An estimated 1.2 billion adolescents - one in every five people – are living in the world today. In the other words, about 20% of the total population of the world are made up by adolescents (WHO, 2005). They are tomorrow’s adult and their health is a fundamental issue for a healthy society in future. However, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically among young people since 1980s worldwide (Haug, Samdal, Morgan, Ravens-Sieberer, & Currie, 2006). Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity and overweight has increased at an alarming rate not only in developed countries, but around the world (Worobey, 2006, chap.15). The increase in obesity prevalence has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to recently refer to a ‘global epidemic’ to describe the obesity issue (Tremblay & Doucet, 2000). I explained the prevalence of obesity in two levels: worldwide and Iran.
1.1.1.1 Worldwide
According to a fact sheet published by WHO (2006) and the latest estimates from the International Obesity Taskforce (Taskforce, 2010) approximately 155 million school-aged children are currently overweight or obese worldwide. Countries in all over the world have experienced a considerable increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents in the past three decades (Bundred, Kitchiner, & Buchan, 2001; Ramachandran, et al., 2002; Baratta, Degano, Leonardi, Vigneri, & Frittitta, 2006; WHO, 2003). Statistics obtained from various studies in European region (WHO, 2005) estimated that 10–30% of European school children aged 7–11 years and 8–25% of adolescents (14–17 years) are faced with excess body fat. The evidence from the United States and some European countries suggests that this upward ...
... middle of paper ...
...l., 2008). A review conducted to compare the problem of children obesity among Middle-East countries has revealed that different age groups showed a stable increase in prevalence of overweight/obesity with raising age, being male, and higher socioeconomic status (Mirmiran, Sherafat-Kazemzadeh, Jalali-Farahani, & Azizi, 2010). In Iran, as a country located in the Middle-East, a rapid increased prevalence of overweight and obesity has been accompanied by accelerated epidemiology and nutrition transition (Maddah, 2007; Malekzadeh, Mohamadnejad, Merat, Pourshams, & Etemadi, 2005). Although the prevalence of obesity among Iranian adolescents is less than developed countries like the USA but, studies showed relatively high prevalence of obesity in Iranian youth in recent years as obesity has been the number- one ntritional problem in Iran (Malekzadeh et al. 2005).
In the 21st century childhood obesity is regarded as one of the most serious public health challenges faced by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2013). Figures recorded by the National Child Measurement programme for the 2011/12 period showed children aged 10-11, of which 14.7% were overweight and a further 19.2% figure were classed as obese. Statistics from the same report also indicate boys in the same age group are more likely to be obese with a figure of 20.7% compared to a 17.7% figure for girls. These figures are a large cause for concern for both these children and on a wider scale, society. Obesity is caused by a number of factors that can range from the not so obvious of social class, to the clear lack of exercise and poor diet. Obese or overweight children are more likely to carry this status into adulthood and put themselves at an increased risk of developing associated health problems such as raised cholesterol, high blood pressure and even premature mortality (Public Health England, 2013). Obesity is defined as the over consumption of calories in relation to little physical activity, this means calories consumed are not being burnt but turned into fat cells (NHS, 2012).
The nation is suffering from a new epidemic from a program that had good intentions. The obesity rate for children has distantly increased over the past years and is continuing to grow. In the past thirty years, obesity has more than doubled in children and has tripled in young adults. This problem has both immediate and long-term effects in health and well-being in children and adolescents. The ...
The human body requires the intake of food in order to function properly. The foods that we decide to eat has an effect on the ability to use are mind, are strength, and even how prone we are to getting sick or hurt. Eating to much of the wrong foods, with little or no exercise can cause the silent but deadly epidemic of obesity in children and in teens. In the past, obesity was just known as a condition that only affected adults. In this generation the youths are becoming more prone to obesity. In 1995 an average of 18 million children all around the world was categorized as being overweight (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). In a Childhood Obesity Interventions article it says that 17% (12.5 million) of children in the United States is considered to be obese (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). This outrageous number of overweight children in the world is almost tripled in 2010, where 43 million children under 5 are considered to be overweight (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). Another staggering statistic is more than 60% percent of the children that are classified as overweight before they reach puberty, will be overweight as they become adults (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). This leads us to the most stifling fact of there being 2.8 million people in the world that die from being overweight or obese each year (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). These shocking statistics show how dangerous obesity really is, and should urge everyone to fight against this epidemic.
There is an alarming rise in childhood obesity throughout the United States, making it an epidemic in our country. Obesity has become a threat to the health of many children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.(Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015)
As a little enlightenment on obesity, overweight and obesity result from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and/or inadequate physical activity (Buchholz 5). The increases in overweight and obesity cut across all ages, racial and ethnic groups, and both genders. This increase stems from a variety of factors, primarily more consumption of calories and less vigorous activity. Obesity greatly increases the risk of developing many serious medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, osteoarthritis, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, and certain forms of cancer (Davis 270). In 1999, 13% of children age 6 to 11 and 14% of adolescents age 12 to 19 were overweight. This prevalence has nearly...
Obesity has increasingly become a significant public health concern in the United States. In the past four decades, the numbers of overweight children, adolescents, and adults has shot to high margins, and the rise cut cross all ages, races, and ethnicities for both males and females. A recent analysis by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 30% of the American adult aged over the ages of twenty, which is a representation of over 60 million adults, was obese. Still the same survey indicated 16% of those between the ages of 16years and 19 years, which is over 9 million children and teenagers, were obese. This has come with its share of repe...
