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.
Community description
The city of Katy is found in the state of Texas, U.S.A, and lies within the metropolitan area of the Woodlands-Houston-Sugar Land. The resident of the city often divides the city into two informal halves; historic Katy and the greater Katy. The city lies south and north of Interstate 10, and between Pederson road and the Barker Cypress road to the west and east respectively. According to the United States Census Bureau, total population estimates of Katy city was 16, 158 as at July 2015 representing a
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.
viii. Fast foods are high in calories, provide less fruits and vegetables, and are packed with sugar, fat, and sodium
Childhood obesity it is a huge problem. Over the past years, the number of obesity in children has increased. The number of obese children in the U.S. has increased over the past years. The number has obviously also grown due to the video games, computers, and televisions, which are considered to be needed now-a-days, and have begun to take over the importance of exercising. The lack of exercise can lead to obesity, which approaches lots of negative effects. Obesity continuously puts these children at a very high risk of developing many serious illnesses like high blood pressure, asthma, and many more. Even though there are many things that get in the way that can make obesity hard to slow down or stop children from being obese, there are
According to the article, “Children’s Life Expectancy Being Cut Short by Obesity” from the New York Times, the current generation may have a shorter life span than their parents.
obesity is okay and that it is not that big of a deal, they are wrong. There
Childhood obesity is not merely an issue in the United States- it is an epidemic. The number of overweight and obese children in America has increased at an alarming rate over the past years, and there is no chance of it slowing down unless action is taken. Obesity puts children at a high risk of developing many serious illnesses. Not only do children who are obese have unhealthy weights, but they also have a high risk of having weak lungs, poor blood quality, and a variety of other sicknesses. Parents have turned a blind eye to their children’s eating habits. A fast-food craze has swept over the country, consequentially leaving a trail of poor nutrition in its wake. Fast-food corporations seem to be encouraging children to consume regular amounts of unhealthy foods by giving away toys with the purchase of a child’s meal Televisions, computers, and video games, which are considered to be technological necessities, have begun to cloud the importance of exercise. These influences are all major causes of childhood obesity, which bring an overwhelming abundance of negative effects. Despite the many obstacles, there are ways to slow, if not halt, the outbreak that is childhood obesity. Prevention can be achieved by following a balanced, mostly plant based diet and by participating in a healthy amount of physical activity.
Childhood obesity is an epidemic in America. Many experts like doctors and dietitians have narrowed the epidemic to a few causes some being lack of exercise, genetics, and food insecurity. Exercise and genetics could lead to obesity in the way that you need exercise to burn fat and some people are genetically more inclined to store more fat. Obesity is having excessive amount of fat that could lead to other health problem which is scary to think that childhood obesity is something that is on the rise in America. When you think of children you think of them being happy and healthy not being overweight and having health problems that most people get in their 50’s. I believe that food insecurity is the main cause for obesity and I will be arguing the stance that food insecurity is a leader in childhood obesity. Food insecurity is being without reliable access to obtain food that is high quality and nutritious. Some people may confuse food insecurity with hunger, but hungry is a physical discomfort. In discussion of food insecurity, one of the controversial issues has been if it is linked to childhood obesity. On the one hand, some Americans argue that food insecurity and childhood obesity have no association. On the other hand, some Americans argue that there is an association between food insecurity and childhood obesity. I personally believe that there is an association between food insecurity and childhood obesity.
Although the issue of what constitutes obesity is not black and white and some experts object to the statement that is what really matters. I agree with the above statement because achieving results benefits young and old. I also feel that childhood obesity is not an epidemic. I do feel that a parent should show their child right from wrong when it comes to eating habits. However, I feel that once the child is seven years old he/she should be able to choose what kind of foods are good and bad for you. When it comes to allowing your children to watch television, and play video games over going outside and riding, their bike is to blame on the parent.
Obesity has been a major health issue in the community for the past three decades, and has recently become a spreading concern for children (Black & Hager, 2013). Childhood obesity leads to many health and financial burdens in the future, and has become a public health priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016), childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Black and Hager (2013) state that pediatric obesity is a major public health problem that effects a child’s mental and physical health. Having childhood obesity also increases the risk of developing adult obesity and many other chronic illnesses. Childhood obesity will be further explored in the following sections and will include: background, current surveillance methods, epidemiology analysis, screening and diagnosis, and the plan of action.
