Childhood obesity has been a crucial global concern for the past years, especially in the United States. Obesity within children has become a concern because it can develop multiple health risks. Although some of the health risks can be treated, there are many that could follow them for a lifetime. Some of the health risks could be minor, but many of the health issues are deadly. Childhood obesity has been related to affecting the majority of the child’s main body systems. For example, childhood obesity could affect the pulmonary, muscular, skeletal, and cardiovascular systems. A United States government publication called Childhood Obesity Facts, acknowledges that, “Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health …show more content…
However, it is interpreted differently, because children grow and develop in very different ways as they mature. A child’s BMI is calculated with the formula used for adults, but there are no set ranges to indicate that he or she is underweight or overweight. Instead, children’s BMIs are compared on growth charts with those of other children of the same age and gender (Loonin 3). In the article Review of childhood obesity: from epidemiology, etiology, and comorbidities to clinical assessment and treatment, Kumar states that, “Some experts recommend classifying obesity in 3 classes: class 1 obesity (BMI at or above 95th percentile to less than 120% of the 95th percentile), class 2 (BMI at or above 120% to less than 140% of the 95h percentile), and class 3 (BMI at or above 140% of the 95th percentile” (Kumar 2). There are many factors that have to be taken for granted when figuring out whether a child is obese or not. Both Loonin and Kumar state that it is important to take into consideration the many factors that could affect how obesity is measured within children. Additionally, the connection found between childhood obesity and the marketing of the food industry in the American Psychological Association’s article The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity is intriguing because it has been found that the advertisement of fast food may affect childhood obesity. The marketing of food industries has an impact on childhood obesity because fast food
The term overweight rather than obese is often used in children as it is less stigmatizing. Changing diet and decrease of physical activity are believed to be the two most important causes of the increase in obesity rate in children (Bessesen,
There have been studies conducted to find out what has caused or what the leading factors to obesity are. Researchers are currently still doing research to find out what causes or what may be the lead to obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which considers a child to be obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. (Rendall., Weden, Lau, Brownell, Nazarov & Fernandes, 2014). Obesity is on a rise in the Unites States and all over the world and can lead or result to other health complications later in life. The crucial breakdown serves as an implication of outlining childhood obesity, collaborating problems of the disease and resolutions, as well as applying critical thinking to give a complete approach to deliver information on childhood obesity. This will be done through citation of scholarly articles, samples and other modes of supporting details.
A tool known as BMI (body mass index) is used by medical providers to calculate an individual 's body mass index. It calculated by measuring a child’s weight and height and the found value is then compared to percentiles relative to other children of the same age and sex. For example, if a child aged anywhere from 2-19 is “more than 85% and less than 95%” they are considered overweight. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). This tool is not a method used to diagnosis childhood obesity but it 's a valuable way to measure the prevalence of obesity worldwide.
These include weight-for-age, weight-for-height, BMI-for-age, and triceps skinfoldforage, among others. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) uses the same guidelines for BMI-for-age as the CDC to define childhood obesity and states that for children older than two years, BMI is an acceptable measure to assess obesity” (Perpich, K.J, P.A.-C, Russ, R., Rizzolo, D., & Sedrak, M., 2011).
“Total costs for childhood obesity are estimated at eleven billion for children with private insurance and three billion for children with Medicaid (Mulheron, Joyal, Vonasek 13).” According to Centers for Disease and Prevention, childhood obesity is a medical condition in which weight significantly exceeds what is normal for age and height (Crothers, Kehle, Bray, Theodore 787). Childhood obesity is calculated according to a child’s body mass index. The formula used to calculate body mass index is formed by dividing children’s weight by their height squared. Therefore, every child’s body mass index is then compared to a standard chart, averaged from other children in the same age category. “Children whose BMI exceeds 25-30 kg/m2 are
In adults the body mass index or BMI is used to calculate a person’s body fat by using the weight and height of the adult. In children, the BMI method is also used to find out a child’s body fat and to determine if a child is obese. But since a child’s body fat can change as they age there are other things that are took into account when determining if a child is obese. When a doctor is looks at a child’s BMI he also must take into account the gender of the child because girls and boys body fat differs. Also the doctor must look at the age of the child because they amount of body fat a child has changes as they grow. Therefore, a doctor with take the BMI of child and compare it with other children their age and gender based on a national standard scale. When a child is in the ninety-fifth percentile or above on the BMI growth chart for their gender and age then a doctor will diagnose the child as obese (Bernstein, 2014).
