Introduction/Overview
It is accepted that the incidence of childhood inactive behavior is increasing at a disturbing rate. The physical activity level and health behavior of the youth population has the capability to be a valuable instrument in countering this undesired behavior and the obesity pandemic as well as lowering all-cause mortality (Tudor-Lock et al., 2011). According to the center for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity rates have doubled among children since 1980 (McNamara et al., 2010). Being obese as a child amounts to having a 17% higher incidence of being obese as an adult then those children of healthy Body Mass Index or “BMI” (Tudor-Lock et al., 2011). It is documented that obesity in children is linked to genetic, familial and environmental influences however, youth lifestyle behaviors largely determine the extent of adult obesity (McNamara et al., 2010). The purpose of this paper is to review Health Education Behavioral Theories used and to what effect it has made on childhood obesity. Although, most studies include no behavior theory utilized, this research paper will demonstrate an important trend that interventions developed with behavior theory are more successful in accomplishing their studies intent than without utilizing behavior theory. Theories such as the Transtheoretical model of change and the Health Belief Model are becoming increasingly valuable in quelling the youth obesity epidemic. Additionally, theories such as the Social Ecological model outline the objectives and methods for acquiring change. Many of the studies in focus demonstrated that the use of Health Theories was utilized to influence and support long-term healthy lifestyle of youth (Gortmaker et al., 1999). By address...
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...oups to encourage, support and reinforce healthy behaviors within the school. Other studies utilized the Social Learning theory, Social Cognitive Theory and Theory of Locus of Control to promote a healthy diet, physical activity and classroom curriculum as well as internet counseling and education through its prevention program. These studies were successful as a result of having important communal and ecological components that impact both psychosocial and behavioral risk issues for obesity (Gortmaker et al., 1999). Additionally, studies such as the S.P.A.R.K Youth Obesity intervention by Sallis, et al. (1997) were unsuccessful due to the lack of Health Theory use. Utilizing a Health Theory in an intervention is a successful approach when working towards addressing a significant health issue because of the outlining of objectives and methods for acquiring change.
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.
Exercise, food, technology, and money all play a role in causing childhood obesity. Lack of exercise among adolescents has been proven to be the leading cause of childhood obesity. According to a May 2012 Institute of Medicine report, only half of America’s children and one in four teens get enough activity to meet current guidelines (Doheny and Noonman 1). The recommendations call for children to participate in at least 60 minutes of vigorous to moderate physical activity every day (Hendrick 1). “Only four percent of elementary schools, eight percent of middle schools, and two percent of high schools provide daily physical ...
This day and age people are living longer with respect to various factors, for example, technology and evidence based practice which guide practices, in order to deliver safe and effective health care. However, many young adults are developing diseases that were once confined to adults. The prevalence of childhood obesity is rising and so is the steady incline of comorbidities in young adults. Education is perhaps one of the best options that can either control or prevent the rising rates of childhood obesity. The presentation was taught at a local recreation center where there are programs for people of all ages. My intended audience was adolescents, because they need to be educated about childhood obesity and health issues it may cause. This can prevent or control the obesity rates and in turn reduce cormorbidities that are associated with obesity.
Many children who are obese are the targets of bullying from other children. Self-esteem can be greatly damaged from a disease that can be prevented. Having an obese or once obese person tell the stories of struggle, difficulties and how life is greatly impacted by not eating right and exercising could have a great influence on just how serious obesity is. In the academic journal, “Childhood obesity and Self-Esteem”, has found that there are social and emotional effects from childhood obesity. Other than just low self-esteem, obesity can lead to “Smoking and consuming alcohol” (Strauss 3) compared to children who are not obese. Preventing obesity could also decrease the rate of smoking and drinking in children underage. The more than one solution to how this can be done, for parents and students, for schools “Replacing vending machines containing unhealthy foods and drinks and replace with healthy items” (Green 4). This has been increasing in many schools and even colleges; Montgomery College has also taken the steps of changing the vending machine. Another resolution for schools is to “Provide quality daily physical education for all students. Be sure to select activities that are fun, challenging, and aerobic in nature” (Green
Childhood obesity has been on the rise in the last couple of years. In the 1970’s childhood obesity was never a concern to the public until the number increased over the years. An alarming rate of 31% of all adults have been obese since they were children and the rates of childhood obesity don’t fall too behind with an 18% of children being obese. That makes almost half of obese adults and children. A child that is obese has a 70-80% higher chance of staying obese even through their adulthood if no action is taken. Childhood obesity is not something children are in control of, these children suffer from different outcomes since they can’t look after themselves and heavily rely on someone to aid them when they need it. These numbers can be drastically altered in a positive way by educating both children and parents about healthy, nutritious foods to consume, supplying schools with better lunch and healthier vending machines with healthy choices and promoting after school activities to keep children active and away from electronics.
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 ...
