Obesity : The Second Leading Cause Of Death

Childhood onset overweight and obesity and its’ associated health consequences are quickly becoming major significant public health issues facing America today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 95th percentile while obese is defined as BMI above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex . The prevalence of overweight children, defined based on 2009 CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data, has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the incidence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% to 17.0% while overweight levels for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 17.6% .

Childhood obesity remains a chief public health concern nowadays. During the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity among children has increased 47% globally (Brown et al., 2016). The risk associated with childhood obesity including hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance as well as mental and emotional illnesses. Individuals who are obese during childhood are more likely to become obese during adulthood. When obesity continues into adolescence and adulthood, individuals are at risks of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, coronary vascular disease, and cancer. Obesity disproportionately affects children from ethnic minorities. Approximately one out of six US children are overweight

Abstract: Fat has been termed the "new tobacco" by the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, because of the high general risk of an individual eventually becoming obese. For children of the 21st century, obesity is one of the most diseases. There are many causes/factors that lead to obesity but researchers identify genetics, overeating and a lack of exercise as three of the major causes. As a result of obesity, children suffer from both immediate and long-term effects on health and well-being. The Center of Disease and Control Prevention identifies states that obese children are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and

There is also continued increase in the proportion of children at risk of being overweight (Puhl & Latner, 2007). Childhood and adolescent obesity and overweight trend increased considerably between 1999 and 2004. However, the trend seemingly leveled between 2005 and 2006, and then surged in subsequent years. In 2008, the estimated obesity prevalence rate among children and adolescents of 2-19 years of age was 16.3 percent and overweight prevalence rate was 31.9 percent (Fleming et al., 2008). In 2010, it was estimated that 38 percent of children in the European Union and 50 percent of children in North America were overweight. This dramatic increase in childhood obesity is likely to have considerable long-term impact for economics and public health. If not reversed, the public health obesity toll is likely to continue rising as children and adolescents enter adulthood and start experiencing delayed and usually life threatening obesity complications (Fleming et al., 2008). In addition, there is increasing concerns regarding the vulnerability of many children to the adverse emotional and social obesity consequences. The effects of some of these consequences may be immediate with undesirable health outcomes and potentially lasting effects (Puhl & Latner, 2007). Childhood obesity is specifically problematic because it is not only linked to various comorbid physical and psychological problems but also adult obesity predictors and mortality risk factor (Werthmann et al.

This increased prevalence of childhood obesity has correlated with a rise in serious health concerns, once only seen in adults including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and asthma (Freedman, Srinivansan, Berenson, Dietz, 2007; Whitloc, Williams, Gold, Smith, Shipman, 2005; Han, Lawlor, Kimm, 2010). Additionally children who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for being bullied, experiencing psychological distress, mental disorders such as depression and anxiety and low self -esteem (Halfon, Larson, Slusser, 2013). Furthermore, obesity in childhood is a strong predictor of adulthood obesity and therefore a precursor to more serious health consequence throughout the lifespan (Halfon et. al, 2013).

Recent statistics have shown that childhood obesity has reached global epidemic status. In the United States alone, approximately 34% of adolescents and young adults are considered obese or overweight (Pbert et al, 2013). The rates are equally concerning across the world and appear to have rates that are disproportionate among minorities and low-income families. The root causes include factors that are genetic, environmental, societal and developmental, but it is largely caused by controllable factors such as unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity. The condition is fraught with significant risk factors such as depression, low-esteem and a further increased risk of becoming obese adults. Furthermore, there is an increased risk of adult-onset diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Pbert et al, 2014).

Childhood obesity in America is an enormous problem that we face. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children in the past thirty years. The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% to nearly 18% in 2012” (“Childhood”). According to Web M.D., “Children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors” (“Preventing”). Childhood obesity can lead to many other serious illnesses and problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatigue, depression, and low self-esteem.

