...Childhood Obesity in the United States of America Tolulope Adedokun Introduction to psychology Dr. Michael Gawrysiak November 28, 2014 Table of contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Causes of Obesity ………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Heredity …………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Social Environment ……………………………………………………………………… 5 Social Status …………………………………………………………………………….. 5 Birth Weight …………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Effects of Obesity ………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Health Effects ……………………………………………………………………………. 7 Mental Effects …………………………………………………………………………… 7 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………. 7 Solutions to Childhood Obesity in The United States of America ………………………………. 8 References ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 9 Abstract Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developing countries especially in the United States of America. Twenty five percent of children in the US are overweight and 11% are obese. Overweight and obesity in childhood are known to have significant impact on both physical and psychological health. This paper describes the causes, effects, and solutions to childhood obesity in the...
Words: 1891 - Pages: 8
...Obesity has become an epidemic in American Society. Since the nineteen eighties childhood obesity rates have tripled and have started in earlier in age. In high school students obesity rates have risen by fifteen percent. In four states obesity rates for adults have exceeded thirty five percent. Obesity is being portrayed as being beautiful, which people should be comfortable in their own skin, but the health effects that obesity causes is far from beautiful. Nearly seventy eight million adults and almost thirteen million children are obese in the United States. In the 1950's the percentage of obese adults was only ten percent, and has now risen to thirty five percent. An adult is averaged to weigh twenty six more pounds more than...
Words: 1032 - Pages: 5
...2015 Topic: Childhood Obesity INTRODUCTION I. Attention Getter: Hi, my name is Jill. I have been a pediatric nurse for almost 2 years now. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2011, childhood Obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. And in 2012, more than one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. II. Specific Purpose: I would I like to inform you all of childhood obesity and ways to get involved in preventing obesity in children. III. Thesis: Childhood obesity is a preventable disorder that could lead to other health effects, short-term and long-term. IV. Preview: I will discuss what obesity is, what health effects it could lead to, and how to prevent it. BODY TRANSITION: To start off, I will explain what obesity is. I. Main Point #1: Obesity is a disorder involving the excessive amount of body fat. A. There are 2 types of classification involving weight gain 1. The classification of being overweight refers to the excess of body weight. 2. And obesity is the excess of fat. 3. Childhood obesity occurs when a child is well above their age and height range which is determined by the body mass index. Children that are at risk for obesity may be ones that are genetically predisposed and have parents that are obese. 4. TRANSITION: Next, I will talk about what health effects that is caused by obesity. II. Main Point...
Words: 302 - Pages: 2
...Childhood Obesity In today's society childhood obesity is considered to be an epidemic. The increase in obesity is not caused by the change in the gene pool, but rather by the change in the environment. This causes vulnerable populations to express the obesity phenotype (Stune, 1999). One in seven children ages 6-17 are considered to be obese. Most nutritionists will say that this is do to the lack of parental guidance. A child's parents should teach their child proper eating habits so that they won't run across problems in the future (Tomlin, 1999). According to the article Facts about childhood Obesity and Overweightness, obese children are statistically not active, and their diets are high in fats and low in energy foods, like carbohydrates . Most doctors will calculate a child's body mass index (BMI), to figure out just how overweight a child is. If a child's BMI is over 30, they are considered obese. In order to calculate one's BMI, you would divide the your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters (Mokdad, 1999). What causes obesity? Weight gain among children is likely due to a combination of factors including: poor dietary habits, genetic makeup, family lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and a child's ethnicity. Obesity is more prevalent among Hispanic, African-American and American Indian children, particularly girls (Mayohealth.org 1997). Overweight children are not necessarily overeaters. Unfortunately, much of the food they...
