Review of Childhood obesity

Review of Childhood obesity

Review of Childhood obesity

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This chapter contains a review of the relevant literature studies related to specific objectives and extensive review of the issue of childhood obesity in Mississippi the United States to identify and address the existing gaps in knowledge in the related researches previously done. The literature reviewed involves the topics such as global prevalence for childhood obesity, the biology for weight change in childhood, eating habits and dietary patterns, societal and environmental factors, economic consequences, psycho-social factors, and the hereditary factors.

According to McNeill (2009), Mississippi has the greatest rate of childhood obesity in the United States. The rates of the of childhood obesity in the United States have tripled since 1980 which has made it be coined as the “The Obesity Epidemic.” There is fear among researchers that the existing youth will have a short life expectancy compared to their parents. The health issues associated with obesity are severe and numerous. The annual rate associated with increased prevalence of childhood obesity has grown steadily. Nearly 60% of children become overweight before puberty has high chances of becoming obese in early childhood (World Health Organization, 2003). The greatest rate of childhood obesity has been seen in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.

Previous research has demonstrated that obesity tracks across the life course. Therefore, a child becomes overweight there is a possibility to add weight in future. A normal healthy child often grows at a predetermined rate which is normally accelerated or compromised through nutrition imbalance. The accumulation of fat during the early stages of life is done through increased volume of adipocytes whereas in the second phase the accumulation of the fats is through the increase of adipocytes without any significant change in the volume of fat cells (Jung & Choi, 2014). In other words, both processes are involved in regulating fat. One process controls the breakdown while the other help is storing fat inside the cells. The adipose tissue among the children contains a great proportion of small fat cells compared to similar tissues among the adults.

The patter of childhood obesity is mostly set during infancy as the mother feeds the baby with the perception that fat babies are a symbol of healthy babies. In some cases, overeating becomes an issue. The repeated nibbling of food, especially between meals, is mostly associated with obesity (Kuźbicka & Rachoń, 2013). The high intake of energy incorporating consumption of refined food is a popular practice that predisposes children into obesity. Regular snacking is linked with enhanced dietary intakes in most affluent societies. The kinds of food consumed also influence the effect of snacking on body weight. Most snacks consumed with children contain high levels of carbohydrates and fats. The meal patterns differ across cultures and populations.

Exercise is a structured and planned subset of leisure period for physical activities often undertaken with the purpose of enhancing or sustaining physical fitness. Childhood obesity is rarely found among the people who lead active lives or recreations that require physical exercise. Dugan (2008) reveals that there have been dramatic changes in the extent of activity in the majority of the western countries. For example, the advancement in technology has decreased the necessity for physical effort in leisure, transport, and work. Children engage in physical activities less and are often transported to school. As a result, there is a great concern on the rapid reduction in levels of activities and initiatives introduced to increase the awareness regarding the benefit of activity.

The change of societal structures is another factor that triggers the increase of childhood obesity in Mississippi. The process of economic transition and modernization has made a number of countries across the world to shift towards industrialization in addition to an economy based economy that is based on trade in the market. The process has resulted in several improvements to standards of living including the services that are availed to people in the entire world. A food system that exists today utilizes the industrial technique to forms of agriculture and to supply greatly processed foods. The decrease in energy expenditure seen with modernization is attributed to forms of sedentary lives such as motorized transport (Denstel et al., 2015).

In conclusion, ¸ childhood obesity is an issue that is caused by not one factor but a combination of several factors. Some of the causes of childhood obesity are associated with the biological change in weight, change in eating habits, economic consequences among others. The reviewed literature reveals that childhood obesity continues to increases because of the changes in lifestyle and technology. Obesity keeps track of the previous life. There is a misconception that a fat baby is an indication for healthiness. The eating between meals among the children is another great contributor to childhood obesity. Exercise is paramount to enhanced health among the children. However, there is still a gap in knowledge especially on the healthy living standards from infancy to adolescence.