America is facing a rigorous obesity plague that is endangering the health of millions. Moreover, we are passing our bad practices down to our children. Obesity is a stipulation in which anomalous or excessive fat buildup in adipose tissue that damages health. Obesity is defined in adults as a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 30 (kg/m). Obesity is one of the most discernible, but until recently, most deserted public health problems. The present high pervasiveness of obesity and the brisk increase in pervasiveness in the last twenty years has been referred to as an endemic (Johnson SJ, Birch LL. 1994). Children all through the U.S. are getting fatter and less fit, through potentially treacherous enduring consequences. The figure of overweight children ages 6-17 has dual in the past 25 years. One in five children in the United States is now overweight or fat. Overweight children can build up diabetes and early risk factors for heart disease. Being fat in addition carries arousing risks for children. By the age of six, lots of children have developed pessimistic attitudes concerning obesity and will keep out fat children from play (Freedman D.S.,Dietz W.H., Srinivasan S.R, Berenson G.S. 1999). Fat children are teased and scorned by their peers. In adolescence, lots of overweight young people have developed a pessimistic personality that might prolong into adulthood. Overweight adolescents typically take their excess weight into adulthood. Overweight in adults is related to diabetes, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis and several forms of cancer. Overweight children are more than two times likely to have high levels of cholesterol. Aortic fatty splash, the first stages of atherosclerosis, begins to come into view in childhood, ...
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).
...mption of food and physical activity. To make their children more active, parents should stop buying videogames and set a time limit to decrease the amount of time their children spend in front of a computer screen. Another way to increase physical activity is to encourage children to join an extra-curricular activity. Although it is easiest to prevent obesity at a young age, many people in the United States grow up obese or become obese. To help and to encourage adults who are suffering from obesity, they need to learn the life-threatening effects that accompany the “heavy” burden.
"The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity particularly among children and adolescents is a severe public health problem" (Bray, 2005). According to our text, health education and health promotion are recognized increasingly as ways to meet public health objectives and improve the success of public health and medical interventions around the world (Gollust, 2014).
Obesity is a modern epidemic in America and is starting to become our society’s “norm.” According to an article in Progress in Health Sciences, childhood obesity is the most frequent eating disorder (Koukourikos). There are several factors that contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic. Should we solely shun the parents of obese children for this? No, we should not. There is not one single person to blame, but several people, along with our society. Family, friends, and schools all play a very important role in teaching children about healthy food choices and exercise. Children may have a greater risk for obesity due to genetic factors. We need to constantly remind our children how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that
The SMART goal of the obesity program is to reduce the obese population in Pitt County by creating a healthier diet program. Different objectives will be needed in order to reach this goal. The first objective is that from July 2016 through December 2016 100 community members will participate in the health department’s health promotion activities. This objective aligns with the reinforcement construct of the Social Cognitive Theory. By repeatedly participating in the activities, the 100 community members will be rewarded with the knowledge they receive and also motivation to change their behavior. By having an enjoyable time, they will be rewarded and want to keep coming back to the activities. The second objective is that following the 6-month duration; the majority of the participants will lose 2-10% of their original body weight by changing to a healthier diet. The reason the participants need to lose 2-10% of their body weight is to either prevent or reduce the chances of gaining other health diseases associated with obesity, including coronary artery disease and Type 2 Diabetes. This objective aligns with the self-efficacy construct. By losing a little bit of body fat, the participants will believe in their ability to lose weight, and continue to do so. The third objective is that on June 17 and June 24, informational brochures will be distributed to the community members to create awareness and reminders to join the obesity program, and gain knowledge about the health condition of obesity. This objective deals with the behavioral capability construct of the Social Cognitive Theory because the participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to change their behavior through the brochures.
In our society today one of the most difficult problems we are facing is the large numbers of obesity in our children. One of the major factors in that is this; our children have become less physically active. At an early age children start watching TV, learn how to operate a computer, and play video games. Having technological skills is now a necessity in all of our lives because everything has turned “computerized,” but the fact is that our children are relying on these types of entertainment rather than getting up and physically exercising to entertain them selves. This directly affects the large number of obese children in our country today because of the lack of physical exercise. It is not that we want our kids to look a certain way or to be better at sports than everyone else, but it is that we want our kids to be physically fit and to develop a healthy lifestyle. Physical exercise is not only for adults, it is for children as well, so we must understand the importance of our children exercising and the benefits from it. By doing that it will make an impact on that child for the rest of his/her life.
Educational institutions have the potential to, first and foremost, educate and assist the young people of today with making the positive, healthful choices necessary to maintain good health. Over 4,500 students have been followed in recent research studies and these “thousands of sixth graders who participated in a school-based health program were less obese by eighth grade than a group of similar children who did not, according to a new study done for the National Institutes of Health” (Rabin). Schools need to create health programs focused on assisting all children suffering from being overweight or obese. Policies such as fitness programs, nutrition classes, and healthful meals can even impact every student by creating a strong foundation and awareness of the negative, long term effects associated with practicing unhealthy habits. Although the financial expenses would be necessary, the adaption of scho...
Obesity rates in North America are appallingly high; all states in the USA report over a fifth of the adult population being obese and over a third in some Southern states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) (The State of Obesity, 2016). Eighty percent of adults from the USA do not meet the government’s minimum recommendations for physical activity. The government health guidelines state that adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly (health.gov, 2008). Obesity can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular problems, low self-esteem, and other health issues. Physical activity has physiological health benefits (muscle growth, cardiovascular health, and more), and psychological benefits (escalated energy, reduced stress, and higher self-confidence) (Association for Applied Sports Psychology, 2016). Unfortunately, over a quarter of American high school students are overweight or obese (The State of Obesity, 2016), and this will set a standard for them for the rest of their life. Campaigns promoting exercise and outdoor exercise should target youth and should put additional work into the Southern states, which are statistically the