The Responsibility For Childhood Nutrition

Childhood obesity is a widespread concern that is very manageable, reversible, and absolutely avoidable if the correct steps are put in place. Adequate teaching and sufficient knowledge by parents and health care providers alike can attribute immeasurable results in the defense against obesity in children. “Poor dietary habits and insufficient physical activity are among the most important modifiable lifestyle factors causing a substantial chronic disease burden worldwide including obesity” (Nyberg et al., 2015).

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the last three decades, and conditions in many communities continue to act as barriers to healthy eating and adequate physical activity. Childhood obesity is a serious health problem that has adverse and potentially long-lasting consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Perhaps most shocking, life expectancy for today’s children may be shortened in the United States because of the impact of childhood obesity (Olshansky and Ludwig, 2005).

According to the CDC, childhood obesity in the United States is at a steady incline and has seen an exponential growth in the past 30 years. (“Childhood Obesity Facts”, 2015).

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in U.S. In the year of 2012, about “one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” Also, percentages of childhood obesity have increased by over ten percent in the last thirty years in children and adolescents (Childhood Obesity Facts 2015). These statistics are shocking, and many people are concerned for the health of their children. This medical condition, as defined by Mayo Clinic, leads to serious health conditions in the future in the children’s adult lives, which can only be treated with pricey medication, treatments, and surgeries (Mayo Clinic Staff 2015); some can also lead to a very short life, ending their lives in between the ages 40 and 60. Due to many studies and research, 1childhood obesity can be easy prevented early on from infancy by analyzing the causes, studying the effects and finding the solutions to the problem.

Children 's nutrition is a loaded subject. At no other time in our lives is building a solid foundation for health more important. Yet, at no other time in our lives are we so completely at the mercy of others making decisions for us.

Childhood obesity is a staggering problem. According to CDC, child obesity rate has triple in past 30 years in United States. Children who are obese will have impact on their both physical and psychological health. Children who are obese during childhood are more likely to be obese in their adulthood as well, and then suffer from diseases like heart disease, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and more. Due to change in lifestyle kids now a day’s eat more calories than they burn calorie. They tend to overeat and enjoy junk food rather than healthy food. They also prefer to use computer, play video games or watch television instead of going out to play and exercise.

Hinebaugh and Calamaro (2011) mention that there are a variety of environmental and genetic factors that contribute to overweight and obese children. Excessive portion sizes, fast food, advertising of unhealthy foods, parents lack of control over children’s diets, high availability of snack foods, decreased physical activity, increased sedentary lifestyles, and regular television viewing are a variety of causes of childhood obesity. Genetics also cause childhood obesity due to the genetic link between parents and children. Hinebaugh and Calamaro (2011) state that “The impact of excess adiposity is substantial. Children can suffer from comorbidities such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitius, and sleep disorders” (p. 146).

Leann Birch, Ph.D. ,once stated at the annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition, “If we wait until kids start school, we miss our best chance to prevent obesity”. Children are living in a world where they are tempted to everything they see and find themselves in a situation where they are not taught what is right and wrong when it comes to eating and are influenced by their surroundings. In the different articles its stated that the main focus was to find a way to minimize the number of children going through childhood obesity and also how parents can prevent childhood obesity in their children's life at a young age. There are many ways children are exposed to unhealthy nutrition and which has increased child obesity but there

A healthy diet is the foundation for achieving a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition, the intake of food in order to provide the body with its dietary needs, is important when referring to a healthy diet (Potter, Perry, Stockert & Hall, 2013). Nutrition is good when the body receives the essentially balanced nourishment required to sustain life and successfully perform bodily functions. However, poor nutrition can result in decreased productivity and leave an individual at risk for many illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; also social and psychological problems (Halawa, 2013). Based on experience, nutrition and weight status often have a direct relationship where one is reflected in the other. Obesity, which is an excess of body fat, is the result of a continuous high calorie diet, which creates an imbalance when not used up efficiently (Potter, Perry, Stockert & Hall, 2013). In the United States, childhood obesity has been on an incline, with approximately one in three children considered obese in 2012 (Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015). As a result, childhood obesity is a cause for major concern among health professionals, including nurses. Primary intervention targeted at nutritional intake of children in the U.S. would be a great place to start in the process of trying to eliminate childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity is a national issue in the United States. "In the 1970s, 5% of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 were obese, according to the CDC’s current definition; by 2008, nearly 17% of children were obese, a percentage that held steady through 2010." (“Child Obesity”, 2012). “In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). That’s one third of 77.4 million children under the age of 18 in the United States alone. “Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates have tripled in the U.S., and today, the country has some of the highest obesity rates in the world: one out of six children is obese, and one out of three children is overweight or obese” (“Child Obesity”, 2012). “This is highly concerning, given that obesity in childhood is associated with the development in adults of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; pulmonary and sleep disorders; and

Food insecurity in children have severe impacts to their growth and development. Moreover, nutritious food is critical for a child's physical and psychological development. Without nutritious food kids can develop obesity, abnormalities related to the deficiencies, and compromised immune systems. Therefore, they can have poorer academic outcomes, chronic conditions, hyperactivity, and inattention. Nurses will be one of the first to observe the impacts of child poverty on the children they care

The causes of obesity in children, and adults for that matter, is relatively straight forward children are taking in more calories than they are burning throughout the day, but this is something that can be resolved. Eating an appropriate amount of healthy foods and exercising daily seems like a simple solution, but as a society we have become obsessed with eating sugary, fatty, and calorie latent foods. As if the extra calories were not enough of a problem, we have also decreased the amount of physical activities we get each day. The increase in the obesity rate in children is a direct consequence of these unhealthy habits, children are being allowed to eat unhealthy food in large quantities and are remaining sedentary for the majority of

There are many factors that can contribute to childhood obesity. The main cause is overeating, not choosing healthful foods, and an absence of physical activity. Although these causes are all something that can be modified and changed, there are studies that found a genetic link associated with childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Obesity differs among different racial and ethnic groups and also varies by age, sex, and adult head of household’s and education level” (Carol 2). A Healthful diet and physical activity behavior can lower the chances of this disease from developing at a young age. Among children, most are influenced by different individuals in society. These

Proper nutrition and eating habits sounds like an easy solution on the surface, but it takes an entire community to help reduce the obesity rate of children. Children do not always get to pick what they eat; rather their parents and schools provide food for them. The reason why we can focus on nutrition is because it has the greatest impact on weight. The cliché “you are what you eat” stands today because

For the government: Government should design effective child nutritional and health program for the community to reduce malnutrition (stunting, underweight and wasting).