Chicago children are faced with an epidemic, an epidemic that most communities are faced with today. The epidemic is childhood obesity and it’s only getting worse. According to Dr. Richard Jackson, this is the first generation not expected to live longer than their parents (Jackson R. 2012). Obese children run the risk of having many health problems. These health problems include Asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type-2 diabetes. In fact, a study done by Blank Children’s Hospital located in Des Moines, IA shows that “45 percent of children diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes due to being obese or overweight” (10 surprising facts 2014). As a society we need to become more aware of the issues that contribute to …show more content…
Some of the major reasons why more and more children are becoming obese are issues due to the built-environment, lack of physical activity, and poor diet. Chicago is divided up into 77 communities. Some communities have greater risk factors than others. The different built-environments within the 77 communities can be a risk factor. A built-environment is simply the design and construction of a community’s structures, walkways, parks, and other physical and spatial aspects. Built-environments determine the walkability of a community. Walkable communities have many walkways with an abundance of crosswalks. There are lots of parks and open green space for recreation in a walkable community. The community is designed for mixed use, you can work, shop and play all within a few blocks to encourage walkability. Unfortunately, not all communities in Chicago are designed to be walkable. This causes a lack in physical activity as people tend to rely on cars to get from point A to point B and have no place to play or exercise. These communities are made up of predominantly lower-income families and are at higher risk of childhood obesity. Lack of physical activity in some of the neighborhoods is also due to high-crime rates. Families don’t allow their children to play outside as often in communities with high-crime rates. Too many children have died because of violence in the streets. According to Angela Caputo of The Chicago Reporter, 500 children were murdered throughout the neighborhoods of Chicago from 2008 to 2012 (Caputo A. 2014). With an alarming statistic like this, it’s no wonder why children don’t go outside to play. Another reason why children aren’t outside playing is the increased use of technology. Kids are too busy watching T.V., playing video games, and surfing the web. Kidshealth.org states that Children who consistently
throughout the U.S. during the past 25 years has led policymakers to rank it as
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that is affecting children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height and can result in serious medical conditions. The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased significantly over the past ten years. Childhood diabetes has been on the rise since the early 90’s and continues to rise. In the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater” David Zinczenko, shows that “ Before 1994… only about 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity-related, or Type 2, diabetes. Today...Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of new childhood cases of diabetes in this country” (463). Type 2
Obesity in America is literally a growing problem, affecting every age group. Children are the most venerable group because they have no control over where they have dinner or how often they have fast food. Parents and guardians make decisions about food and are responsible for the health of children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last twenty years. This is concerning because Type Two diabetes is a horrible, crippling disease that is affecting children and teens dramatically whereas the disease was primarily seen in adults. Children are said to have a shorter life span than their parents for the first time ever. In the United States sixty-six percent of adults are overweight and one in
Gaps in Health Insurance Reviews two to three news articles Determines a local community health care issue Paper answers following questions: o How long has it been a problem? o How has it affected the community? o How has the community responded?
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
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).
Childhood obesity is a huge problem facing America today. It’s like an epidemic, spreading across America at alarming rates. Just in the past 30 years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled among children and quadrupled among adolescents. Today, it has been estimated that one in every six children or adolescents is obese ("Childhood Obesity Facts”). And if things don’t change soon, those numbers will just keep rising. This isn’t a problem that we can leave up to children to deal with themselves. Parents and adults need to take responsibilities for children’s health and futures. Children or adolescents who have a body mass index of over 30 are considered to be obese. Too much body fat can lead to many negative
Improving the health of children today is an important area of concern for health professionals. One of the largest epidemics facing children is the increase in childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries; this includes twenty five percent of children in the United States who are overweight and 11% who are obese (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh & Merchant, 2005, p. 1). Not only have these numbers increased in past decades they are plaguing all aspects of our country. In order to impact this epidemic many changes are needed to meet the needs of these children, especially the children who live in large cities. In Virginia the childhood obesity rate
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.
Today’s generation of children is the most inactive and obese in all of U.S. history (Loonin, 54). Poor exercise habits are developed as early as preschool age (All children above the age of 2 should be getting at least an hour of exercise a day in order to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight (Overweight and Obesity, 2). Many young children have become accustomed to staying inside and using electronics, where they do not have to exert much energy whereas going outside and playing would. The average child in today’s society spends up to
Childhood obesity in the United States has reached an alarming prevalence, this serious epidemic, which directly correlates to several health concerns. The future lies in the hands of today’s children and the first priority ought to be the empowering America's youth. Research is centered on treatment, however the point of convergence ought to be counteractive action. Two-thirds of Americans are obese or overweight, not to mention that the number of obese adults has double within the last thirty years. Furthermore, twenty five million children in the United States are currently obese or overweight. These children are at an increased risk for diseases, which incorporate diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, just to give some examples. It
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 has expanded tremendously within the past thirty years (CDC, 2015). It is not only a state, but also a nationwide issue. For many children, they depend on their school lunches to provide them the nutritious meals they cannot afford to have at home. As a community, we need to get our children into better shape. Not only will they become more astute, but they will also live healthier lifestyles, and have less health complications as they age. When you are overweight or obese, you are much more likely to develop health problems like heart disease, diabetes, or even a stroke. It is our responsibility as a community, state, and nation to offer nutritious meals and activities for our youth and future.
America is facing a rigorous obesity plague that is endangering the health of millions. Moreover, we are passing our bad practices down to our children. Obesity is a stipulation in which anomalous or excessive fat buildup in adipose tissue that damages health. Obesity is defined in adults as a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 30 (kg/m). Obesity is one of the most discernible, but until recently, most deserted public health problems. The present high pervasiveness of obesity and the brisk increase in pervasiveness in the last twenty years has been referred to as an endemic (Johnson SJ, Birch LL. 1994). Children all through the U.S. are getting fatter and less fit, through potentially treacherous enduring consequences. The figure of
There is a giant threat looming over the United States, a catastrophic event of epidemic proportions which is threatening to capsize the health care system and that epidemic is childhood obesity. The awareness of this epidemic as a national problem developed in 1999 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) publication of a compilation of yearly state-based maps that indicated the increase in the levels of childhood obesity. There were earlier studies done by the CDC regarding this epidemic, but the maps gave physical proof of the dramatic increase for this pressing issue (Dietz, 2015).