Obesity has Taken Over Our Children

Have you ever wondered what are the major causes of obesity? The CDC (2017) states that one out of every five children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise. Wilson (2016) states that many children who are obese develop health complications, such as joint, gallbladder, and sleeping problems. The majority of children who are obese as kids tend to be obese as adults. Reason being, many children develop bad eating habits by learning from their surroundings. When it comes to such an important topic as obesity there 's not only one cause, but several causes of why obesity is such a huge problem in America. Childhood obesity has greatly increased over the years and there are three main causes that have caused

Childhood obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic problem that has lasting psychological effects, because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control; which has made food become a major health issue in many young teenager's lives today. Childhood obesity is something that most kids inherit from his or her own parent. When it comes to child obesity, there is a great deal of understanding of the causes and consequences of this kind of problem. There are important necessary steps to take in order to take preventative action.

In America childhood obesity statistics show that almost 60 percent of children are obese. This statistic continues to grow at an alarming rate. 70 percent of obese adolescence become obese adults. This means when these children grow into adults they will have more health problems than they already do and their quality of life will decrease. The amount of children who are obese between ages 6-11 years old has risen from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent, in 2008. In adolescents ages 12-19 years old the obesity rates risen from 5.0 percent in 1960 to 18.1 percent in 2008. Last year the United States government stated that obesity and type 2 diabetes have become a national epidemic.

A drive down the road in any given American city and one can observe at least one reason that the United States is struggling with obesity. One would be hard pressed to find a community that is not teeming with fast food restaurants. However, it might surprise some that the obesity epidemic in our country has reached the most vulnerable population of all and they aren’t even capable of driving themselves to these bastions of unhealthy food. The childhood obesity level has reached 34% of children in the United States (SHUMEI, 2016).Obesity is caused by consistently consuming more calories than are needed for the level of physical activity one has on a daily basis. Although there are several indicators of obesity, the CDC and The American Academy of Pediatrics use the body mass index (BMI). Childhood obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex (Perpich, 2011). Childhood obesity has been linked to an increase in Type 2 diabetes mellitus, asthma, hypertension, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and even affects children in psychosocial terms with low self-esteem and fewer friends than their non-obese contemporaries (Hispanic Health Care International, 2011). There are a variety of causes that work together for contributing to childhood obesity from the income level of the home to gender to even the location of the child’s home. Although there are many factors that can cause childhood obesity, we

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and other developed economies. Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in the U.S. has increased at an alarming rate, from 5-7% to 18-20% by 2008 (CDC, 2012). In addition, a full one third of all children in the U.S. are now overweight.

The way we eat has changed in the last fifty years with the advent of science and technology. Not only is food being chemically engineered but also the wrong foods are opted for because of their convenience, their marked down prices and their addictive nature. For that matter, the commencement of the 21st century brought our attention to the childhood obesity epidemic. Although a widespread issue, it is also a discriminative one in the sense that specific groups--African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians -- are disproportionately affected.

During the 1970’s, about 5% of American children between the ages of two and nineteen were considered to be “obese”. Over the past several decades, that percentage has risen to a whopping 17% - a change that is seemingly minute. It may only appear as a 12% increase, however, that 17% translates to 12.5 million children and teens burdened with the challenge of obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is defined as having a body mass index that exceeds the 95th percentile (U.S. Department of Health). In other words, the average between the mass and the height of an obese child is greater than that of 95% of all other children. As in any medical issue, the biggest concerns for childhood obesity stem from the potential risk factors that can result. Some of which include diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and even death. Thus, many have sought out the root cause of the issue as well as the most effective solutions. Childhood obesity, promoted by a processed diet, increasing portion sizes, and limited access to healthy, affordable foods, is an epidemic plaguing a vast number of children within the United States and will continue to do so if left to fester. Nonetheless, this ailment can be remedied through an extensive understanding of proper nutrition, dedication to maintaining dietary excellence, and emphasis on prevention.

Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. Studies show that overweight kids are likely to become overweight and obese adults. This is a significant issue in the U.S. and needs to be monitored closely. Some parents are in denial that their children are obese and do not do anything to help or prevent it. When obesity is a problem at a young age it is very easy to have, it become a habit all throughout their life.

Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern for Americans; it is a very serious health concern. It doesn’t just impact the way Americans look, this serious condition can change the course of our lives, and not for the better (American Heart Association, 2005). Childhood obesity is a national epidemic that is affecting our children and adolescents of America at high and alarming rates. It occurs when children are exceeding the normal weight for his or her age and height. Up to one out of every five children in the U.S. is overweight or obese, and one and three are obese, and this number has continually to rise (Benaroch, 2012) for over 30 years. Since 1963, kids and teens overweight issues and medical conditions are increasing at an alarming rate and unfortunately some of the same overweight and obese kids / teens become overweight / obese adults with serious health issues. Overweight kids have a 70–80 percent chance of staying overweight (American Heart Association, 2005). The most common causes for children being overweight and obese is genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of all these factors.

The United States has seen childhood obesity rates double in children and increase four times in adolescents since the 1980’s.1 The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2012, over one third of children and adolescents were considered obese or overweight.1 There is an urgent need to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, as obesity has been shown to have deteriorating immediate health effects and increase the risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, osteoarthritis and cancer in adulthood.1 Although there are many influential factors in a child’s weight, nutrition is one of the main ones to consider, as a complete and balanced diet also promotes healthy growth and development.2 Research indicates that school encompasses a significant portion of a child’s time, cognitive, physical and social development, and as such, has the responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle for children.3 Because of the nationwide concern surrounding childhood obesity, recent federal wellness policy for public schools mandate that nutrition education, physical activity and other wellness promoting programs must be part of the school environment.4 The purpose of this review of literature is to evaluate if school nutrition is one of the major contributors to childhood obesity and how policy changes have affected the problem.

Obesity is the second leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Being overweight and obese has become more prevalent and increased during the last three decades in both adults and children. Currently, 25 million children in the United States are obese or overweight (Babey, Wolstein, Diamant, Bloom, and Goldstein, 2011). The rise in childhood obesity and related health diseases are indicators of a decrease in life expectancy and increased individual and societal costs (Olshansky et al., 2005).

Childhood obesity rates in United States have skyrocketed thus making it a major public health concern. “There is a rapid climb in the prevalence of obesity in children in the United States over the last two decades such that in 2009-2010, 16.9% of US children and adolescents were obese”(Karnick, & Kanekar, 2014, p. 2). Today more than 23 million children and teens in US, nearly three in one young people are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity threatens the health of our young people now and their future potential. They are at high risk for serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Also they miss more school and have more psychological stress and are more likely

In the United States alone, there are 17% (12.5 million) youth who are obese (Ogden et al, 2014). To analyze the obesity epidemic and obesity related factors in children and adolescents, a population-based study of obesity and its complication in children and adolescents was conducted (Yu-bin, 2013).

Up until the late 1990s, seeing an obese child was extremely abnormal because children’s main form of entertainment was playing outside. An important factor contributing to the increased rate of childhood obesity is that the foremost form of amusement has shifted from outdoor activities to vast outlets of easily accessible technology. Children are also being served a variety of unhealthy meals from fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s or Taco Bell. Unfortunately, most parents do not know the underlying truth about what they are feeding their children and often choose the cheapest route for feeding their families. Research indicates that the corpulence of today’s youth is becoming severely problematic, and drastic steps are being taken to solve the obesity concern in adolescents.

There have been many studies done in trying to find the root cause for childhood obesity and all stem back to bad dietary patterns, physical inactivity, and genetics. Additionally, factors in society that contribute to this detrimental disease is the education and skills that are taught to children at a young age along with food marketing and promotion for unhealthy foods. There isn’t a demographic group in the United States that has been unaffected by the childhood obesity epidemic, but there is evidence that supports that some subgroups of the U.S. population are more prone to the onset of this epidemic and that have been more affected than others. Certain ethnic minority populations, children from low income families, and children from the southern region in the United States display the trend of having a higher percentage of overweight