Causal Analysis Essay : Childhood Obesity

Obesity is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Obesity often begin in childhood and is linked to many psychological problems such as asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood. Childhood obesity is related to increased mortality and morbidity in adulthood as many obese children grow up to become obese adults (Johnson, 2016). In the last 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. In the United States, the percentage of children aged six to eleven years who were obese seven percent in 1980 has increased to eighteen percent in 2012. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height, whereas obesity is having excess body fat. Childhood obesity can lead both immediate and long term effects on health and well-being. Obese children are likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. A population based sample of five to seventeen year old shows 70% obese children have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Obese children and adolescents are at risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem and stigmatization. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, stroke, type 2

Obesity in America is literally a growing problem, affecting every age group. Children are the most venerable group because they have no control over where they have dinner or how often they have fast food. Parents and guardians make decisions about food and are responsible for the health of children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last twenty years. This is concerning because Type Two diabetes is a horrible, crippling disease that is affecting children and teens dramatically whereas the disease was primarily seen in adults. Children are said to have a shorter life span than their parents for the first time ever. In the United States sixty-six percent of adults are overweight and one in

Children and adolescents, their health is of the most upmost importance. The child is impacting through everything they do in their lives and everything that they come face to. One of these factors that come into play into a child’s life is Obesity. Most importantly the racial and ethnic disparities that involve Obesity. Unless this issue of this inclining obesity is addressed, there will be assumptions that the amount of years a person will live will surely decline (Johnson, 2012). Obesity is a killer as it is the secondary killer and could well be our first if the people don’t take action (Johnson, 2012). Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as asthma and diabetes (Johnson, 2012). Seventeen percent of young adults in the USA today are obese (Rossen, 2014). The commonness of obesity has escalated throughout the years in Children and Young adults that were being seen in Adults (Caprio et al., 2008). There are many disparities in which affect children in every way but the one that affects the obesity in childhood is racial and ethnic disparities. The amount of obesity in childhood is increasing in all ethnic and racial groups but it is found that nonwhite population have the most amount of Obesity (Caprio et al., 2008). The Mexican- American and non-Hispanic black children have a heavier load to carry as of racial and ethnic subgroups (Rossen, 2014). As children are expose to different physical and social environments, they are wide-open to different

Childhood obesity is becoming one of the top public health concerns in the United States. “Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates have tripled in the U.S., and today, the country has some of the highest obesity rates in the world: one out of six children is obese, and one out of three children is overweight or obese” (World Health Organization, 2015). With the drastic increase in obese children over the last 30 years and the huge healthcare associated costs many programs and incentives have been implemented to fight this epidemic. Although any child can become obese “racial and ethnic inequities persist among children; 22.5 percent of Latino children and 20.2 percent of Black children are obese, compared to 14.1 percent of

All Americans are at risk of developing obesity, with an obesity rate of 36.5% of the population (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). The increase of obesity in the United States has led to the development of other costly comorbidities, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even some types of cancer, and therefore should be avoided at all costs (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Although all groups are at risk for obesity, vulnerable populations such as low-income children, face

Chicago children are faced with an epidemic, an epidemic that most communities are faced with today. The epidemic is childhood obesity and it’s only getting worse. According to Dr. Richard Jackson, this is the first generation not expected to live longer than their parents (Jackson R. 2012). Obese children run the risk of having many health problems. These health problems include Asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type-2 diabetes. In fact, a study done by Blank Children’s Hospital located in Des Moines, IA shows that “45 percent of children diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes due to being obese or overweight” (10 surprising facts 2014). As a society we need to become more aware of the issues that contribute to

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

America will overall be a more respectable country because the stigma of obesity will not plague our country. Fifthly, the psychological stress that obese people are predisposed to will be alleviated because there will be less social discrimination. Sixthly, healthy lifestyle choices will be promoted to the next generation which would lower the childhood obesity rate as well. There are many other advantages of living healthier lives. One opposition to my proposal is that it would cost a lot of money to fund these camps, and this statement is partially true. However, these camps will be funded by the members using money that they would normally dedicate to spending on junk food. Furthermore, I have heard a plethora of ideas from others about