Words: 2187 - Pages: 9
...2015 Topic: Childhood Obesity INTRODUCTION I. Attention Getter: Hi, my name is Jill. I have been a pediatric nurse for almost 2 years now. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2011, childhood Obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. And in 2012, more than one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. II. Specific Purpose: I would I like to inform you all of childhood obesity and ways to get involved in preventing obesity in children. III. Thesis: Childhood obesity is a preventable disorder that could lead to other health effects, short-term and long-term. IV. Preview: I will discuss what obesity is, what health effects it could lead to, and how to prevent it. BODY TRANSITION: To start off, I will explain what obesity is. I. Main Point #1: Obesity is a disorder involving the excessive amount of body fat. A. There are 2 types of classification involving weight gain 1. The classification of being overweight refers to the excess of body weight. 2. And obesity is the excess of fat. 3. Childhood obesity occurs when a child is well above their age and height range which is determined by the body mass index. Children that are at risk for obesity may be ones that are genetically predisposed and have parents that are obese. 4. TRANSITION: Next, I will talk about what health effects that is caused by obesity. II. Main Point...
Words: 837 - Pages: 4
...World The Effects of Childhood Obesity A losing battle has risen in the arena of health affecting thousands, even millions of those that matter most, the children. This battle is childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a growing concern in today’s society. Rising at extreme rates, one may call it an epidemic. The percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s (Marcus, 2003). With the vast amount of fast food restaurants and unhealthy foods along with the lack of exercise, obesity is hard to avoid. Usually the most delicious and easiest foods to prepare are the ones that are not so good for our well-being. Childhood obesity is formally defined as weighing at least 20% above the weight corresponding to the ideal weight for children of a specific height, gender, and age. 20%-40% over the ideal weight is considered mildly obese, 40%-100% over is considered moderately obese, and 100% over is considered severely obese. Some scientists classify children as overweight if their body fat is at least 25% for males and 30% for females (“So What Is Childhood Obesity?” 2010). Simply put, childhood obesity is consuming unhealthy foods and drinks without exercise to burn it off. None the less, it is extremely detrimental to today’s youth. Childhood obesity can have both physical and psychological effects. The physical effects are similar to those seen in obese adults. Some of the physical effects of childhood...
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
...4331 Clinical Question Since the 1970’s, obesity in America has steadily been on the rise with a numerous amount of speculations as to what the cause could be. Not only are the adults suffering with this “obesity epidemic”, children are also quickly becoming victims of this deadly trend. Prevention has been a vital key at young ages to help children understand the importance of maintaining a healthy diet that could save them thousands of dollars, and more importantly their lives. “Many factors have been suggested as causes of the “obesity epidemic” among children- reduced physical education at school, increased homework loads, campus vending machines, television, larger portions sizes, fast-food restaurants, video games, and countless others.” (Sturm, Roland. 2005) However, recent findings also imply that obesity characteristics could start as early as the infant age in correlation with breastfeeding. I chose this topic because as a woman I know that I would want the best for my children and eventually I will reach that time when I make the decision on how to raise them, including what type of foods I put into their bodies. A healthy lifestyle starts with the parents and how they portray to their children the importance as well as how to continuously stay in that mindset when making decisions. Not many think to go back as far as breastfeeding, and that’s when I took it upon myself to try and fully understand how obesity begins beginning at that stage in life. Every research...
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
...Childhood Obesity Shakia Bennett ENG 122: English Composition II Marsh Bechwith-Howard April 15, 2012 Childhood Obesity: Whose Fault is it? The Ashford library, ebooks, and newspaper articles are where the sources on childhood obesity came from. When doing research on childhood obesity, nutrition and parenting were some of the main reoccurring topics of childhood obesity. This paper will focus on unhealthy and healthy eating habits of obese children, and the effects of parenting towards childhood obesity as well as ways to overcome childhood obesity. In the United States there has been a rise in childhood obesity, but whose fault is it? Some parents blame fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, saying their food is unhealthy and the portions are too big. However, on the first part the blame for childhood obesity should be on the parents. Although fast food restaurants do paly a small part in childhood obesity, it is up to the parents to determine what they allow their children to eat. Parents should stop blaming fast food restaurants for childhood obesity when healthy eating habits should be enforced at home. Childhood obesity is a rising serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Approximately 15 percent of U.S. children, ages 6–11, and 16 percent of U.S. adolescents, ages 12–19, are obese (Encyclopedia of Special Education, 2006). Childhood obesity occurs when a child is above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Obesity appears...