Obesity rates in the United States are alarming, with more than one-third of U.S. adults and 17% of children qualifying as obese with a Body Mass Index greater than 30.0 (Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2015). Even more frightening is the growth rate of this crippling health epidemic; between 1980 and 2014, obesity has doubled for adults and tripled for children (CDC, 2015). The physical consequences of rising obesity rates in our country include an abundance of physical ailments including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, elevated cholesterol, and even some cancers. Additionally, obesity-related health care costs to our country are estimated at $147 billion annually, plus the costs of productivity lost at
Obesity is a growing problem all around the world for far too many children. Obesity means a person has too much body fat. Body fat is measured by a person’s body mass index. When one is measuring a person’s body mass index, they are finding their height and body weight then comparing it to the recommendations made by doctors for each age and gender. After doctors calculate it, they then find a percentile rank to determine present and future health issues. Around the world, childhood obesity has become a growing problem; until the children and their parents realize how deadly obesity can be, more and more children are going to face the many health risks associated with obesity.
Obesity is a growing problem among U.S. children. In 1994, one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 was overweight. This is double the rate of 30 years ago (National Center for Health Statistics, 1999). This adverse trend has potentially profound effects on children's health, including their long-term health. The terms "obese" and "overweight" often are used interchangeably. Technically, "obesity" is the upper end of "overweight." Obesity is clinically diagnosed as: greater than 90th percentile for weight for height; or greater than or equal to the 95th percentile Body Mass Index (BMI), age and sex specific. The gold standard is becoming the BMI, since this is also used
Childhood obesity is a disease where excess body fat affects a child's health or wellbeing. With the number of children affected by the disease increasing, it is important to understand the consequences. Not only will obesity influence a child’s physical heath, but it can also affect their emotional and social health as well. Acknowledging that obesity is a preventable disease should help lower the number of children affected by it. It is not about dieting; it is a lifestyle change that should be adopted and practiced by the whole family. Being obese increases a child's risk of being an obese adult. I will argue that parent education regarding the physical and emotional effects of childhood obesity can protect the lives of children.
Childhood obesity has increased drastically over the past years and has become a high health risk to children. In fact, childhood obesity has doubled in numbers in the past thirty years (Childhood Obesity Facts). Obesity occurs when an individual becomes overweight and doctor’s diagnose a patient by using the body mass index or BMI scale. Obesity causes many diseases in children which cannot be cured without a doctor, in result, childhood obesity drives high health care costs. Since little effort has been put forward to prevent childhood obesity the existence of this disease has begun to skyrocket in numbers. The number of children who suffer from obesity have greatly increased over the years so, people have to come up with a solution to prevent obesity. However, it will take more than just one solution to prevent childhood obesity, it will take many. Without the prevention of obesity future generations could be in serious trouble with health issues. Childhood obesity should be prevented by showing the youth that healthy will benefit them in life, therefore, parents start by guiding children in the correct direction with their eating habits, limit their fast food intake, and fight the market for unhealthy foods so that children are not exposed to unhealthy options.
Obesity can be defined as an abnormal increase in the proportion of fat cells, mainly in the viscera and subcutaneous tissues of the body (Mosby, 2010). The official medical measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), an index of an individual’s weight relative to height. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines obesity as having a BMI greater than or equal to 30 (World Health Organisation, 2015). New Zealand (NZ) ranks 3rd highest for obesity rates amongst OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries with 1 in 9 children classified as obese (Statistics New Zealand, 2015). The rate of childhood obesity in NZ has increased from 8% in 2006/7 to 11% in 2014/15 (Ministry of Health, 2015). Obesity is of particular concern amongst children due to the association with a wide range of health conditions and an increased risk of early onset illness. Obese children are more likely to be obese adults and have impaired glucose tolerance and hypertension at a younger age. Obesity in children is also associated with asthma and musculoskeletal problems as well as mental health problems due to low self-esteem and depression (Ministry of Health, 2015). This essay will discuss the environmental factors that aid the prevalence of this health issue. Also, discussion will be had about the environmental worldview that is reflected by this situation. Lastly, the role of government laws and policies in the management of this issue will be analysed.