Obesity in Children

1310 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: childhood obesity research proposal

In the United States childhood obesity has become a huge problem. Obesity is generally seen as a straightforward condition. Many believe obesity shouldn’t even be considered a “disease” for a variety of reasons. Others believe obesity is as much of a disease as cancer or diabetes. Childhood obesity is a serious and common disease that is becoming more and more popular for children to be obese. I will make some clarifications on these issues and give some reasoning behind it. In the United States, more than one-third of adolescents are overweight or obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), (National Center for Health Statistics. (2010)). Obesity is classified by an excess amount of fat and a weight 20 percent above normal bodyweight (National Center for

Obesity at a young age can be very dangerous (2010). Obese youth are at a higher risk for heart related disease such as high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (Freedman D., Zuguo M., Srinivasan S., Berenson G., Dietz WH. (2007)). In 2007, 70% of obese youth were at risk for at least one cardiovascular disease (2007). Overweight children are also at a higher risk for weakened joints, bone problems, and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disruption of sleep due to pauses in breathing (David A., Downey M., Atkins R., Billington C., Bray G., Eckel R., Finkelstein E., Jensen M., Tremblay A. (2008)). Children are at risk of having psychological and social problems including low self-esteem and “stigmatization” (2008). Studies show, children who are overweight of obese,

Are more likely to become overweight adults pressure (Freedman D., Zuguo M.,Srinivasan S., Berenson G., Dietz WH. (2007)).

Parents can help prevent childhood obesity in a variety of way. The parent shouldn...

... middle of paper ...

...3)). This classification isn’t recent for obesity but has been considered a disease as far back as the 1600’s (David A., Downey M., Atkins R., Billington C., Bray G., Eckel R., Finkelstein E., Jensen M., Tremblay A. (2008)).

The obesity epidemic has become widespread in our country. Now that I have broken down the different aspects of this disease, it is up to us, as a society, to help each other become educated about obesity and teach our children the side effect obese. The more educated Parent are about obesity, the more likely their children contain and eradicate it. I chose this topic because I am among overweight people. Another reason is because I have children and I wanted to learn how I could help them be healthy. For more information on obesity and the everyday risks that follow the sufferers, refer to the sources and the citation for evidence.

Show More
Related

  • A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Rates

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.

    Read More

  • Parents of Obese Children and Charges of Child Abuse

    1880 Words  | 4 Pages

    Up to 17% of children and teens in the United States are obese (Centers). Obesity is unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise and is responsible for up to 365,000 deaths each year. Obesity is strongly associated with a decrease in the ability to exercise. An overabundance of fat tissue, which occurs from obesity, impairs the breathing process. The impairment of the breathing processes in youth has been linked to more damaging breathing problems in adulthood. The lack of exercise that starts a child down this path can be reversed and good exercising habits can be instilled by parents. Therefore if 1 out of 3 children are obese, what does that say about the health and wellbeing of these children? It says that these children can look forward to a life of medical problems, emotional issues, and higher costs than their non-obese counterparts. The most pressing of which are heart disease, type 2 diabetes, pulmonary...

    Read More

  • Obesity

    1249 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Obesity has been a health problem ever since infectious disease had began in the first half of the 20th Century. The person with obesity is not the only person who is affected by their disease. In the case of childhood obesity, It can affect the parents because they might be the cause of the child’s issues. It can also lead to many different health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems, and it can also even lead to death. Obesity has affected the world in many ways: task forces have been formed to address the issue, people are suffering from health problems due to obesity, and others suffer psychological and social issues.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Childhood Obesity in America

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    The overall rate of obesity for children comes in at 17 percent, or about 12.5 million obese children in America today (Doheny 1). The number of children who are obese is growing at a fast rate. Most cases of childhood obesity are caused by eating too much and exercising too little. Extra weight puts children at a risk of serious health problems; such as, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma (Smith 1). Although obesity can be prevented, it has become a growing problem among children due to several factors that lead to health problems.

    Read More

  • A Social Ecological Approach to Rising Levels of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents in the United States

    2208 Words  | 5 Pages

    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% . Not only has prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity increased dramatically over the last several decades, but being an overweight or obese child puts one at a heightened risk for adult overweight and obesity .

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Childhood Obesity

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    A national epidemic is occurring, the war between food and people. In the United States, about “32% of children (from 2 to 19 years old) are obese” (Bernadac 1). As the years continue to go on the rate of obese children are increasing as well. In the past the problem did not have much consideration due to a low rate of affected children. Now families are suffering the long-term consequences of having an obese child. Some of those health effects are “Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis” (CDC 1). A problem with this type of drastic effects may have a solution; method prevention for the future generations and correct treatment for those who are already obese can lower the rate.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier. This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society.

