Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of greater than thirty. Childhood is an important period for the initiation of obesity. Eating practices during childhood can affect a person later on in life. Children that suffer from obesity face higher risk of having social, medical and academic problems. The popularity of technology and fast food eating is causing the childhood obesity epidemic to progress at an alarming rate. Unless actions are taken, there is no chance of it slowing down.
Childhood obesity in the United States has become an epidemic. There are several factors that influence obesity in children. Research shows how genetics play a role
Childhood Obesity In Michigan Over the years childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed. In Michigan 32.6% of kids ages 0-17 are overweight or obese compared to a national average of 31.3%. Most foods have either high level of fructose corn syrup or “healthy” foods have been replaced with artificial colors and flavors and “fat” such as fried foods.
The Truth of Obesity Fast food has been around for decades and it is an industry which will continue to grow, it is because of this main reason why so many Americans are now obese. Along with the lack of education and knowledge that many Americans are decrease their life span. However, obesity has never been such a vast problem as it stands today with its large population of uneducated and fast food hungry Americans. With this massive epidemic that is taking over America, comes many health issues and its targets begin with the children who become addicted to unhealthy but satisfying meals suffering from overweight, high cholesterol, and blood pressure to name a few.
Lazarou & Kouta (2010) define obesity as “a chronic metabolic disease, considered to be one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease”, and state that hypertension, atherosclerosis and type two diabetes have also been shown to be more likely in people with obesity (p. 641). These adult health problems have now become commonplace amongst children and youth today (Tuckwood, 2012). With obesity being diagnosed at earlier ages, prevention becomes increasingly difficult; personal habits are harder to break, health risks are more serious, and the likelihood of living with obesity in adulthood is significantly higher. Fifty percent of children who are obese will become obese adults (Lazarou & Kouta, 2010).
Firstly, childhood obesity is classified as a serious medical condition that occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Roughly 9 million children above the age of 6 in America
It is increasing in the United States rapidly. According to a study in the Parental Roles in the epidemic of childhood obesity, “The increase in childhood obesity is a relatively recent phenomenon in the United States, with dramatic changes occurring in the 1980s and 1990s, and a general plateauing of incidence from 1999 to 2010 but at dangerously high levels. ”(Moore 828). This reveals that obesity levels have swiftly started to increase since the early 1980’s. Some people believe that this recent increase in weight gain is associated with the expansion of fast and processed foods and drinks such as Coca cola.
a massive financial burden to fulfill. While much of the expenses are covered by government policy, this still leaves many Hispanics in low income more dangerous neighborhoods. Unsafe neighborhoods and parks result in a lack of safe places for children to get the necessary physical activity they need. An insufficient amount of physical activity is one of the leading causes of obesity in children. As mentioned earlier, schools are majorly affected by the obesity rates in children.
Obesity has been a major problem in America for a long time every since junk food and fast food came into play. Now in America there is 78.6 million obese adults and counting (CDC). Obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke and even type 2 diabetes if worse enough. The estimated obesity medical bill was over 147 billion dollars in United States this shows that when you get obesity that is why you should stay active and eat more healthy foods. Obesity can be prevented by being active and getting enough exercise, eat healthy foods and try to stay away from junk food, finally reduce screen time and find other things to do than watching television.
In today’s society “one out of three children is considered overweight or obese” (Little 2011). Childhood obesity is linked to several severe health problems. Children who are overweight or obese are at risk of having cardiovascular disease and problems relating to that such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type-two diabetes during childhood. Physical problems aren’t the only problem relating to obesity; “Research confirms obese children are at a higher risk for social and psychological problems” because overweight kids tend to get bullied due to their weight (Little 2011). Children who have weight issues early on are also more likely to have weight issues as adults.
Annotated Bibliography Babey, S.H., Hastert, T.A., Wolstein, J., Diamant, A.L. (2010). Income disparities in obesity trends among California adolescents. American Journal of Public Health (100)11, 2149 2155. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2010.192641 Childhood obesity has increased to 17% in the last thirty years, causing concern for the health industry as costs increase and preventable diseases become more prevalent. Over 17,000 adolescents were interviewed in the California study between 2001-2007 through the California Health Interview Survey.
The issue is childhood obesity, and it is only accelerating as a percentage of children in both America and all western nations of the world. Childhood Obesity is an issue relevant to all who consider themselves part of American society and it has profound adverse effects economically, physically for those afflicted with the issue, and mentally for those who live an obese childhood or within the family unit of a household with at least one obese child. The scope of the issue is massive and the impact of the consequences dire in many accounts. There is hope to reverse course and change the way of American-western living, and it starts with understanding the size and
Childhood obesity is rapidly increasing due to the shift in cultural norms. Not only is weight affected by surroundings, but exposure to technology deeply creates roots sunk deep into the issue of Obesity. AAP, the American
Obesity: There is a direct link between young children’s eating habits and them becoming overweight and obese later on. Children in families with insufficient access to nutritious foods are in fact significantly more likely to be obese in early childhood than other children. This is the result of excessive calorie intake and an emphasis on foods that have high levels of fat, sugar and sodium.
The Fight of Child Obesity: An Annotated Bibliography Boseley, Sarah. " Curbs on junk food ads No 1 priority in fighting childhood obesity, says study. "The Guardian”. Guardian News and Media, 12 Nov. 2016. Web.
It cause physical ,psychological , and social problems. This problem can effect on children's for the rest of their lives. Childhood obesity is one of the main reasons of adulthood obesity also earlier risk obesity-related disease in adulthood. Obesity is defined as the condition in which excess body fat accumulates to the point of causing adverse health effects. It is determined by the body mass index (BMI), a measure that corresponds to weight in length.
Since 2000 research has shown that ⅓ of child are now overweight. Teenagers are blaming fast foods industries for their health problems, but no one is forcing them to eat the food. Obesity is a serious issue in the United States now causing some public health groups in california to ask the governor to declare a childhood obesity state of emergency, recording to Daniel Weintraub. I believe that children obesity does start at home and parents are to blame because they are letting their children eat unhealthy foods, lack of exercise, and overall poor choices. Fast food industries have exploded