HUBI 200: Article Summary

Becoming increasingly more active is vital to combating and reducing obesity in children. Healthful, fitness habits, then, must be jumpstarted at institutions where all American children spend mandatory time, such as in a child’s school; evidently, “normal weight children get 16 more minutes of

Although laws have been implemented to fight this disease, new legislations are still been negotiated with different ways of trying to rectify the issue. Despite these rules and regulations, childhood obesity continues to plague the society. According to Hajian-Tilaki et al. (2011), the current approach in determining the presence of obesity is the body mass index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by using the height and weight to determine if an individual is overweight or obese. In the case of a child, an age and weight specific BMI is used to determine their weight status. This is required because children’s body composition varies as they get older and it also varies between boys and girls. A child with a BMI at or over the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for a child of the same age and sex is considered overweight. If the child has a BMI that is over the 95th percentile for a child within the same category is considered obese (Hajian-Tilaki et al., 2011). The authors also stated that males were more at risk than female in developing childhood obesity in the region of Babol. Furthermore, Hajian-Tilaki et al. mentioned a few contributing dynamics that may lead to obesity, such as genetic and metabolic factors, lack of physical activities, unhealthy eating habits, and socioeconomic standards. With all said and done, the goal of eradicating childhood obesity is still been

the dangers of obesity, inactivity, and loneliness. Some say that children are being taught that

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), "more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese." This fact effectively underscores the seriousness of the issue at hand. Further, it means that obesity is affecting millions of people in the U.S. alone (either directly or indirectly). As McKnight (2006) points out, one of the leading causes of death in America is physical inactivity. Physical inactivity coupled with other factors has been branded a leading cause of obesity. Every day, people die from obesity related diseases including but not limited to hypertension and heart disease as others have their social lives greatly inhibited by the condition. In the recent past, debate has been rife on whether obesity should be branded a disease or a factor contributing to ill health. Whether classified as a disease or a factor contributing to ill health, the epidemic remains one of the main preventable causes of death not only in the U.S. but also across the world. In the modern day, both comfort and convenience have come to be regarded top human priories. In pursuance of these two "ideals", healthy living has seemingly taken a backseat. A sedentary lifestyle coupled with poor eating habits is slowly making America a fat nation and as a result, we are slowly gravitating towards poor health. It is this trend that is making obesity synonymous with disease. Obesity is however not a disease but one of the many factors that contribute to ill health.

In the past fat children were considered to be healthy. It was believed that they would have the nourishment they would need to fight off infections, malnourishment, and any dieses that a child could face (Ebbeling, Pawlak, & Ludwig, 2002). However, past generations were more active including walking to and from school, playing at recess outside, and had gym classes along with extra-curricular actives. With gym classes being shortened or cut from children’s daily schedules and the availability of buses as transportation to school, there has been a drop in activity in early childhood. While “overweight” and “obesity” can have a variety of definitions, making it hard to compare different studies, it is still very obvious that childhood obesity rates have been on the rise since at least the 1970’s according to Ebbeling et al. (2002) and Farley & Dowell (2014). According to Ebbeling et al. (2002) the highest rates of early childhood obesity are found in Egypt, England, and the United States ranked

In this population-based study, a crossed-sectional design of 5662 students aged 6-18 was studied in china. Factors that was analyze includes feeding strategy, parenting behavior toward the child's physical activity, feeding behaviors, eating environment provided by the parents, food availability, home sedentary, environment, physical activity level and parents physical activity level ( Yu-bin et al., 2013).

According to Kimbro, “Approximately one-third of U.S. children are overweight, and sixteen percent are obese.” (Kimbro 20). This quote refers to children who are struggling with overweight problems at an early age and more likely to become overweight adolescents and adults. Kimbro gives the reader a very clear, concise definition of childhood obesity without using vague, euphemistic, or emotive language (Chaffee 2012). Obese and overweight children are increasingly diagnosed with type two diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and certain cancers. Some people say childhood obesity is genetics and lack of exercise. Children might be obese because of family history with obesity and do not exercise. One factor is food at home and school. Children

(Ogden, Carroll, Kitt, Flegal 2012). The health risks obesity poses are overwhelmingly high, including the leading cause of death today; heart disease. Isolating a single leading cause to obesity in children is not possible. Of the several causes, one of the most identifiable is the impact of the parents’ habits on their children. Children are more likely to develop poor exercise and eating habits if they see their parents participate in those poor habits and continue them through their children (Kaneshiro, Zieve 2013). Obesity is a fate no child or parent foresees for themselves nor desires. By introducing children to exercise before problems ensue, they are having a better chance to a healthier and low risk life.

