Obesity is a national problem that impacts many levels of our society, from how our tax dollars are spent on national
initiatives (like the USDA's National School Lunch Program) to how we cope with the costs of healthcare from weight
related problems. While the number of obese adults is increasing each year, a more alarming trend is the rise in obese
children. As you can see from the chart below the increase from 1980 to 2004 is huge. (Chart 2) The National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that about one-third of U.S. children
have a BMI that places them in the 85th percenile or above -- that includes over 25 million children (Source 3). Unlike most
adults, children have less weight in many of the decisions that lead towards their condition, like the family grocery list.
Children are also more susceptible to outside influences like television advertising which generally lead to less nutritious
choices in food when they do have that opportunity to choose. Childhood obesity is an epidemic which must be
understood before it can be stopped. The following discussion will provide an understanding of childhood obesity by
defining or measuring it, by looking at the risks it poses, and by seeing what causes it.
The first step in understanding obesity is defining it. Traditionally, the National Center for Health Statistics developed a
series of charts which compared height and weight of children at various ages with one 'ideal' measurement for all
children to compare to. These charts were flawed in many ways, including that they were set with statistics from
predominantly white children (Source 4). A new set of growth charts was created in 2000 from the CDC with a new value
to measure against – the Body-Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is a single number calculated from an individual's weight to
their height. The new formula was derived from statistics of multiple ethnic populations to be a more all-encompassing
figure and accurate to a larger population. In general, a child with a BMI in the 85th percentile is seen to be 'at risk' of
becoming obese and a child in the 95th percentile is obese (Source 4). The charts used for comparing a child's BMI to
their percentile ranking are very different from adult rankings as the acceptable values move up and down during different
stages in development. Children grow at different rates and need a certain amount of calories in order to avoid long-term
growth difficulties (Source 4).
To calculate BMI, you need two values: height in inches (H) and weight in pounds (W). With this information in hand,
calculate BMI with the following formula: (W * 703) / H2. This BMI formula is the same for all children, but different
standards have been published for boys and girls. Looking at an example the differences between male and female
development (illustrated on the charts) are clear. To calculate the BMI for an 8 year old with the height of 4ft 4in (52
inches) and a weight of 72lbs apply this formula: (72 * 703) / (52 * 52) = 18.7. If the child is male, a BMI of 18.7 places
them in the 88th percentile – at risk for obesity. If the child is female, a BMI of 18.7 places them in the 84th percentile – at a
healthy weight. This variation is also a good reason to look to a family physician with a full medcal history before a label is
placed on a child as obese.
Just identifying a child as obese can carry some of the most devastating effects of the condition – low self-esteem and
depression. Once children reach the level of obese, many social and emotional problems can result. Overweight children
are often the target of bullying by their peers. This bullying leads to self-esteem and depression issues that transform into
social withdrawal, destructive eating behviors and even learning disabilities. As you can see from the following chart,
overweight children are a problem at all ages (Chart 1). The emotional problems suffered by obese children hinder their
progress in losing weight and carry into adulthood with lasting consequences. As reported in Business Week, 'study after
study has shown that children with low self-esteem have the worst outcomes on any weight-loss plan' (Source 1).
The physical problems associated with obesity are devastating to children who suffer them and also cost our society an
estimated $100 billion a year (Source 2). Type-2 diabetes was once referred to as 'adult onset' diabetes but is now
diagnosed in a growing number of children each year. Other physical problems that manifest in obese children include:
high blood pressure, asthma, sleep apnea, early puberty or menarche, skin infections, metabolic syndrome, liver disease
and even chronic joint problems. These physical symptoms rob children of their childhood, making them into little senior
citizens. As a doctor who counsels oveweight children said to a reporter about the situation, "It's like talking to someone
who's eighty years old. Overweight kids have the same maladies [that seniors do]; they have trouble moving" (Source 4).
Examning the causes of childhood obesity can lead to some logical ways to prevent it. The causes of obesity are complex
and fit together like a large web; the cures for obesity also need to follow that model. The primary causes of childhood
obesity are diet, inactivity, genetics, psychological factors and family/social factors. The remainder of this paper will
address these causes and some possible ways of combating them.
Diet is the most obvious cause of obesity as most people can see the connection between eating large quantities of food
and gaining weight. The less obvious connection is the one between low density, high fat, calorie foods and weight gain.
As our society has lowered the costs of many foods through production efficiencies and improvements in transportation,
foods low in energy density and viamin rich have become more expensive. This disparity – the unhealthy food is cheaper
and faster than healthy fruits and vegetables – has caused more low-income cases of obesity. Low-income parents face a
trade-off not seen by high-income parents: healthy food or rent. Making healthy food available to low-income families at a
lesser or subsidized cost could help alleviate this situation.
The other diet-related concern with children is aesthtic – many kids don't like to eat fruits and vegetables. Children will
gravitate towards food that they find tasty, and once they have developed a craving for high-fat food, this is difficult to
overcome (Source 2). Kids develop their primary preferences for food in the first 10 years of life. Once they have passed
that age many studies have shown that children won't change their eating patterns without another motivation besides
taste (Source 2). Exposing children to as many different healthy alternatives early can stop their taste from developing
towards a craving for high-fat, high-sugar food.
