then their children will become obese as well. Adults might not care what others think of them, but most likely their children will be bullied in school. There is a lot of discrimination around the world till this day towards obese people (Zuraikat 2010). Believe it or not if two people go apply for the same job position often times the one that looks physically better will get the job. For this reason, it is significantly important to maintain a well-balanced nutritional diet starting at a young age. There are times when children are consuming high portions of fat