Although school sports or organized sports teaches children lessons in life to be successful human beings, the most important reason that children should play sports is to be healthy. When children are school sports or organized sport teams, they are going to get the exercise that they need to get healthy and stay healthy. “An increase in physical activity has many health benefits: it lowers the risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis”. (Collard, 2008) Exercise teaches children to be physical fit, but also teaches children that nutrition is also important. Child obesity is on the rise in the United States. In today’s society we lead very busy lives and it is convenient to stop at fast food restaurants between work, home and sporting events to pick up dinner. Also, there are a lot of entertaining shows on television that children are interested in watching. We can help our children become healthier by leading healthy lifestyles as a family. Exercising is important to keep children fit and healthy to prevent injuries. Injuries can happen to healthy children

Physical activity is essential for children; therefore sport participation has many physical benefits for youths (Willox, 1994). In the United States there is a very unhealthy trend of physically unfit children going on. According to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health seven out of ten kids in our nation are out of shape and the incidence of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent among America's children and teen since 1976 and continues to grow at a staggering rate (Metzel & Shookhoff, 2006). When children participate in sports activities they get some of the exercise they need to improve their quality of life and can help prevent children from becoming obese. Physical activity regulates obesity because it increases energy expenditure, suppresses appetite, increases metabolic rate, and increases lean body mass (Willox, 1994). Even though regular physical sport activity has been shown to improve physical fitness, it can also help in preventing many different health problems down the line that youths who participate in sports are more likely not to develop than youths who do not participate in sports. Women who participated in organized sport and fitness programs as

Childhood obesity is becoming a major public health crisis in both children and adults. The American Heritage dictionary simply defines obesity as a condition of increased body weight that is due to excessive build up of fat in the body. The CDC (Center for Disease Control), use the BMI (Basal Metabolic Index) and CDC growth charts to determine obesity and overweight in adolescents and children. The BMI-for-age percentile is determined by plotting the BMI value. Using this chart, obesity is defined as a BMI value that is at or above the 95th percentile for children who are of the same sex and age. Overweight is described as a BMI value at or above the 85th percentile but lower than the 95th percentile. Between the year 2003 and 2006, a National Health and Nutrition study indicated that at least 31.9 percent of both children and adolescents were overweight, and 16.3 percent were obese (Lossing, 2010). The number of obesity has increased significantly over the years causing it to be designated as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1998(Jadavji 2006). Cases of childhood obesity are highest in developed countries. However, there is a steady increase in its prevalence in developing countries also. Interestingly, there are proportionately more overweight girls than boys, especially among adolescents. Childhood obesity has significant consequences on both the psychological and physical health of a child. These consequences include; abnormal

The purpose of this article is to describe the physical activity levels of children attending after-school programs, to examine physical activity levels in specific after-school sessions and activity contexts, and to evaluate after-school physical activity differences in groups defined by sex and weight status.. The authors summarized the study results indicating that boys exhibit higher levels of vigorous physical activity than girls, overweight or at-risk-of-overweight children participate less in vigorous physical activity , and children show higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during free-play activity

In the United States, increasing numbers of obesity in pediatric population is major concern in health care field. According to Center of Disease Control (CDC), in the United States obesity in children from 6 to 11 years of age in 1980 was seven percent. This rate about three times by 2008, to 20%. Adolescents’ obesity from 12 to 19 years of age in 1980 was five percent and this correspondingly rate more than three times by 2008, to 18% (CDC, 2012). The CDC accepted the measurement standards for individuals that are overweight or obese established by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; overweight is more than or equal to a body mass index (BMI) of 25% and obese is a BMI more than or equal to 30% (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2012)

The Institute of Medicine of the NationalAcademics recommends at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity while at school, howeveronly 6% of high schools provide Physical Education at all grade levels 9-12 (Yetter 2009). Thismakes it essential for an obesity prevention program to be present at the high school level, asstudents are in their stage of life where they have more autonomy over their health decisions(skipping breakfast, drinking sugar drinks, not eating fruits and vegetables) and where behaviorscan become permanent throughout their entire

Contrary to popular belief obesity isn't the number one problem in causing obesity. According to Jacobs and Carson-Dewitt, “There is little argument that encouraging exercise is a much more fruitful approach to combating obesity in children than eliminating one soda per day¨ ( Jacobs and Carson-Dewitt 15). This shows how no one acknowledges the fact that lack of exercise is a major factor of why so many children are obese. According to Jacobs and Carson-Dewitt, they explain experts agree that a more effective prevention of obesity is to get off the couch and exercise (Jacobs and Carson-Dewitt 7). When eating healthy or unhealthy foods and just laying around after creates a higher risk of obesity, not just the fact that it is being consumed. Jacobs and Carson-Dewitt also explicates how technology is taking a toll on why kids do not want to exercise and that should be subject to causes as well. Maybe if parents make it a priority