Words: 1467 - Pages: 6
...Childhood Obesity Teresa Shepperson PED/312 William Swisher, Instructor February 27, 2011 Childhood Obesity Healthy family lifestyles help prevent children from becoming overweight or possibly obese. Children are spending more time in front of televisions, computers, video games, or other electronic gadgets. Today’s families have very busy lifestyles which makes it particularly difficult for parents to prepare nutritious meals for their children. The effects of childhood obesity vary from high cholesterol to Type II Diabetes. Children who are obese are also prone to having low self-esteem, which could be the result of being teased and/or bullied. Children who are unhappy with their weight could develop unhealthy eating habits or eating disorders. The eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge-eating. These same unhappy children are also prone to depression and are at risk for substance abuse. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term health effects. Some of the immediate effects are having higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease, high risk of developing diabetes, and higher risk for bone and joint problems. Also, these children have a high risk of sleep apnea. Some of the long-term effects include being obese when the children reach adulthood, strokes, and osteoarthritis. Being overweight, a child...
Words: 580 - Pages: 3
...Childhood Obesity: A Preventable Disease Childhood obesity is at an all time high today. Children who have a body weight ten percent higher than what is recommended or have a BMI in the 95th percentile or above are considered to be obese. One out of three children in the United States are considered overweight or obese. Eighty percent of these obese children remain obese adults, leading to severe health problems and possibly an early death (Schifferdecker, 2008). The current obesity epidemic has produced a generation of children that may be the first to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents (Gance-Cleveland, Gilbert, & Kopanos, 2010). This disease not only effects a child’s psychological well being, but also leads to many serious health issues within the body’s systems. The cardiovascular system, endocrine system and respiratory system are the most effected systems in a child with obesity (Statters, 1996). Children with obesity are at risk for lifelong health complications. Nurses have a responsibly to educate children and their parents on the dangers of this disease and the steps which can be taken to prevent it. The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart, arteries and veins; it is responsible for the circulation of blood, throughout the entire body. The arteries carry blood away from the heart and the veins carry blood back to the heart. This system plays a vital role in the delivery of nutrients and the removal of waste in the body. The heart is the...
Words: 1926 - Pages: 8
...Meneely, Mikel Professor Michael Begnal ENG 104 March 16, 2016 Kids These Days Childhood obesity plagues more children in America than ever before, and it continues to grow in number year by year. In order to avoid letting childhood obesity numbers continue to grow, there needs to be changes in certain aspects of children’s lifestyles. This increase over the years can be attributed to many factors including unhealthy, calorie-filled school lunches and children not receiving enough exercise. Childhood obesity poses a very real threat to the health of younger generations and can lead to dangerous, life-threatening health issues later in life. In the rise of child obesity, children are at more risk of diabetes and other heart diseases that could not only affect them in the short and long term. In response to this issue, child obesity should be combated by offering healthier choices for school lunches, and allowing a full hour for recess. All of these could be accomplished by allowing more funding from the Department of Education, and this would allow more funding to state educational funds. Decreasing child obesity would be important for children in the long run because it would decrease their chance of developing type-two diabetes and early heart diseases. Obesity is the root cause of countless diseases, conditions, and illnesses, some of which are even life-threatening. Adulthood obesity has been linked to many deadly diseases. Some examples include heart disease, diabetes, and...
Words: 2169 - Pages: 9
...Child Obesity Marlene Tadros BSHS 361/Child Development April 12, 2012 Amber Hamilton Child Obesity The effect of obesity in children is becoming an immense issue in our communities today. The number of obese children continues to rise and in fact has more than tripled within the last 20 years. Today, there are up to 33% of children who are obese, if not more. Unfortunately, this affects our children physically, mentally, and long-term. Obesity is not specifically just being a few pounds overweight. A child is considered obese when his or her weight compared to height is abnormal by ten pounds. Obesity commonly begins in children between the ages of five and six. Unfortunately genetics can often be a factor in childhood obesity although other environmental factors come into play as well. If a child has poor eating habits, this may result in little or no energy for exercise, and emotional complications such as depression and anger, as well as medical conditions such as diabetes, and many others. It is inevitable that childhood obesity will have some health effects that can become very serious with time. A common condition found in morbidly obese children is metabolic syndrome which is many conditions that may lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and access abdominal fat. Although it may not seem common, heart disease seen children who are obese is not shockingly rare. When a child has poor eating habits and no exercise, it is common...
