Childhood obesity is a condition that affects children in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the rates of obesity in children have more than doubled in children in the past 30 years. There was increase of 18% from 1980 to 2012 in children 6 to 11 years of age, estimating that more than one third of children are overweight or obese. ("Childhood Obesity Facts," 2014) Obesity usually begins in children during the ages of 5 and 6. The most troublesome fact is that studies have shown that obese children between 10 and 13 have a predisposition of becoming an obese adult. ("Obesity in Children and Teens," 2011) Consequently, overweight teenagers have a 70 percent chance of becoming obese or overweight adults, and if at least one parent is obese the child’s predisposition rate increases to 80 percent. (Bishop et al., 2005)
If current adolescent obesity rates continue, predictions say by 2035 there will be more than 100,000 additional cases of heart disease linked to obesity (Collins 1). Childhood obesity has become more of an epidemic over the last few years. Although there are debates of childhood obesity being a problem, several factors contribute to childhood obesity such as parental feeding styles and fast food, nonetheless, which can all be prevented.
Austin Brown Dr. Rodney Beaulieu Human Development 101 11 December 2015 Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is currently a serious medical condition plaguing youth and adolescents all around the world, especially in developed nations. Childhood obesity occurs when ones weight or body fat exceeds what is normal for ones height and age. Children who are overweight are often troubled with poor self-esteem and depression. Overweight children are subjected to health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol at an early age. Many overweight children are unaware of the destruction they are causing to their health.
Did you know that childhood obesity has tripled in last 30 years? According to Spark, a web site about childhood obesity, a child is considered obese if their BMI(Body Mass Index) is 30 or higher. This is a serious medical condition. It can lead to a variety of serious diseases and have physiological and psycological impact on the children, moreover it can cause issues in their social lives. Childhood obesity is prevalent in both developed and developing countries. Home, schools, and the community environments for children in the modern world are the main factors contributing to childhood obesity. Therefore, we need to intervene and improve those areas at once to reduce childhood obesity and be able to raise healthy children.
Despite recent declines in the prevalence among preschool-aged children, obesity among children is still too high. For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years, the prevalence of obesity has remained fairly stable at about 17% and affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents for the past decade (CDC). Childhood obesity
Child obesity affects 30% of the children, nearly three times what it was fifty-two years ago. Obese children are more likely to have health problems that were once only adult concerns. These include type 2 diabetes, asthma, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD; can cause liver damage), hypertension, and high cholesterol, as well as other health concerns. Kids who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults. Childhood obesity is also linked to both higher and earlier death rates in adults.
Childhood Obesity Childhood Obesity is a well known issue in the United States. To some individuals childhood obesity is considered to be a medical condition while others may argue that is not. Childhood obesity is the condition where excessive body fat negatively affects a child 's wellbeing or health. Being obese is different from being overweight, although both mean that a person’s weight is greater than what is considered healthy for his or her height. Childhood obesity should be taken extremely serious or it could lead to life threatening situations. Several ways in which one can avoid children from becoming obese is by being physically active, maintaining healthy eating habits and having portion control.
Public Health Problem There is a giant threat looming over the United States, a catastrophic event of epidemic proportions which is threatening to capsize the health care system and that epidemic is childhood obesity. The awareness of this epidemic as a national problem developed in 1999 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) publication of a compilation of yearly state-based maps that indicated the increase in the levels of childhood obesity. There were earlier studies done by the CDC regarding this epidemic, but the maps gave physical proof of the dramatic increase for this pressing issue (Dietz, 2015).
The previous paper presented an overview about obesity rates in children. It looked at the health and economic issues that arose from obesity in our society. The prevalence, etiology, consequences and treatments for childhood obesity were explored. In the second paper the aim is to explore the theories and intervention strategies currently used to treat individuals, families and groups experiencing this condition. Research evidence will be presented to support the effectiveness of the current practices and policies to ameliorate this condition.
Is it true that sugar causes or contributes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? This is an important question that many parents, teachers and researchers are trying to answer. Sugar has long been suspected to be a cause behind ADHD symptoms. But research has yet to validate the connection. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the idea that refined sugar causes ADHD or makes symptoms worse is accepted, but more research disproves this theory than supports it. The Journal of Physiology is one of the first to discuss the negative consequence of a diet on learning and cognition (Agrawal & Gomez-Pinilla, 2012). The authors investigated the metabolic outcomes of a high glucose diet in combination with a
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.
Summary: This article looks at childhood obesity. First, they evaluate what the main causes of obesity. They state that obesity is the result of an energy imbalance. How when a person consumes more calories than their bodies need those calories are then stored as fat. This article states that “In
Why is it very common in the twenty-first century to see obese or overweight children in America? The answer is simple: fast food is convenient. Fast food restaurants are located just about everywhere, and it is extremely simple to find one on every corner. In his article “Don’t Blame the Eater”, David Zinczenko explains that growing up “lunch and dinner…was a daily choice between McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Pizza Hut” (241). The author indicates that these are still the only available options for children to get an affordable meal. Zinczenk explains that fast food has not changed. It is still cheap and not nutritious. The author goes on to demonstrate that it was fast food that led him to childhood obesity. In his
Anyone can be obese at any age. Obesity is defined as having an excess of body fat. According to Huang and Horlick (2007), “Childhood obesity continues to rise in the United States, with now over 17% of children and adolescents considered overweight.” There are many factors that are associated with obesity including lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, genetic factors, and environment all play a role. Hormone is another factor that is considered to be rare. A study by the Institute of the Medicine (2001) shows that weight problems in families are a result of shared family life style habits.
Childhood obesity continues to be a serious health concern. It can be attributed to many factors such as family lifestyle, income or socioeconomic background, and culture. According to the CDC (2015), “the percentage of children aged 6-11 in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in