The Effects Of Obesity On The Body Height Of Children And Adolescents 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 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

In America childhood obesity statistics show that almost 60 percent of children are obese. This statistic continues to grow at an alarming rate. 70 percent of obese adolescence become obese adults. This means when these children grow into adults they will have more health problems than they already do and their quality of life will decrease. The amount of children who are obese between ages 6-11 years old has risen from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent, in 2008. In adolescents ages 12-19 years old the obesity rates risen from 5.0 percent in 1960 to 18.1 percent in 2008. Last year the United States government stated that obesity and type 2 diabetes have become a national epidemic.

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% .

Overweight and obesity, an excessive accumulation of body fat, is one of the major public health challenge in the 21st century, affecting one in every six people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2013a). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimation, globally over 42 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010 (WHO, 2011). A recent study estimated that the worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschool children aged 2-5 years increased from 4.2% to 6.7% within two decades and is expected to reach 12.7% by 2020 (de Onis et al., 2010). The results of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that in the United State (US) obesity among pre-school children increased from 5% to 10.4% between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 respectively. In addition, about 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years were obese in the US in 2007-2008 (Pan et al., 2012). A recent study by Grow et al. (2010) found that obesity was mostly prevalent among poor or minority groups with low socioeconomic status residing in disadvantaged areas in the US.

Since 1980 the rates of child obesity have more than tripled which has caused a growing pandemic of childhood obesity in the United States. Out of all the young children and adolescents within the age group of two through nineteen about 12.7 million are obese. That is the equivalent of about 17% of America’s population that is suffering from childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is too prevalent in all American households. Childhood obesity is detrimental on a national scale, since it has been growing at a steady rate in the United States of children not reaching the daily-recommended physical activity, the absence of a balanced diet with overconsumption of eating, and more critically the increase of type 2 diabetes.

A drive down the road in any given American city and one can observe at least one reason that the United States is struggling with obesity. One would be hard pressed to find a community that is not teeming with fast food restaurants. However, it might surprise some that the obesity epidemic in our country has reached the most vulnerable population of all and they aren’t even capable of driving themselves to these bastions of unhealthy food. The childhood obesity level has reached 34% of children in the United States (SHUMEI, 2016).Obesity is caused by consistently consuming more calories than are needed for the level of physical activity one has on a daily basis. Although there are several indicators of obesity, the CDC and The American Academy of Pediatrics use the body mass index (BMI). Childhood obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex (Perpich, 2011). Childhood obesity has been linked to an increase in Type 2 diabetes mellitus, asthma, hypertension, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and even affects children in psychosocial terms with low self-esteem and fewer friends than their non-obese contemporaries (Hispanic Health Care International, 2011). There are a variety of causes that work together for contributing to childhood obesity from the income level of the home to gender to even the location of the child’s home. Although there are many factors that can cause childhood obesity, we

Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming an epidemic in America. Children are becoming overweight from lack of exercise and overeating. A average US child eats fast food daily without exercise. More than 15 million US children live in “food insecure” homes which means they have limited access to the foods they need to stay healthy due to the cost of the items according to the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Children are consuming much more than they burn off from exercise daily. Due to children eating more than they burn off, they are suffering from different types of diseases. Researchers are still studying these epidemics. So far, statistics have shown that children are in fact becoming obese from not exercising

The obesity rate in America has become a major national health issue over the last several decades. Increasingly alarming statistics have garnered national headlines. Current statistics place 68.5% of the U.S. population in classifications ranging from "overweight" to "super obese." Approximately 35% of all U.S. adults currently fall under the label of "obese".(Ogden, et al., 2014) Potentially more alarming is the prevalence of obesity in adolescents. U.S. youth are becoming obese at earlier and earlier ages. One out of six children ages 2-19 are now obese and fully one-third of adolescents are overweight or obese. (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010) Between 1980 and 2000, obesity rates among adults doubled and tripled among adolescents. (CDC.gov)