    Read More

  • Article Review: Food Deserts And Childhood Obesity?

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    Desai, William C. Miller, Betty Staples and Terrill Bravender. I believed that this was a credible source because all of the authors have a medical degree. This article provided similar data saying that the percentage of people ages 12 to 19 who were overweight or obese rapidly increased from 5% to 17% between 1976 and 2002 (Desai 109). From this document I learned that college years are known to influence the forms of our adult behaviors including diet, physical activity, and other habits. Being a college student, I knew that college was going to change my work ethic and ability to do achieve new responsibilities but I did not know that it could actually greatly affect our weight. In the source it states that results from “both the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey" show that the transition to adulthood, a high number of people become obese and remain obese (Desai 109). One way I thought of this transformation was the freshman fifteen. The source was able to identify patterns of obesity but they still have not fully discovered examples of obese behaviors. However, the authors of this paper were able to perform a study to at least suggest some examples of behaviors related to obesity. They examined data collected from an electronic survey

    Read More

  • A Conundrum in America: Obesity

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    One thing that obese people must put up with is being unhealthy, not just physically unhealthy, but mentally unhealthy as well. This unfortunate reality is present in all ages. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute did research on the health risks of being overweight and obese. They discovered that in adults, the health risks of being overweight include, but are not limited to, “coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, type two diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, sleep apnea, gallstones, and reproductive problems.” Overweight children, on the other hand, are less prone to these health conditions unless they remain heavy through adulthood. Since obese or overweight kids are very likely to stay that way over time, in the end they may be subject to the same health problems as corpulent adults (1). Moving on...

    Read More

  • Obesity in Children Across America

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity in children across America has become an increasing public health concern. Obesity has been identified as an epidemic that is plaguing our children in the United States. In some countries around the world children are dying of starvation everyday. How can this happen when here in America the opposite is a major problem? This is not to say that in America there are no hungry or starving children. It has been proven that our children suffer from obesity, and “children who are overweight or obese as preschoolers are five times as likely as normal-weight children to be overweight or obese as adults” (“Hope”). Obesity not only can cause a child to become more prone to having health problems down the road, but it can also make them feel insecure about themselves. There needs to be action taken in schools as well as in homes to help prevent this growing epidemic.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity in African American Children

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    Childhood obesity is a consequential medical condition that effects the youth and adolescence of society. This disorder creates health problems that were once only seen in adults, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Although childhood obesity is a world wide issue, the percentage of overweight children differs, especially throughout the United States. Today, the greatest population suffering from this disease are African American children who reside in the southern part of the country. Parents, as well as children, continue to support unhealthy lifestyles even though they are well aware of the life-threatening diseases caused by obesity.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity is an Epidemic

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity Essay

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    “In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” (CDC) Childhood obesity is a problem that has inundated society for many decades. Almost anywhere that you go, you’ll see a magazine article or some sort of poster regarding childhood obesity. Childhood obesity can be defined as a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health or well-being. Majority of adults care about their weight because self-image is a very important factor in their lives, but when it comes down to children, many pay their weight a very minimal amount of attention. Due to the superfluous rise in the number of obese children over the past couple of decades, doctors and physicians have become concerned about this trend. This concern is raised by the various diseases and health issues accompanying childhood obesity. Childhood obesity puts children at a greater risk for developing health issues and diseases of the heart.

    Read More

  • Public Health Issue of Obesity

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    The present public health problem has become a great public concern and the future of these children and future adults has also been brought to attention. For example, "as obese children are more than likely to become obese adults, they are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and several cancers" (Gollust, 2014). Research has also indicated that the current generation of children are on track to have shorter lives than their parents because of increasing rates of obesity (Gollust, 2014).

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity

    1849 Words  | 4 Pages

    Childhood obesity is a serious problem among American children. Some doctors are even calling childhood obesity an epidemic because of the large percentage of children being diagnosed each year as either overweight or obese. “According to DASH sixteen to thirty-three percent of American children each year is being told they are obese.” (Childhood Obesity) There is only a small percentage, approximately one percent, of those children who are obese due to physical or health related issues; although, a condition that is this serious, like obesity, could have been prevented. With close monitoring and choosing a healthier lifestyle there would be no reason to have such a high obesity rate in the United States (Caryn). Unfortunately, for these children that are now considered to be obese, they could possibly be facing some serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancers. All of these diseases have been linked to obesity through research. These children never asked for this to happen to them; however, it has happened, and now they will either live their entire life being obese, or they will be forced to reverse what has already been done (Childhood Obesity).

    Read More

More about Obesity in Children

Open Document