Childhood Obesity Intervention

In United States of America (USA), the prevalence of obesity was 10% among children 2 to 5 years of age and 15% among adolescents. When children at risk for obesity (overweight) were included, the values increased to 20% and 30%, respectively. Therefore, > 1 of every 4 patients examined by pediatricians either is obese or is considered to be at high risk for developing this challenging health problem (Ogden et al.,

Obesity is a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in our bodies. This disease is increasing at an alarming rate in American children and adolescents, especially those within the ages 2 to 19. This essay examines the difference between school-based interventions (i.e., educate our children about obesity at an early age, serving right nutrition in schools) and community based interventions (i.e., parents help provide better nutrition for their children) to prevent obesity. Both interventions can help decrease obesity rates in children, but the point of this essay review is to point out which interventions will provide the better results to solve the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States.

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 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% .

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).

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)

In a research article by Gee, Chin, Ackerson, Woo & Howell, (2013) from the years of 1970 to 2000 the pediatric population in the U.S. tripled in obesity rates, interestingly from the year 2000 – 2010 BMI’s have held steady yet a staggering 30.4% of this population were either overweight or labeled obese. Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) performed a research study in 2001, which had three goals related to the study

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years,” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). The monumental question that researchers seem to be asking is why the increase now? Childhood obesity has become a paramount problem in the United States in recent years due to various social, biological and technological factors that ultimately requires immediate assistance in order to promote a healthier lifestyle for children as they transition into adulthood.

Obesity is a chronic health condition characterized by presence of excess of body fat. Obesity is measured by using Body Mass Index (BMI) in children 2 years of age and older. The BMI is calculated by the body weight (in kilograms) divided by the height squared in meters. In adults, a BMI between 25 and 30 kg/m2 is regarded as overweight and a BMI greater or equal to 30 kg/m2 is regarded as obese. Obesity in adults is subcategorized as class I (BMI ≥30 to 35), class II (BMI ≥35 to 40), and class III (BMI ≥40) (Klish, 2016). It is associated with physiological ailments such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, various forms of cancer, and is a key factor in metabolic syndrome (Must et al., 1999). A marked increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents has been observed all over the world in 80’s and 90’s. Evidence from the US suggests that this upward trend has continued into the 21st century ((Janssen et al., 2005). The prevalence of obesity among adolescents in the United States

During the 1970’s, about 5% of American children between the ages of two and nineteen were considered to be “obese”. Over the past several decades, that percentage has risen to a whopping 17% - a change that is seemingly minute. It may only appear as a 12% increase, however, that 17% translates to 12.5 million children and teens burdened with the challenge of obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is defined as having a body mass index that exceeds the 95th percentile (U.S. Department of Health). In other words, the average between the mass and the height of an obese child is greater than that of 95% of all other children. As in any medical issue, the biggest concerns for childhood obesity stem from the potential risk factors that can result. Some of which include diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and even death. Thus, many have sought out the root cause of the issue as well as the most effective solutions. Childhood obesity, promoted by a processed diet, increasing portion sizes, and limited access to healthy, affordable foods, is an epidemic plaguing a vast number of children within the United States and will continue to do so if left to fester. Nonetheless, this ailment can be remedied through an extensive understanding of proper nutrition, dedication to maintaining dietary excellence, and emphasis on prevention.

Childhood obesity is a significant and increasingly detrimental health problem on both a national and worldwide scale. National studies conducted by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention predict that, “over one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2012” (“Childhood Obesity,” 2014). Additionally, researchers who have studied the prevalence of childhood obesity over time have found that the rate of childhood obesity in the United States has been exponential increasing, nearly tripling in the last three decades. Defining what constitutes as overweight or obese has also been an issue for professionals because of the variance in body structures in relation to gender, ethnicity, height, and bone structures. Most recently, obesity has been measured using a body mass index (BMI) scale which compares weight over height. For a person to be clinically obese, their BMI must be greater than the 85th or 95th percentile, or if their weight over height is over 120% (Must, & Strauss, 1999). For years, researchers and health professionals have been aware of the serious health risks associated with adults who are extremely overweight or obese, but work done to understand the implications of childhood obesity is a relatively new field of study.

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.

The health promotions can essential be aim at children whom are obese; childhood obesity has become a major health emergency and the incidence of obesity has increased over the years. The purpose of conducting health promotion is to provide information on how to combat childhood obesity and educate the family on the risks of other health issues that are associated with obesity. The problem of obesity has typically originated when the child is in preschool and it continues to develop even when the child becomes an adolescent and throughout adulthood. It seems that children will grow up to become obese and this can inflict complications towards their health as the child continues to age. The term obesity is a chronic condition that is typically characterized by an excess body fat; body fat it is defined by using the body mass index (BMI) to determine if the child is overweight. The body mass index (BMI) is a calculation of the percentile this will indicate the child’s percentage of height and weight, and if the child is in the 95th percentile range it is considered that the child is overweight or obese (De Onis 2010). An overweight child can also be associated with other serious health problems of premature illness, and that can progress and even cause death. In order to accomplish and reduce the child’s body mass index, can be achieved through maintaining and controlling the child’s diet. In 2006, the World Health Organization

In the United States, increasing numbers of obesity in pediatric population is major concern in health care field. According to Center of Disease Control (CDC), in the United States obesity in children from 6 to 11 years of age in 1980 was seven percent. This rate about three times by 2008, to 20%. Adolescents’ obesity from 12 to 19 years of age in 1980 was five percent and this correspondingly rate more than three times by 2008, to 18% (CDC, 2012). The CDC accepted the measurement standards for individuals that are overweight or obese established by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; overweight is more than or equal to a body mass index (BMI) of 25% and obese is a BMI more than or equal to 30% (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2012)

Childhood obesity is widely considered as one of the most critical public health issues of the 21st century due to its wide range impact on a child’s quality of life and its economic consequences.1 Strong correlations between body mass index (BMI) values in childhood and adulthood have been documented.2 Likewise, Goran et al.3 reported that 10-30% of children who were obese (BMI ≥ 30) became obese adults. Statistical survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about 19% of children (6 to 11 years) and adolescents (12 to 19 years) in the world are obese.2, 4