Latino Childhood Obesity

I chose this population due to the large numbers, the poverty level, and the risk for obesity. Statistically, the Hispanic/Latino school aged population rated one of the lowest populations to be physically fit. They also ranked lower on fruit and vegetable consumption. Hispanic/Latinos also have a very low prevalence of higher education compared to the other races and ethnicities. They also rank highest in languages other than English spoken at home ("Healthy Kern County:: Better health through community," 2015). If there is a high adult obesity problem, children are at risk because they are at the mercy of the adult food choices and activity examples they set, because it is usually the adults purchasing the food in the home. Contributing factors to the risk for overweight or obesity, the low fruit and vegetable intake, and the low activity can be attributed to cultural norms, language barriers, and lack of money to buy healthier options. Other factors include unsafe neighborhoods and lack of activity outside of school and ease of purchasing less healthy foods. The change in the education system over the years has led to decreased activity time. Attention to test scores has taken precedence over teaching about health (Espinosa-Hall et al., 2007). Also, in Kern County, the climate is a contributing factor to outdoor activities, with temperatures in the high 90’s and over 100 degrees during the summer ("Bakersfield,

In 2013-2014 37.7% of adults 20 years of age and older in the U.S were obese. Among racial ethnic groups white Non -Hispanics had the lowest rate of obesity at 36.4%. Black and Hispanics populations had rates of 48.4% and 42.6% nationally. The rate for Black non- Hispanic groups were 1.5 times higher than the rate for white non- Hispanic groups.("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 3).

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States as well as in many other industrialized nations. Childhood obesity, though, is not limited to affluent countries and is increasingly being found in developing nations as well. Although diet plays an important role in exacerbating the problem, the failure to make healthy choices in food selections is not the only problem. One of the unfortunate consequences of innovations in telecommunications and video game technologies has been an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for many American youths, a trend that has been further reinforced by participation in social media networks. In this environment, it is little wonder that many young people become overweight, but the implications of obesity in childhood have lifetime implications, making the need for studies of childhood obesity and the identification of evidence-based interventions a timely and relevant enterprise. To this end, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning childhood obesity, the stakeholders that are involved and several potential evidence-based interventions that have proven effective in the past. Finally, a list of policy recommendations based on this analysis is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

The Hispanic cultures view on obesity or having a fuller and heavier child differs from an American’s perspective. Like many cultures around the world, hefty version of themselves is a sign of wealth and opulence. This belief is passed down to their children. Hispanic and Latino mothers believe a heavier child is a good idea and it shows healthy development. “Culture can influence the perception of risk associated with obesity. Studies of Latinos have found that many mothers of obese children believe their child to be healthy and are unconcerned about their child's weight, although these same parents are likely to believe that obese children in general should be taken to a nutritionist or physician for help with weight reduction.” (Caprio

The author wanted to examine the differences between physical activity and inactive behavior in various locations in Latino preschool-aged children. The author then determined whether the differences in physical activity by location were greater in children of parents with higher neighborhood-safety perceptions and physical activity as well as supportive parenting practices.

Physical activity plays a significant role in maintaining healthy body weight. According to the "2013 YRBS, 16.2 percent of Latino youth did not participate in at least one hour of daily physical activity during the week."(State of Obesity, 2014) They are more than likely not to be or participate in after school activities due to the high cost, and more than 80 percent of their neighborhoods do not have recreational facilities available to them.

Over the last thirty years, there has been an increase in the widespread presence of childhood obesity, as reported by the American Obesity Association (AOA) in Eliadis’ (2006) commentary article. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity “is now considered the number one nutritional public health concern of children and adolescents in the United States” (Sealy, Y., & Farmer, G., 2011). Individuals living in high-poverty neighborhoods; along with multiple other risk factors; have an increased rate of overall physical health disparities and inequalities (Komro, K.A., Flay, B.R. Bigland, A., 2011). This paper examines eight peer reviewed articles of research, studies and statistical data on childhood obesity in high-poverty neighborhoods and highlights the social worker’s role in the epidemic of childhood obesity.