Words: 1015 - Pages: 5
...Television and Children COM/172 "Children who watch a lot of television are likely to: have lower grades in school, read fewer books, exercise less, and be overweight." (Children and Watching TV., n.d.) Based on research, there are many more negative effects that television has on children than there are positive effects. While there are a few positive effects that television watching can have on children, the negative effects seem to outweigh the good. Television can affect children socially, psychologically, and physically and each of these aspects are equally harmful to children. Television takes the time away that is needed for children to develop language and social skills. A child's language and social skills are developed by interacting with people, talking, and listening. Language and social skills cannot be developed or improved by listening to a television. Children who watch too much television are also at risk for developing anti-social behaviors; these behaviors include: stealing, bullying, and fighting. “The fifteen per cent of five-year-olds who spend at least three hours in front of the television each day are at a slightly higher risk of anti-social behavior by the age of seven.” (Collins, N., 2013) Although bad behaviors can be learned from television, there are also studies that show good behaviors can be learned from television too. Television has positive effects on children when they are exposed to positive role models. When children watch positive...
Words: 975 - Pages: 4
...preschool childhood obesity (6, n=200)=17.32, p=0.008). Maternal awareness of health promotion on healthy eating appeared to have a protective effect against overweight/obesity in three year old children (odds ratio=0.38, 95% CI=0.20 to 0.70). Furthermore, a higher proportion of overweight/obesity mothers had no awareness of health promotion as compared to 2 (4, n=200)=13.29, p=0.01). Maternal awareness of health promotion appeared to also have a protective effect against overweight/obesity in mothers (odds ratio=0.51, 95% CI=0.28 to 0.95). Conclusions: maternal awareness of health promotion on maternal and preschool childhood obesity. Additionally, this study showed that overweight and obese preschool children had parents who were also overweight and obese. 2 Aim: preschool childhood obesity, as well as maternal awareness of public health promotion on healthy eating with parental and preschool childhood obesity. Methods: Data were collected by measuring the height and weight of two hundred randomly selected three-year old children and their parents. Details of the early feeding and dietary styles and level of health promotion awareness were assessed in faceto-face structured health interviews with the parents. Results: between childhood obesity and parents’ obesity (r=0.2; p<0.001). A higher proportion of overweight and obese preschool children showed that their mothers lacked awareness of health promotion as compared to children with normally Obesity is a well-recognised...
Words: 4084 - Pages: 17
...Professor Bradshaw 5 May 2015 Childhood Obesity: Is there an elucidation? 1. Describe the Policy, Program or Topic: The growth in childhood obesity over the past several decades, together with the associated health problems and costs, is raising serious concern among health care professionals, policy experts, children’s advocates, and parents. Childhood obesity is defined “in terms of body mass index (BMI), which in turn is defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared” (Anderson). According to the Obesity Action Coalition “a child is defined as “affected by obesity” if their body mass index-for-age (or BMI-for-age) percentile is greater than 95 percent. A child is defined as “overweight” if their BMI-for-age percentile is greater than 85 percent and less than 95 percent.” BMI has become the frontrunner for measuring a child’s weight condition, but only a physician can best determine and diagnoses weight status in children. Obesity is not just a problem in the United States but around the world as well. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey have been recording overweight and obesity in children since the early 1960’s. During 1971–74 about five percent of children aged two to nineteen years were obese but it has increase significantly throughout the years. By 1980 and 1988-94, the numbers nearly doubled in children and between the years of 1998-2002, nearly fifteen percent of United States children have become obese. The rates were almost...
Words: 2842 - Pages: 12
