An Assessment of the Rising Issue of Childhood Obesity in the US

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has been a very serious public health problem in the United States in the recent past. Currently, nearly one-third of the youths in the United States are obese. That constitutes over 23 million of teenagers and children. Childhood obesity can be described as those children with a body mass index (BMI) of above or equal to 95th percentile for their age and gender. The BMI of an individual is the division of his/her weight by his/her height and if it is more than 30 then the person is considered obese (Eisenberg 1498).

The childhood obesity mainly increases the risk of the adult obesity. According to the study that was done by Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (2001), approximately 80% of the adults who are obese, they became obese at the age of 25 years. It was clear that about 30% of the individuals in the study reported that their obesity started during childhood. According to CDC, there was an increase from 7% to 18% of childhood obesity between the years of 1980 to 2012 respectively of the children aged between 6 to 11 years (Hunskaar 752). The childhood obesity has been found to increase the adult mortality due to the prevalence of type II diabetes of the current population. This paper will focus on the childhood obesity as a public health problem in the United States.

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For the last 30 years, childhood obesity has tripled in the United States where currently 1 in 3 children are obese, and 1 in 6 adolescents are overweight. The recent data suggest that childhood obesity rates have begun to plateau, 32 percent of youth aged between two to nineteen years are at risk of becoming overweight or obese (Guo 146). Moreover, obesity in childhood contributes to impaired self-esteem, depression, type two diabetes, heart disease, and adult obesity.

According to the study that was done by National Health and the Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), (2002) about 40% of the children who are obese they had evidence of fatty liver changes during ultrasound imaging. It is evident that all children are at risk particularly those from the minority groups. For the Hipic children below the ages of thirteen, about 43% and 40% of boys and girls respectively are overweight. For the American children about 46% and 42% of boys and girls respectively are obese (Healthier America 1). For the non-Hipic black Americans children about 33% and 46% of boys and girls respectively are obese. Hence, the research will significantly change the life of the young people in the minority group.

The childhood obesity has been seen to trigger adult obesity since about 80% of the obese adult were found to have got it during their childhood. According to the American Diabetes Association, the high intake of fast foods from restaurants that have a high amount of calorie, it is the one that have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity. The increase in obesity has, on the other hand, contributed to increase in type II diabetes.

According to Healthy People 2020 the solution to overcoming childhood obesity seem to cluster according to physical activity levels, network-based interventions may be particularly effective in developing coordinated physical activity emphasizes among children friends. It is typical that parents do the food shopping for the home, hence, it is imperative to making healthy selections when food shopping. Most of the children who are obese mainly acquire the disorder as a result of poor feeding habits (DPHP 1). When children are left to make the choice of food they eat, they actually end up taking fast foods.

The fast foods from restaurants that include chocolates, burgers, and soft drinks contribute to high calories intake by the children. Therefore, if parents are allowed to take control of their kids feeding habits, childhood obesity will be eliminated. It's also typical for the parent to take the role of taking their kids through display windows, and buy them snacks at the store and super-size their meals. Children should not be left to choose what to eat at all the time it is the choice of the parents so that obesity reduces significantly as we approach the year 2020.

To address the childhood obesity in the America the foundation for proper nutrition of the kids is the home environment in the first place. In general, it is due to the essence that, recreational events, social activities, and schools tend to lean more towards junk food such as sugary snacks, and do not provide a great selection of healthy foods, but with proper planning, a child can have a very good eating healthy. By providing a child with easy-to-access foods can make all the difference in the world. Having cut up vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits available can replace for great snacks while lunch, dinner, and breakfast can supply children with the majority of their mind and body building nutrients.

With the technological era, it is much too easy just to sit around and be occupied without any physical activity. Children should be encouraged to put down their indoor electronics and ride their bike, go for a walk, play recreational sports, hit the playground, and engage in all types of physical activities especially with other friends. Kids tend to play more and for a long time when they are with other kids, hence is an excellent way to get them moving (Ogden 811). Children should be encouraged to play games such as running bases, capture the flag, tag, jumping rope and others. This games may appear silly at first glance but are way great for the children to work on many sets of skills like their conditioning, agility, running, strength, strategic thinking, and competitive nature.

References

1. Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (DPHP). Tackling Childhood Obesity through the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) Initiative. 2015. P. 1. Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/healthy-people-in-action/story/tackling-childhood-obesity-through-the-communities-putting
2. Eisenberg, Mark J.; Renée Atallah, Sonia M. Grandi, Sarah B. Windle, and Elliot M. Berry. Legislative approaches to tackling the obesity epidemic. CMA Journal 183(13): September 20, 2011. 1496-500.
3. Guo SS and Chumlea WC. Tracking of body mass index in children in relation to overweight in adulthood. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 70(suppl): 1999. 145-148. Healthier America. Facts About Childhood Obesity. 2015. P. 1. Retrieved from intervention for urinary incontinence in women. Neurourol. Urodyn. 2008.
4. Hunskaar S. A systematic review of overweight and obesity as risk factors and targets for clinical 57.
5. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, and Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association. 311(8). 2014. Pp. 806-814.

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