Obesity is a health crisis amongst children and young people, which arises when there is a shortage in energy outflow and greater consumption of energy from food and drink; thus a build-up of excess fat is a result of this which indicates a risk to health (WHO,2015). Contributing factors increase in childhood obesity such as the availability of cheaper higher calorific food and physical inactivity (Marmot 2010). In addition the correlation between poor diet and obesity is evident from the figures released by the National Child measurement programme, which states that 22% children in year one in primary school are overweight or obese (Nutrition and Food Science 2011). Moreover, plummeting obesity in children is fundamental, as overweight or obese children are more likely to become obese adults (Bhadoria et al 2015) (Marmot,

Obesity is a serious global health problem for both children and adults (Werthmann, Jansen, Vreugdenhil, Nederkoorn, Schyns, & Roefs, 2015). Obesity, as a medical terminology, is a condition in which there is increase in the proportion of body fat to the extent that there are associated health consequences (Grønbæk, 2008). Children are considered overweight if they have their body mass index (BMI) within the 85th to 94.99th percentile range (adjusted for age and sex) on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts. Similarly, they are considered obese if they have BMI at the 95th percentile or higher (Puhl & Latner, 2007) on the CDC growth charts (Fleming et al., 2008). Weight gain takes place when the caloric (energy)

“Total costs for childhood obesity are estimated at eleven billion for children with private insurance and three billion for children with Medicaid (Mulheron, Joyal, Vonasek 13).” According to Centers for Disease and Prevention, childhood obesity is a medical condition in which weight significantly exceeds what is normal for age and height (Crothers, Kehle, Bray, Theodore 787). Childhood obesity is calculated according to a child’s body mass index. The formula used to calculate body mass index is formed by dividing children’s weight by their height squared. Therefore, every child’s body mass index is then compared to a standard chart, averaged from other children in the same age category. “Children whose BMI exceeds 25-30 kg/m2 are

The days of eating every home-cooked meal at the dining room table are disappearing. As working and living styles become more fast-paced, the time to exercise or prepare nutritious meals diminishes. Eating habits have changed to achieve convenience. Drive-throughs, delivery, and pre-packaged meals regularly provide consumers with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options within minutes of ordering. However, fast food has a high energy density and low nutrient profile that has led to a worldwide increase of waistline. Obesity is becoming one of the most prevalent nutritional diseases in developed countries. In the United States, adult body fat is measured using body mass index. Approximately 73 million adults have BMIs greater than or equal to 30, which diagnoses them as obese (Bell et al., 2011). Health professionals have not thoroughly understood the physiological processes leading to the rapidly increased prevalence; however, high adiposity certainly results from excess caloric intake and decreased energy expenditure. Childhood obesity, particularly beyond age 12, persists into adulthood in 80% of cases (Huang, Lee, & Lu, 2007). About 30% of children ages two to 19 years struggle with overweight (Mcpherson, 2012). The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts measure standards using body mass index for newborns to two years, and two to 20 years, respectively. A plot between the 85th and 94th percentiles indicates

Obesity is a condition in which the over accumulation of adipose fat tissue causes the weight of a person to increase abnormally. Their weight exceeds by 20%, as a factor of their ideal body weight. According to recent analysis, statistics show that more than one third of the world’s population is targeted by obesity. Research shows that overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Obesity occurs greatly amongst adults who are 18 years or older. An estimated 600 million adults were obese out of the 1.9 billion that were overweight, around the world in 2014. One in three adults in Mexico, New Zealand and United States are obese, and one in four adults in Australia, Canada, Chile and Hungary are obese. In contrast, rates of obesity are much lower in Asian countries, where approximately 2-4% of adults have obesity. In countries such as Mexico and the United States, Latino and Africans have the highest rates of obesity amongst all the individuals. However, along with adults, statistics show that the rates for obesity are also high among children within and below the age of 5. As calculated in 2013, the number of children across the world that were either overweight or obese was 42 million. Since then, the rates have increased by 30% more in in low- and middle-income countries than in developed countries. Due to the fact that this condition continues at higher rates across the world, several organizations, such as the World Health Organization, are working with and