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has greatly increased in the past two to three decades 1, while incidence of obesity has doubled worldwide since 1980 2. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates over 170 million children and adolescents worldwide are overweight. Particularly in the United States, prevalence of obesity in children has increased from 13.9% in 1999 to 31.8% in 2010 3. After nearly two decades of increase, the rates have started to plateau 4. Thresholds of body-mass-index (BMI) have been used internationally to define underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in adults and children1. In the U.S., a child is defined as overweight if BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. A BMI at or above the 95th percentile is considered obese 5. Weight gain in children is a result of an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure 6. Therefore, a combination of overeating, increased caloric intake and decreased activity all contribute to an “energy gap” which ultimately result in children becoming overweight or obese. The obesity and overweight epidemic is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors which may contribute to weight gain in children. In addition to these factors, there are health disparities such as: gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status putting populations at risk for becoming obese. However, recent research suggest the

Childhood obesity, defined as “a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex,” according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015), is becoming a prominent issue in the United States. Child obesity is a growing concern that threats the children’s healthy lives. Overweight life style in childhood can lead to serious psychological problem and diseases such as low self-esteem, depression, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart failure, and asthma by the time they grow into adulthood. To me, childhood obesity is due to a higher calorie intake than calories expended caused by the development of higher technology which encourages children to stay inside their house to watch movies, television, or play computer games rather than promote outside activity.

More than twelve million kids in the United States are obese (The State of Childhood Obesity, 2015). That is one in every six children (The State of Childhood Obesity, 2015). Kids between the ages of 12-19 have the highest percentage (20.5%) of being obese (The State of Childhood Obesity, 2015). If parents provided healthy meals, the rate would not be as high. Childhood obesity can cause heart disease, type two diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and social discrimination (What are the health risks for children who are overweight or obese?). Children that are obese may experience weight-related health problems in adulthood such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and abnormal glucose tolerance (What are the health risks for children who are overweight or obese?). In addition to health issues kids who suffer from obesity also suffer from social discrimination (Health Problems and Childhood Obesity). Social discrimination can cause low self-esteem, which can impede academic and social functioning which can carry on into adulthood (Health Problems and Childhood Obesity). Therefore, parents should provide healthy meals and monitor their kids’ exercise

Americans are at risk of raising supersize kids who will live sicker lives and die at a younger age compared to their parents. Childhood obesity is a condition in which a child is overweight and who’s body mass index (BMI) measurements don’t match with one’s weight and height. When one’s weight is 20% or higher above the normal weight for ones age the child is considered obese. There are many contributing factors that can lead to obesity, such as lack of physical activity, intake of non-nutrient high-calorie foods and the media. Statistics on childhood obesity in the United States shown that one out of three children are considered overweight or obese and rates have tripped in

The cause for the rise in obesity in children in the United States is considered complex and multifactorial (Anderson and Butcher, 2006; Forshee et al., 2008), but several theories have been proposed, the strongest of which includes the suggestion that the average American diet consists of energy-dense, high calorie foods, paired with physical inactivity (Hossain et al., 2007). Other factors that have been proposed include increased television viewing (Anderson and Butcher, 2006), maternal obesity (Shankar et al., 2008), cultural views of obesity and health (de Onis et al., 2010; Dixon et al., 2012), socioeconomic class (Dixon et al., 2012), built environment (Dixon et al., 2012), and increased consumption of sugar-loaded, or

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) childhood obesity is at a record high in the United States and is continuing to get worse. Some parent don’t believe that this is really an issue. Obesity among our children today has tripled in the past 30 years because society has failed to educate the younger generation in numerous lifestyle aspects. We can fix this with education, not just educating our children, but parent of these children. We do need to realize that not all obesity is caused by overeating. “Children become overweight for a variety for reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns or a combination of these factors” (Web MD 1).

In the United States today about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese; nearly triple the rate in 1963. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.(American Heart Association). Many children who are obese are prone to have low self -esteem, negative body image, and depression. Children who are obese get bullied a lot from their peers. Many Technology dominates much of our lives at work, school, and at home. Many families do not have family dinners together as they are always eating on the run. Childhood obesity is not due to genetics but a poor diet, lack of exercise and the absence of