Health Risk Associated With Childhood Obesity

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Recommended: In what ways can we reduce childhood obesity proposal

Childhood obesity is a disease where excess body fat affects a child's health or wellbeing. With the number of children affected by the disease increasing, it is important to understand the consequences. Not only will obesity influence a child’s physical heath, but it can also affect their emotional and social health as well. Acknowledging that obesity is a preventable disease should help lower the number of children affected by it. It is not about dieting; it is a lifestyle change that should be adopted and practiced by the whole family. Being obese increases a child's risk of being an obese adult. I will argue that parent education regarding the physical and emotional effects of childhood obesity can protect the lives of children. In order to understand obesity, it is important to figure out if your child is actually obese or just a little overweight. Only a professional doctor or pediatrician should be the one to determine if your child should be considered obese. What a doctor looks at is a child’s BMI (body mass index), which is taken by the doctor or pediatrician and determined from the child’s height and weight. According to the CDC (2006) a child is considered obese if their weight is more than 20 percent higher than the ideal weight for a boy or girl of their age and height (p.1). According to the World Health Organization, obesity accounts for two to six per cent of total health care costs in several developed countries; some estimates put the figure as high as seven per cent. When dealing with obesity in children, the focus should be on related health risks caused by the disease. One of the more serious side effects of obesity would be cardiovascular disorders. Cardiovascular disorders include high blood...

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"Overweight American Children and Adolescents Becoming Fatter." News Rx Health & Science Obesity. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

"Prevalence of Overweight among Children and Adolescents: United States, 2003-2004." NCHS Health E-Stat. Ed. Office of Information Services. 23 Dec. 2009. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.

Scheinfield, Noah S. "Obesity and Dermatology." Clinics in Dermatology. Vol. 22. 303-09. Ser. 4. Elsevier.com. July-Aug. 2004. Web.

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