Childhood obesity is associated with a lot of health-related problems and leads to health risks in adulthood. Problems with obesity are not only physiological but psychological and social as well. Physically, overweight children run the risk of heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, gall bladder disease and asthma(Spark). The cost of obesity is very high. Obese people have to pay not only in their reduced lifespan but also more in their medical bills. Obese children tend to have a negative body image, which lowers their self-esteem. Most of them feel dispirited and are nervous about their obesity issue. These cause stress and can negatively affect their behavior. These children can be discriminated by their peers in school, and have some

Childhood obesity has gained a lot of attention in the last 15 years. Obesity is also so much more than just being fat; it is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescent. Before they reach the age of five, 40 million of the world's children will become obese. According to Primary Health Care, “one in three children is overweight, very overweight or obese” (Bishop 12). Childhood obesity is a well known health issue in society today. Some may think of it as a disease such as cancer, but others disagree with this. According to a Health Progress, “Obese youth also are more likely to have pre-diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and behavioral and psychological problems” (Donahue 80). The progression of childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a relatively new and disturbing term. It is an extremely serious problem that many children in the United States face. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), approximately 12.7 million or seventeen percent of children and adolescents aged two to nineteen are considered to be obese (Childhood Obesity). This is an astronomical number and it is only continuing to rise. According to Schroeder et al. (2016), there is approximately an addition fifteen percent of children that are overweight (p. 309). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), defines childhood obesity as a body mass index or “BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens at the same age and sex” (Defining Childhood). This means that adolescents of the same age and sex are compared to one another in terms of their weight and height. Body mass index is calculated by “dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, Defining Childhood). This is the basis for determining whether or not an adolescent individual is considered to be obese or not. Unfortunately, healthcare professionals are having to categorize more and more adolescents as obese when they are seen for health checkups. Childhood obesity is an extremely dangerous and troubling phenomenon.

Obesity in today’s world has become a very well recognized health concern. Childhood obesity may be even more concerning because it has potential to lead to obesity in adulthood. Shockingly, one in ten infants and one in four toddlers in today’s society are obese. (Davison, Jurkowski, Li, Kranz &Lawson, 2013) Seeing these numbers solidifies the need for interventions early on in childhood and illustrates the prevalence of this problem. It is essential to understand the physical and psychological health risks involved in childhood obesity in order to grasp the severity of this epidemic. The difficulty to pin point a direct cause for childhood obesity cannot be over

Obesity has been a major health issue in the community for the past three decades, and has recently become a spreading concern for children (Black & Hager, 2013). Childhood obesity leads to many health and financial burdens in the future, and has become a public health priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016), childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Black and Hager (2013) state that pediatric obesity is a major public health problem that effects a child’s mental and physical health. Having childhood obesity also increases the risk of developing adult obesity and many other chronic illnesses. Childhood obesity will be further explored in the following sections and will include: background, current surveillance methods, epidemiology analysis, screening and diagnosis, and the plan of action.

Childhood obesity has become a major challenge for public health in the 21st century. Since the 1970s, obesity in teens have triple and today, the country lead the nation with one out of six children being obese. Obesity is a major contributor to chronic diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes (Frieden, Dietz, and Collins, 2015). According to one study, 70 percent of obese youth have at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor and 40 percent have two or more (Frieden, Dietz, and Collins, 2015).

The prevalence of paediatric obesity has escalated to epidemic proportions, with 28.2% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 15 classified as either overweight or obese in 2015 (Health Survey of England, HSE, 2015). The factors that can contribute to childhood obesity includes genetics and environmental factors such as increasingly sedentary behaviours and caloric intake (Arluk, Branch, Swain, & Dowling, 2003; MacKenzie, 2000). Increased obesity in youth leads to an array of co-morbidities including Type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and sleep apnea (Wang & Dietz, 2002). In addition, children are psycho-socially affected by this condition and may experience depression and lower self-esteem (Goodman & Whitaker, 2002; Janssen, Craig,

Have you heard someone say “My kid is not fat, they are just big boned?” Don’t laugh just yet, that might not be a farfetched theory according to some researchers. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic sweeping the United States and needs to be controlled before it is too late to alter the outcome. This situation has many consequences and lead to other issues in adulthood. As researchers gained better understanding of obesity in children, they were able to link various health conditions such as pre-diabetes, sleep apnea, and even hearth disease. Childhood obesity has both short and long term effects on their wellbeing. Even though not all children are healthy and active, obesity in children is damaging to their health, more prone to