Part II: Annotated Bibliography

World Health Organization. (2003). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Geneva. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42665/1/WHO_TRS_916.pdf

The article talks about diet, nutrition and the prevention of the chronic diseases. The article reveals that almost 60 percent of children become overweight before attaining puberty and therefore they have high chances of becoming obese. The article demonstrates that the highest rate of childhood obesity has been experienced in the developed countries. The article will be essential in the research on childhood obesity because it will offer the prevalence rates of childhood obesity, especially in the developed countries Mississippi being one of them. Besides, the article will provide a comparison between the prevalence of the obesity in both industrialized and non-industrialized countries.

Jung, U., & Choi, M. (2014). Obesity and Its Metabolic Complications: The Role of Adipokines and the Relationship between Obesity, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences, 15(4), 6184-6223. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms15046184

The article is about obesity and the associated metabolic complications. Besides, the article offers the association between obesity and other related illnesses. The article also reveals that normal health among the children develops at a predetermined rate that is either accelerated or compromised with nutrition imbalance. The literature indicates that the accumulation of fat increases in the adipose tissue during the first year. In the second year, the amount of fat increases the quantity of adipocytes without considerable change in volume of the fat cells. The article is helpful because it offers the biological change in weight during childhood leading to obesity.

Kuźbicka, K., & Rachoń, D. (2013). Bad eating habits as the main cause of obesity among children, 19(3), 106-110.

The article is about the poor eating habits which are the major cause of obesity among the children. Obesity has been described as one among the greatest medical issues in the existing world. Ideally, the issue of obesity is found to affect children more than the adults. Simple obesity appears to be the most common among the children. Simple obesity results from a lot of energy that comes from food products that surpasses the energy expenditure. The article will be useful in research because it will provide the food consumption patterns among the children. The article reveals that family has a great responsibility to control the access to food among the children.

Dugan, S. (2008). Exercise for Preventing Childhood Obesity. Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Clinics Of North America, 19(2), 205-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2007.11.001

The article is about the benefit of exercise in controlling childhood obesity. The article reveals that childhood obesity is a major health issue particularly in the United States and other developed countries. The obese children are at great risk of developing medical complications including some chronic diseases. Therefore, the article will help in proving the effects of physical inactivity among the children. Besides, sedentary lifestyles are greatly associated with the increased rates of childhood obesity. The article is essential because it offers the best ways to address the challenge of obesity among the children. The article will also help in recommending the physical activities that will help prevent childhood obesity.

Denstel, K., Broyles, S., Larouche, R., Sarmiento, O., Barreira, T., & Chaput, J. et al. (2015). Active school transport and weekday physical activity in 9–11-year-old children from 12 countries. International Journal Of Obesity Supplements, 5, S100-S106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ijosup.2015.26

The article is about physical activities. The emphasis of physical activity and the issue of sedentary living standards are essential in ensuring children lead healthy lifestyles. The children who used motorized means of transport have limited time to participate in physical activities which increases their chances of contracting obesity. Physical activity remains paramount to healthy growing children who will not be at risk of obesity and the associated illnesses. The article is important because we learn that children who play outside enhance their living conditions and never becomes vulnerable to diseases. There is need to incorporate a lot of routine activities among the children lives.

References

Denstel, K., Broyles, S., Larouche, R., Sarmiento, O., Barreira, T., & Chaput, J. et al. (2015). Active school transport and weekday physical activity in 9–11-year-old children from 12 countries. International Journal Of Obesity Supplements, 5, S100-S106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ijosup.2015.26

Dugan, S. (2008). Exercise for Preventing Childhood Obesity. Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Clinics Of North America, 19(2), 205-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2007.11.001

Jung, U., & Choi, M. (2014). Obesity and Its Metabolic Complications: The Role of Adipokines and the Relationship between Obesity, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences, 15(4), 6184-6223. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms15046184

Kuźbicka, K., & Rachoń, D. (2013). Bad eating habits as the main cause of obesity among children, 19(3), 106-110.

McNeill, S. (2009). Obesity in Mississippi. Mississippi: Center for Mississippi Health Policy. Retrieved from https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/3593.pdf

World Health Organization. (2003). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Geneva. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42665/1/WHO_TRS_916.pdf