Childhood Obesity : An Epidemic Essay

Childhood obesity is a major public health epidemic which has significantly risen over the past three decades and there is no chance in sight of slowing it down unless real action is taken. This major health crisis continues to reduce individuals’ quality of life and has caused severe health problem like heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. In most cases, obese children grow up to be an obese adult. The prevalence of childhood obesity can be addressed through education initiatives such as school prevention programs because children spent a majority of their time outside of the home at school, therefore school provides a great opportunity to educate and improve a child’s health at an ideal point before the problem gets worst. My paper will focus on childhood obesity prevention in Hill Top Middle school Lodi, New Jersey.

Childhood obesity is becoming an increasingly severe problem in today’s society. This portfolio aims to explain different causations of childhood obesity, and evaluate the interventions that have been put in place to combat the issue.

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. More than one third of children are overweight. This figure is increasing rapidly. This epidemic puts children at risk for various health problems such as type two diabetes and heart problems. Although they are several risk factors for obesity, parents play a significant role in this issue. This paper will look into how parents are influential to their children, how they contribute to this problem and how they may help fight the fight against obesity. Obesity is a very serious problem and there are solutions that parents can apply to help their children lead a healthy lifestyle. Obesity does not only affect a person physically, but mentally and psychologically as well.

Childhood obesity is not just an issue in United States- it is an growing epidemic. Obesity epidemic in kids has increased by alarming rate just in last few decades. Nearly one in every five child is obese in the United States. If the pattern of obesity continued on most of America’s children will be living with diabetes, heart disease, and dying young due to obesity. The American Heart Association reported this year that childhood obesity is the top health concern among parents in the United States, beating out smoking and drug abuse. My own younger siblings suffer with child obesity. Their craving for fast food and very limited physical activity has made them overweight and currently they suffer from health problems. Is this the future of our young generation? How much contribution should a parent have in their child’s diet? Fast food has taken over American diet and it has lead to poor nutritional diet among American youth. Fast food companies spend billion of dollars every year on commercials, convincing youth to love and eat their product. It’s just not our eating habits that has lead our young generation into obesity, lack of physical workout has also played a major role in obesity epidemic. TV, computer, video games and other technology entertainment has contributed to children getting no exercise. Obesity in children can put them in high risks of developing chronic and serious illness. Unhealthy weight leads to having weaker lungs, poor blood quality, heart

Definition of Childhood Obesity: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), a child with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex are considered overweight. If a child or teen has a BMI over the 95th percentile they are considered obese (CDC, 2015).

In Laura Dawes book, Childhood Obesity in America: Biography of an Epidemic specifically the chapter titled, “Fat Kids Go to Court,” the author examines various aspects of the food industries role in the childhood obesity epidemic. Dawes explores specific actions taken by children’s advocacy groups as well as junk food companies response to the groups attacks on their industry. The author also highlights the role future litigation could take in changing the advertising tactics as well as possible food reformulation by food industry powerhouses.

Being fat takes the fun out of being a kid. Paul Campos in his article “There is no Childhood Obesity Epidemic” discussed the there is a “stunning” drop in childhood obesity rate. He claims that obesity rates among two to five year olds have plunged over the past decade, and that the so called “obesity epidemic” had ended. I strongly disagree with Campos view that there is no childhood obesity epidemic, this is due to the researches that was done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which shows that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescent in the past years.

Childhood obesity is an epidemic that goes on throughout the United States. Studies have shown how obesity in children may start, and how it affects each and every child in America. Childhood obesity has been getting attention in the media from famous celebrities all the way to the First Lady of the United States. There are many things that cause childhood obesity and very few ways to stop it. However, there are people out there who are trying to help by getting children active, eating healthy and getting back on track to having a healthy and long life.

In the United States childhood obesity is the 21st century epidemic and will be for a long time. In the past 3 decades childhood obesity has been on the rise, and currently one and three children is obese. Only 2 percent of the children in the U.S have a healthy diet. Moreover, obesity rates are much higher in children than in adults, and it is the production and promotion of unhealthy foods as well as lack of physical activity that account for this disparity. It is one of the top health concerns facing children and parents in the U.S. Children that are obese face possible health concerns in the future. “The United States, Brazil, China, Russia and other countries have seen the rise of obesity in children more than adults.”20 The United Nations has 48 least developing countries that are still fighting childhood hunger; however, with globalization it has made the world more productive, wealthier, and with that body fat, weight, health and wealth are linked together.

Have you ever been told to clean your plate because there are starving kids in Africa? This is a phrase you probably heard from your mother during childhood. With the difference ,in portion control, on the go meals, and lack of exercise in today,s youth, this question can cause a child to be a statistic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is one of the United States most leading medical epidemic of today’s youth. According to the Center for Disease Control, seventeen percent of children or about twelve and a half million adolescents between the ages of two and nineteen years, suffer from this disease. (www.huffington post.com//childhoodobesityrates.)

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

Childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be resolved. Many people may say it is the Child’s fault, he is weak willed. This is just a common misconception; there are hundreds of different reasons for childhood obesity. I will just be scratching the surface of this paper. By the same token childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be resolved. We can achieve this by understanding some common misconceptions, understanding health problems, and understanding fitness.

There are many problems in the world. Each country has special problems. The one problem that all the world has is childhood obesity . It’s one of the biggest problems in America. Obesity has become more than usual in the US . The definition of obesity is having an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity will raise the number of children’s health and diseases problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure unless children do physically activity (“ Diseases and Conditions Obesity” par. 1). Between 1980 and 2012 the number of obese children aged from 6-11 increased from 7% to 18% (“Childhood Obesity Facts.” par. 2). People must fight this problem . Children become dependent on their parents because parents feel sympathy for

Child Obesity is a large problem in America. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases death and illnesses, and has long term economic and social costs. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that in teens ages 12 to 19, overweight rates have tripled (5.0% to 17.6%) in the last twenty five years; this is a higher percentage than in any other industrialized country. Teen obesity leads to obese adults that are going to have poor health later like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. Prevention now is better than dealing with all these health issues later. Three approaches could help solve the child obesity problem: offering healthier foods in schools, controlling unhealthy food advertisements targeting teens, and promoting exercise.