Having an unhealthy eating diet such as fast food, chips, soda, and baked goods all can have an impact on a child’s weight gain. Chains of fast food restaurants such Mcdonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy’s, target young people. For example, there is a young child watching television and a commercial comes on, these commercials corrupt the child’s mind and portrays that it is healthy to it eat when it's not. In addition, parents will buy their kids this junk food because it is cheaper than buying
Childhood obesity is defined as having a age and sex specific Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above 95th percentile. The prevalence of childhood obesity has risen dramatically with the increase more than triple since the 1970 in the United States. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in five children from age six to nineteen are in obese. The consequences of childhood obesity include high blood pressure and high cholesterol, these are the risk factors for cardiovascular disease; type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease, gallstone, and breathing problems such as asthma and obstructive sleep apnea. If children are obese will more likely to become adults with obesity, and their obesity and risk factors
One of the serious public health issues in the United State is obesity in children.”Obesity a condition with an excess accumulation and storage of fat content in the body is also defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. (CDC, 2014). The rationale to choose this specific population is that obesity increases the risk for any serious physical complication in children such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, breathing problems, hepatic
According to Davidson and Alic “childhood obesity has doubled in the last twenty years” (Davidson and Alic 15-16). The body mass index (BMI) is a scale that is used to calculate the health range of children over
Those terms are defined as follows: overweight means a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for other children of the same age and sex cohort, while obesity is at or above the 95th percentile (“Basics About Childhood Obesity,” 2012). When one considers that the cohort as a whole has been gaining weight compared to earlier generations, the problem is underscored. The specific percentages from the CDC are even more sobering: “The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of [obese] adolescents….increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period” (“Childhood Obesity Facts,” 2014, n.p.).
Obesity for children is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 95th percentile for age and gender. Mothers are classified as obese when their BMI is over 30Kg/m2, or non-obese when the BMI is under 30kg/m2, on the basis of Body Mass Index calculated in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Childhood obesity is associated with a poor diet and lack of physical exercise. Determining the level of a healthy weight in children is calculated by using a growth chart, such as the standard growth chart developed by the Center for Disease Control. An accurate assessment is easily determined by measuring the weight and height of a child. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is also used to further determine a healthy weight for an individual. Once the determination is made by measurement, it is necessary to consider other factors such as the type of diet and exercise that is practiced. It is imperative that a diet be well rounded and not overloaded with starches, fats, and sugars and a minimum of 120 minutes of physical exercise take place on a daily basis. There are many health issues that are associated with overweight and obese children, but luckily there are methods to stop this problem. As Ezzeldin Aly states in “Childhood Obesity in the United States of America”, the solution to childhood obesity is the community and education. An overweight child’s “community” plays an important part in their general health. This community consists of: parents, family, doctors and teachers. It is in these relationships that diet education and physical activity are developed. Childhood obesity continues to grow at an alarming rate in the United States potentially causing long-term health issues but can be reversed by incorporating a healthy diet and physical
Body Mass Index (BMI) is the measurement of weight and height correlated to total body fat content. In children, ages 2-18, if BMI exceeds 30 the child is considered obese. If the child’s BMI is greater than the 85th percentile, but under the 95th percentile, the child is classified as overweight (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014). Health issues associated with being overweight/obese include increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or heart disease (Edelman et al., 2014). An overweight/obese child is also at risk for social issues. Being overweight/obese can have a social effect on children, by making them feel rejected by peers, and causing them to have a low self esteem or negative view of their body (Edelman et al., 2014).
In the United States, increasing numbers of obesity in pediatric population is major concern in health care field. According to Center of Disease Control (CDC), in the United States obesity in children from 6 to 11 years of age in 1980 was seven percent. This rate about three times by 2008, to 20%. Adolescents’ obesity from 12 to 19 years of age in 1980 was five percent and this correspondingly rate more than three times by 2008, to 18% (CDC, 2012). The CDC accepted the measurement standards for individuals that are overweight or obese established by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; overweight is more than or equal to a body mass index (BMI) of 25% and obese is a BMI more than or equal to 30% (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2012)