Childhood obesity

Childhood obesity

Childhood obesity

Permalink: ‎

Childhood obesity has both become an issue and an epidemic. Ideally, the number of obese and overweight children in the United States has grown at an alarming rate especially the past thirty years. The existing studies have indicated that there is no chance of childhood obesity to slow down unless some actions are taken (Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, 2014). The idea of fast food has swept the country leaving trails of poor nutrition in place. Ideally, the issue of fast food corporations appears to encourage children in the consumption of regular quantities of unhealthy foods through giving away toys when purchasing children’s meal. The video games, computers, and televisions have started to cloud the significance of exercise.

The technological influences result in childhood obesity and are approached with a devastating abundance of the negative impacts. Obesity often places children at a high risk of evolving serious illnesses. The obese children not only have the risk of poor blood quality, weak lungs but also have unhealthy weights (Dabrowska, 2014). There are appropriate ways to slow childhood obesity regardless of the numerous obstacles. Prevention could be attained through participation in healthy activities and having a balanced diet. Childhood obesity has negative effects although there are ways to discontinue or hinder the spread of the diseases. Obesity has become one of the most serious issues in the United States.

Obesity is a global issue although the crucial focus in the society pertains addressing the rates of obesity in children. The rates of childhood obesity could be viewed as a consequence of poor parental supervision of dietary, inadequate individual fitness activities, technology, possible depressions, and inadequate nutrition programs. The children are at the risk of facing serious consequences in future (Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, 2014). The results for children obesity include early mortality rates, serious diseases, chronic health issues, and depression. It is essential to strive to remain healthy in the society. The already done research has revealed that gaining substantial weight cannot be controlled. On the other hand, researches have demonstrated that consuming low quantities of vegetables and fruits are among the factors that impact weight gain in the society.

Background to the topic

Childhood obesity in the United States is a major health issue. Besides, the rates of childhood obesity appear to have increased from the past thirty years. Ideally, the rates of childhood obesity in the United States especially in the rural communities are high compared to the ones in urban areas. For instance, most rural children contained a great risk for childhood obesity compared to their urban children counterparts regardless of controlling socioeconomic status, race, gender, and age (Cheung, Cunningham, Narayan & Kramer, 2016). The prevention programs are required to address the factors that contribute to childhood obesity in the rural areas. Childhood is a developmental period where parents have great influence on the attitudes and health behaviors of children.

Parents play a great role in guiding body image, activity levels, weight status, and the eating habits of children. Operating with the parents offers essential psychosocial influences in lives of preteen children. Therefore, parents can enhance the essential skills and knowledge required to strengthen positive influences that ultimately results to healthier lifestyles, long-term health welfares, reduced risk of obesity, and healthier lifestyles (Dabrowska, 2014). Several recent studies have revealed the interventions that focus parents on effective prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Most of the recent studies have focused its feasibility studies in addressing the issues of rural families and children.

Most current studies deal with issues such as seasonal activity options, availability of exercise facilities, and the long travel distances that are mostly associated with farming and ranching. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture established the prevention initiative for childhood obesity. The institution supports some projects such as extension projects, education, and integrated research. Childhood obesity is a serious issue where the excess body fat affects the well-being and health of both young adults and children (Cheung, Cunningham, Narayan & Kramer, 2016). A child is often regarded obese when he or she goes above the normal weight for the required height and age. Today almost a third of the children are either obese or overweight.

Problem statement

Childhood obesity has grown to be a great issue in the United States. The epidemic of the obesity alongside the associated illnesses poses serious public health across the world. A great concern is the continued and dramatic increase in the prevalence of the obesity and overweight children. The prevalence of the overweight children within the United States has been estimated to be 25% (Nguyen & El-Serag, 2010). Besides, the rates of childhood obesity have more than tripled in the last 30 years. Additionally, the prevalence of the rates of obesity among the children has increased as indicated by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Obesity in children has led to significant impact on both the psychosocial and physical health with both long term and short term adverse effects.

Professional significance of your work

The results of the study will help other researchers and policymakers in the same field to address the issue of childhood obesity. The growing issue associated with childhood obesity poses a serious health issue across the world. Ideally, childhood obesity emerges because of the lack of exercise and poor nutrition leading to a great threat to the extent of life expectancy. The rates of childhood obesity have been associated with great chances for disability in adulthood and premature death. The recent research has demonstrated that the incidence of childhood obesity is still growing. Nonetheless, there has not been any specific studies that have been conducted to institute the prevalence of the obesity and overweight in the United States during the period of carrying out this study.

Overview methodology

The assessment plans and intervention programs were created, and focus groups were done. The focus groups managed to determine the problems and issues related to childhood obesity. Besides, the focus groups were concerned with the rural parents and assessed the needs for health information, interest, and presence of constraints. The research will incorporate a cross-sectional design where the subjects will be assessed in a single time. Cross-sectional design is less time consuming because it incorporates testing few groups at the same point and therefore a great number of subjects could be tested using low costs. The study populations will small children both male and female. The children between the age of 7 and 10 will create the target population.

Delimitations

The study will be confined to Mississippi which is the state having the greatest rate of obesity. The study will be limited to childhood obesity aged between 7 and 10 years but incorporating both males and females. The limitations to the study will include dependence to parental reports of the weight and height of the children. The limitations will be potential for non-response preference inherent to the survey designs, inability to deliberate further individual covariates including the dietary patterns for children, the status for parental obesity, and small direct area-based measures within the neighborhood environment. The limitations will help ensure there is a focus on the study.

Definition of terms

Child: Refers to a young person either male or female aged between 7 and 10 years

Anthropogenic measures: Measurement of the physical dimension of child’s body

Breakfast: First meal consumed with a child in the day

Calorie: Unit of energy provided by food

Dietary intake: the level of minerals, vitamins, protein, and calorie in dietary consumption

Food consumption pattern: The frequency where foods are consumed with the children in a day

Malnutrition: The poor health state among the children and results from lack of right food

Meal: Instance for taking food at a particular time and involves the consumption of a particular food with the children

Summary

Childhood obesity is a complicated disease that results from a combination of environmental, psychological, and medical factors. Besides, the childhood obesity is normally characterized by an increase in the amount of fat cells contrary to the adults where there is a change in number and size. The development of childhood obesity is influenced by some factors and includes economic status, culture, genetics, physical activity, energy balance, and feeding habits. The childhood obesity predisposes an individual to serious health issues such as pulmonary diseases, cancer, and diabetes among others. Good feeding practices and loss of weight through conducting physical activities helps in alleviating the issue of childhood obesity.

References

Cheung, P., Cunningham, S., Narayan, K., & Kramer, M. (2016). Childhood Obesity Incidence in the United States: A Systematic Review. Childhood Obesity, 12(1), 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/chi.2015.0055

Cunningham, S., Kramer, M., & Narayan, K. (2014). Incidence of Childhood Obesity in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 370(5), 403-411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1309753

Dabrowska, A. (2014). Childhood Overweight and Obesity: Data Brief. United States: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41420.pdf

Nguyen, D., & El-Serag, H. (2010). The Epidemiology of Obesity. Gastroenterology Clinics Of North America, 39(1), 1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gtc.2009.12.014