Public Health Problem Of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States in the past three decades. In 2012, roughly 17% or 12.5 million children and adolescents are overweight or obese” (“Childhood Obesity Facts,” 2014). According to the Centers of Disease Control and

When you think of the word “epidemic,” you often associate it with disease such as the flu, or much more serious ones like the plague. What most people often do not think is the much more common, relatable epidemic of childhood obesity. While we may not be the generation that is being affected the most, chances are the children we see today and children of future generations will be affected if we do not take action now. A fast-food frenzy has swept the nation, technological advances both in and out of the classroom seem to be taking over children’s lives- leaving less time for being physical active, and obese kids are posing a higher risk for an already damaged healthcare system. Childhood

Obesity has been projected to cause over 100,000 deaths annually in the United States. Childhood obesity is more predominant in other ethnic and racial groups than others are. The rates are known to be much higher in non- Hispanic girls. It is also common among the Whites / Native Alaskans and

Would you like to super-size this meal for an extra $.39? That is a question far too many Americans hear everyday. People in this country are getting fatter and fatter. "In a study conducted by the independent Institute of Medicine (IOM), the prevalence of obese children age 6 to 11 is three times as high as 30 years ago," (Arnst and Kiley, 2004). Additionally, 31% of the total U.S. population is classified as obese (Tiplady, 2005). As obese kids move through adolescence and into adulthood, their risk for health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes increases greatly (surgeongeneral.gov, n.d.). To tackle this

The problem of childhood obesity has been increasing for the past 30 years, many children do not eat family home made meals anymore, like it used to be decades ago, in this new generation children do not have the support they need or the motivation to believe that they can be on shape. According to the Alliance for healthier Generation. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. This is a big issue that needs our critical attention. Consequently, the increasing epidemic of childhood obesity has been on the rise, some contributing factors are the lack of physical activity, the technology and marketing unhealthy foods. Our children are the heart of this wonderful planet.

Throughout the world, the obesity epidemic is growing with dramatic magnitude. Childhood obesity is no different. In the United States, 36.5% of adults are overweight or obese, 17.0% among U.S. youth.1 Childhood obesity rates have continued to soar over the recent years, along with the health problems resulting from obesity. While there is no question about the rapid increase in overweight or obese children in the United States, the causes and solutions are less transparent. Children are more susceptible to the obesity epidemic, they have fewer tools to deal with the increasing and overwhelming number of factors that contribute to the epidemic.3 Some of which include the limited access to healthy affordable foods in low-income areas, increased portion sizes, and greater available of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages.1 There are a plethora of health problems that are caused by obesity. To name a few, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma, fatty liver disease, low self-esteem and low quality of living, and impaired social, physical, and emotional function.1 Additionally, childhood obesity leads to premature mortality in adulthood as well as physical morbidity. The effects of childhood obesity do not end when a child outgrows an age, it continues with them and has impacts for the rest of their lives.2

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

Childhood obesity has been a longstanding issue that researchers have been analyzing for many years. Researchers Wells, Eves, Beavis, & Ong (2014) states that obesity is one of the most rapid epidemics. The prevalence of obesity has increased ten percent from 1988 to 1994 with the incidence of being overweight in adolescents (12 to 19) increasing from 11% to 17%. A different study dating back to 1998, evaluated children that entered kindergarten that same year. Researchers realized that 14.9% of the children initially entered overweight and the prevalence of obesity will reach to 20% by the time they reach the 8th grade (Cunningham, Kramer, & Narayan 2012). They make the claim that this is not only true for the specific population but the

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.

According to the CDC (2017), obesity now affects 12.7 million children and adolescents, making it about 1 in 6 in the United States. Globally, the number of overweight children under the age of five in 2015, was estimated to be over 42 million children (World Health Organization [WHO], 2017). That was a significant increase in the number of overweight infants and young children globally from 32 million in 1990. If current trends continue, the number of overweight or obese infants and young children globally will increase to 70 million by 2025 (WHO, 2017). Obesity can be seen in all races, but statistics show that the prevalence of obesity is higher among Hispanics (CDC, 2017). About 1 in 3 boys is overweight or obese, which is 33 percent compared with 30.4 percent of girls (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [NIDDK], 2012). Childhood obesity affects many children of all races in the United States and

Forty years ago in America childhood obesity was rarely a topic of conversation. A survey done in the early 1970s showed that 6.1% of children between the ages 12 and 19 were overweight. Eight years later the same survey was done and 17.4% were considered overweight (Iannelli). “Childhood obesity epidemic in America is now a confirmed fact since the number of overweight or obese children has more than tripled during the last 30 years” (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). “Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in children aged 6 to 11 years has tripled from 6.5% to 19.6%” (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). As a nation statistics should be alarming. Why are American children today so obese?

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem in Canada that needs to be addressed in a timely manner. For the past few decades, the prevalence of childhood obesity in Canada has been on a steady rise, and up until now, it is still increasing and becoming an epidemic. Canada was ranked as the third most overweight and obese G-7 nation in 2005, following United States and the United Kingdom (ref?). The rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity in Canada between 1978 to 2004 has more than doubled, going from 6.3% to 12.7% in 2004 (ref: addressing obesity). The combination of the prevalence of overweight and obese children between the ages of 2-17 almost doubled from 1978-79 to 2004, starting with 15% to 26% in 2004(ref: childhood Canada 10). This prevalence of overweight or obese children varies across provinces in Canada, with New Brunswick having the second highest combined prevalence (34.2%) of children and youth overweight and obesity and Alberta with the lowest combined rate of childhood and youth overweight and obesity (21.8%) (ref: hi-poph-childhood)Figure. According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, 24% of children and youth aged 12-17 are overweight and obese in New Brunswick (ref: Health Indicators).

According to Johnston, et al. (2013), childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States with 32.6% children of ages 6-11 overweight

Obesity at any age is caused by poor diet and lifestyle choices. Childhood obesity is a special situation because the child is not often directly responsible for their own diet. Most children’s diets are dictated by what parents and school provide (“Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity”). Therefore, the true roots of the childhood obesity problem lie in poor education for parents and unhealthy food choices in school cafeterias.

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years (CDC). It is estimated that, on our current track, in about 50 years 1 out of 2 Americans will develop diabetes. These are startling facts, and it gets even weirder when you look into the causes for this sudden change. Since the 1980s, the amount of added sugar in our diets has increased exponentially. In fact, these days, around 90% of the food products in our grocery stores contain added sugar. Why? This is partially due to the diet/low-fat craze that started in the 1980s. Food companies cut down the amount of fat in their products, but