Inactivity has become a greater problem as our society has changed with the Information Age. Many leisure activities
enjoyed by children today are sedentary – gaming consoles, computers and television require little physical effort. Other
factors, such as the safety of local parks and playgrounds in the inner city also lead to children staying indoors and
inactive for leisure time. Sports programs and physical education in the public schools have been cut back due to funding
issues. Moderation in sedntary activities is instrumental to increasing activity for children. Increase movement whenever
possible – even a walk to school each day or walking the entire store on a shopping trip can help bridge the gap between
calories eaten and used each day.
The genetic cause of obesity is one of the smallest factors in the obesity epidemic. Less than 5% of obese children have a
genetic predisposition towards the condition. Displling the myth that all overweight children are doomed to this fate is
beneficial to combating this misconception.
Psychological, family and social factors are the largest contributors to childhood obesity. Once a child is overweight and
on the path to obesity, the psychological factors – like depression, low self-esteem and compulsive eating – become the
cause of the condition as well as the effect. When a child grows up in the household of obese parents, habits learned from
the parents will be passed on from generation to generation. Even healthy parents make the common mistake of feeding
children adult-size portions. This behavior causes overfeeding to become the norm: "If you over feed toddlers or young
children, they will consistently seek out more than their body needs", Dr Ellen Rome, director of adolescent medicine at
the Cleveland Clinic (Source 1).
These factors can be minimized by two main measures: keeping children from becoming obese and creating healthy
family patterns that enable children to learn healthy habits. Bring children to the grocery store to do the family shopping
and discuss each item before putting it in the cart. Read ntritional labels and create family rules about what foods can and
cannot be eaten in the home based on their nutritional content. Practice moderation when eating out as a family. When
the food is delivered, demonstrate healthy portion control at the table to show children how much food should be eaten at
one seating. Avoid using any type of food as a reward.
Childhood obesity is an enormus problem with no quick answers. Only by defining the problem, recognizing the need for
change and working together towards a solution will we find a way to avoid a preventble epidemic.
Source 1:
Author: Arnst, Catherine
Website: Bloomberg
Article Title: Helping Your Kid Slim Down; How to change behavior that can foster obesity -- and its long-term
damage.
Date published: 8 Jan. 2006
URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-01-08/helping-your-kid-slim-down
Source 2:
Article Title: Risk Factors
Author: Mayo Clinic Staff
Website Title: Diseases and Conditions Childhood Obesity
Publisher/sponsor: Mayo Clinic
URL: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-obesity/basics/risk-factors/con-20027428
Published: 3 Nov. 2015
Source 3:
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/defining.html
Article Title: Defining Childhood Obesity
Website: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Date Published: Jun. 19, 2015
Source 4:
Book Title: Obesity, Business, and Public Policy
Author: Zoltan J. Acs, Alan Lyles and Kenneth R. Stanton.
Publisher: Edward Elgar
Year Published: 2007
Overweight Children in 1999-2000
ChildrenAges
less than 2 years old
2-5 years old
6-11 years old
12-19 years old
% Overweight
11.6%
10.4%
15.3%
15.5%
% Overweight of Children in 1999-2000
29.4%
22.0%
19.7%
29.0%
less than 2 years old
2-5 years old
6-11 years old
1
12-19 years old
Children Ages Boys
girls
Total
6-11 years old
70
88
158
12-19 years old
98
1118
1216
Total
168
1206
1374
Average
% Overweight
84
12.23%
603
87.77%
Average % Overweight
79
11%
608
89%
100%
100.00%
% Overweight of Boys and Girls
12.23%
87.77%
Boys
girls
2
Final Practical Exam, Part 2: Word 2013
Please complete the following:
1. Download the Childhood Obesity.docx file from Blackboard and save it to your flash
drive
2. Rename the file to Lastname_WordFinal.
3. Format the paper with the proper MLA style (8th Edition) requirements.
a. Heading content
b. Header content
c. Titles
d. Text, paragraph, and page formatting
4. Sources are provided on the last page of the file
a. The sources have been referenced in the text as Source#. Add in-text citations to the
document. Replace the word “source#” with the correct in text citations for the
sources in your paper using the MLA style.
b. Format the sources in proper MLA style.
5. Embed the finished chart about overweight children in 1999-2000 from the Final
Practical Exam, Part 1 into the Childhood Obesity paper at the point where it shows
Chart 1 in the paper. Charts should be captioned, cited, and text wrapped.
6. Embed the finished chart about the percentages of overweight children in 1980 and 2004
from the Final Practical Exam, Part 2 into the Childhood Obesity paper at the point where
it shows Chart 2 in the paper. Charts should be:
a. Text wrapped
b. Captioned
c. Cited in ‘Works Cited’ page
7. Find two images related to childhood obesity and insert them into the paper. The selected
images must be from sources where you have permission to utilize them. Images should
be
a. Text wrapped
b. Captioned
c. Cited in ‘Works Cited’ page.
8. Save the file as Lastname_WordFinal and submit it into Blackboard when you have
completed all parts of this test.
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