Childhood Obesity

Obesity has been around for many years but has always been known to be an adult issue. Sadly obesity has now been discovered in children and has become one of the deadliest issues America faces. Childhood obesity has tripled within the past three decades and one in three children in the United States is considered to be obese. Overweight and obese children are at risk of developing high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type 2 diabetes. According to Ashford library studies reveals that “40% of obese children and 70% of obese adolescents will become obese adults”.

Childhood obesity is a difficult problem with our growing children today. Childhood obesity not only affect the child, but it also the people around them. Childhood obesity cause serious health issues, from heart disease to diabetes. According to Farhat (2010), twenty years ago there was just a hand full of children that were overweight, mostly because of a hormonal or genetic disorder. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2013), the number of children aged 6 through11 that were obese, increased from 7 percent in 1980, to nearly 30 percent in 2011.

Obesity occurs when a child weighs above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity is a serious issue in the United States and around the world because the extra pounds may lead children to health problems. Overweight is defined as one have more body weight from fat, muscle, bone, or water for their height and obese is defined as someone who has too much body fat. In the article “Childhood Obesity Facts” the Centers for Disease Control explains that childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades in the United States and is becoming an epidemic. The American Heart Association reported in the article “Overweight and Obesity” that 23.9 million children between the ages two to nineteen in the United States are overweight or obese.

Children who are overweight are 10x more likely to become overweight adults unless they change their eating habits and exercise. (“Childhood Obesity. Pg 1). 30% of adult obesity begins in childhood, it is also said obesity is the cause of 300,000 deaths a year and cost society an estimated $100 billion a year. Today, about one third of American’s children and teens are considered to be overweight or obese, it has nearly tripled in size since 1963 (“Childhood Obesity”.

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.

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... ... middle of paper ... ...d those over age 45, is being diagnosed more often in children and adolescents. The CDC estimate that overweight and physical inactivity account for more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the U.S., second only to tobacco-related deaths. This leaves us with the conclusion that childhood obesity should be controlled and we being supreme beings should not become a target of negative impacts of technology and sedentary lifestyles. Works Cited Strauss RS, Pollack HA.

All in all, obesity and over weight account for nearly one of every 10 American deaths, and they also drain our society of $223 billion a year (Obesity in America, 5). Obesity is something that is present and dangerous, but people seem to overlook it. There are many factors that can lead to obesity. If a pregnant woman has high intake of insulin, or gains excessive weight while pregnant it can cause a child to be born larger than their gestational age, which in the long run cause of obesity. Also, over feeding babies can cause them to develop early onset of obesity.

Although, there are many health threats in the world today, “…childhood obesity (is) one of the leading health threats in the United States” (2). Even the statistics show that obesity is becoming an epidemic. In fact, “[s]ince the 1970s, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled for preschool children and adolescents and more than tripled for school-aged children” (1). With the increasing numbers it causes people to wonder if there are other causes for obesity. Through tests and observations it has been found that obesity can be caused by other factors.

A healthy, average 6-year-old child has the lowest BMI than any other time in his or her life. However, in this day and age overeating and other health habits have given evidence to research that this generation has the highest rates of obesity in children. Since 1980, the prevalence of obesity has almost tripled (“Centers for disease,” 2011). Childhood obesity is becoming a serious national problem. It’s even becoming a concern internationally as well.

Childhood Obesity Statement of Problem 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).