The behaviors that influence increased obesity in children and adolescents includes consuming foods that are in high calories and beverages, decreased physical activities, and sedentary lifestyles (CDC.gov). During the windshield survey in the Des Plaines community, there were many restaurants and grocery stores that were accessible by car or by public transportation and were located in the main streets. Unfortunately, the most frequented were the fast food stores that were accessible due to the multiple locations in almost every corner of the big street and closer to residential areas, and cheaper in price. Also, another factor that contributes to the increased obesity is the high rate of foreign-born residents including Hispanic population, which according to United States Census Bureau (2016), is 30% compare to 13% in the United States. Some cultures such as Hispanics consume food high in

The cultural factor is not the only thing responsible for these habits, also because many Latino Americans in a household where both parents work is sometimes easier and cheaper to just get some fatty or junk food instead of buying fruits and vegetables (Heart Association, 2015). We also have to consider the social-economical factor within the Latino American population where resources are less available than other groups in the United States and their limitation and understanding the role of maintaining a healthy lifestyle can benefit their overall health. Latino Americans are less likely to afford the resources and time to exercise, most of Latino Americans cannot afford the high cost of fitness facilities and professional trainers unlike other Americans. It is important also to highlight that the number of Latino Americans are employed in physical labor jobs which make them tired and often they lack the time and energy to engage in fitness programs that can help them minimize their risks of heart

Currently, the definition of obesity, determined by the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale, considers a child over the 95th percentile to be obese. Childhood obesity affects 17% of the children in the United States, and according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention, 12.7 million American children will have the prevalence of obesity. Roberto Ferdman argues in his article in The Washington Post that “American kids are still far more likely to be overweight than kids in most other countries.” Some children are more likely to become obese based on their race or gender. “The prevalence of obesity among non-Hispanic Asian youth (8.6%) was lower than among non-Hispanic white (14.7%), non-Hispanic black (19.5%), and Hispanic

Over 60 million people are obese in the world today. The socioeconomic statuses of the Americans play a major part in the obesity rates across the country. People with higher incomes are less likely to be obese than people with lower incomes. One in every seven preschool-aged children living in lower income areas are obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). A 2008 study showed that obesity is highest among American Indian and Alaska Native (21.2 percent) and Hispanic Americans (18.5 percent) children, and it is lowest

Los Angeles County, the second largest city in the United States with a county population 10,441,089 in 2010 has been reported to have the highest levels of economic hardship (Dunn et al., 2013). According to County of Los Angeles Public Health (2013, January), “poverty in childhood has long-lasting effects limiting life expectancy and worsening health for the child’s life, even if social conditions subsequently improve” (p.3). A recent study in Los Angeles County showed that adolescents living in low-income neighborhood were nine times as likely to be overweight as those living in well-off neighborhoods (“Policy Priorities: Childhood Obesity,” 2012). These residents, like those

As we identify the characteristics of this urban community, Moffett, (predominantly mid-to-low income African American and Caucasian families), it is important to address the issue of childhood obesity. Over the past ten years, the number of overweight and obese individuals in this community has increased from twenty-two percent (five percent obese, seventeen percent overweight) to sixty-two percent (twenty-two percent obese, forty percent overweight). In order to decrease their chances of becoming overweight or obese, we want the participants (five to eighteen year olds) to gain an understanding how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Nutrition and weight status is a vitally important issue as obesity is on the rise in the United States. One third of children in this country ages 2-19 are either overweight or obese and this potentially sets them up to develop diabetes and other comorbidities during their lifetime (U.S. Task Force, 2010). It is important to promote health by way of consumption of healthy foods, getting adequate exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight and body image. The Let’s Move initiative, founded by First Lady Michelle Obama, approaches the obesity epidemic at a grassroots level and encourages children to eat healthy, get active and take actions towards a healthy lifestyle ("Let’s Move," n.d.).

Diet-related health challenges have become a major health and economic concern in the modern society. The 21st century has witnessed an increase in the number in diet-related health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure that continues to exert pressure on the community and national resources. As a community health nurse, one gets to perceive the magnitude of these challenges through field experience. This paper sets up to provide a community health nursing-field experience gained in the city of Katy, Texas, U.S.A by exploring the health issue of childhood obesity in the city. This fieldwork will focus on children between the ages of 2 and 19 across all genders among the Hispanics, whereby 21.4 % and 22.4% of Latino males and females respectively aged between 2 and 19 years were obese (Texas Department of State Health Services, 2014). The paper seeks to analyze the health identified health challenge and outline measures to address the issue.