Today, approximately 25 percent of children and teenagers are obese and the number is on the rise. Since the 1960’s childhood obesity has increased by 54 percent in children ages six to eleven. In children twelve to seventeen it has increased by 39 percent. (Silberstein, 1) Childhood obesity is so prevalent among these age groups that it has reached epidemic proportions.
Childhood and adolescent obesity is a problem of significant concern. Whether obese or at risk, excessive fat is based on the ratio of weight to height, age, and gender of the individual (Ul-Haq, Mackay, Fenwick, & Pell, 2013). Today’s youth are considered the most inactive generation in history thus, childhood and adolescent obesity is more prevalent than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents the obesity rate in children ages 6-11 in 2012 at 18% (an increase from seven percent in 1980), and adolescents at 21% (an increase from five percent in 1980). The obesity rate in children has more than doubled and quadrupled in adolescents over a 30-year period (CDC, n.d). The factors responsible for childhood and adolescent obesity are related to childhood lifestyle, family influence, and community factors (CMA Foundation, 2008). The Healthy People 2020 goal, NWS-10.4, is to “reduce the proportion of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years who are considered obese from 16.1% to 14.5%” (Healthy People 2020, 2013). Overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for severe medical issues that can last a lifetime. Interventions to reduce the incidence and improve the health of young people involve solutions at the primary (low risk youth), secondary (at risk youth), and tertiary (obese) levels (Sweeting, 2008). Parents, caregivers, and medical professionals can work together in diagnosing if the child is becoming obese or if the child is having a growth spurt (Ul-Haq et al., 2013).
Elissa, Jelallian and Steele, Ric. “Handbook of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity”. New York, NY: SpringeScience+Business Media, c2008.Print.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about “17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese” (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157). “Surveys administered in 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 show that the prevalence of obesity has changed from 6.5% to 19.6% among children 6-11 years old age and from 5.0% to 18.1% for those aged 12-19 years (Moreno et al., 2013 P.157).
They start too eat so much for example because of family or peer problems, a low self-esteem, depressions or other mental problems. Studies prove, that children who were obese get 65 percent more likely to get bullied as their normal weight peers. "What we found is that it didn't matter. No matter how good your social skills, if you were overweight or obese you were more likely to be bullied" (Julie Lumeng, M.D.) Some kids get treated really badly in school from their peers, that they are afraid of going to school, coherently joining clubs or sport teams. Researches show that kids who get bullied are more likely to skip their classes. Some of them even quit and drop out of school. Youngsters will loose their friends and self-esteem. But it doesn’t happen only in school, bulling can happen in the own home of obese kids. Sometimes obese kids get teased by their own siblings or even by their parents.
Obesity in children has become a serious health issue, in the United States of America. The disease causes problems that persist, as children grow older and has the capability of affecting the quality and length of their lives as adults. Younger children are now at high risk of becoming obese. As early childhood obesity prevention policies article states, ten percent of infants and toddlers have an excess weight. More than twenty percent of children between the ages of two and five years old have excess weight and suffer from obesity. This is an alarming rate of child obesity rates, in the United States of America. Several environmental factors can influence the risk of a child, for obesity. Therefore, assessing obesity trends and instituting preventive measure could help in minimizing the susceptibility of children becoming obese. Multiple groups of people and other stakeholders can help, in ensuring that children grow healthy without the risk of obesity. The article addresses the importance of early assessment of the risk of obesity and creating healthier behaviors ...
Obesity is a chronic, metabolic disease caused by multiple and complex factors, including increased calorie intake, decreased physical activity and genetic influences. The exact level of obesity is determined by reference to the Body Mass Index (BMI). A score of 30+ on the BMI indicates obesity. A score of 40 indicates severe obesity. Caused by a complex variety of factors, obesity is a major risk factor for serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer Childhood obesity has been rising at the same rate as obesity in adults. It is estimated that approximately 1-25% of children between the ages of 6 to 12 are overweight (Strauss 2845-2848). About 80 percent of overweight teenagers will remain overweight as adults. The increase in adolescent obesity (about 40 percent during the last 15 years) will have serious consequences in the future. Diseases Caused By Obesity: Being overweight predisposes a child to heart disease, gallstones, adult onset diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and full-blown obesity later in life. Obese children have more problems and upper respiratory diseases. And that is only one side of the story. They often suffer major social and psychological problems. The rapid increase of serious depression, eating disorders, drug use, and suicide among teenagers is frightening (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1st Jan 2001, Obesity In Children And Teens, http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/79.htm). Factors Causing Obesity: There are many underlying factors that may contribute to childhood obesity including genetics, diet, physical inactivity, psychological problems, and other health issues but one of the major factors contribut...
According to the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey says that, 16 percent of children around the ages of 6-19 years old are at risk of being obese. Obesity has increased in the last twenty years now. Obesity is like other disease, it impairs the normal body functioning. Children who are overweight have excess fat tissue that caus...
Obesity is one of the leading causes of death in the world; in fact, it is responsible for 300,000 adolescent deaths each year. From 1980 to 2000 alone, teen obesity rates went up 10 percent. Although obesity does not seem like a big dilemma, it is a problem that’s growing every year, affecting children and their lives. Teenage obesity can result from many factors and prove hazardous to a person’s health, yet it is controllable with proper treatment and care.