Childhood Obesity A Growing Problem - 1378 Words

Did you know that obesity has become such a ‘growing’ quandary that for the first time ever today’s children are expected to have a life expectancy that is shorter than their parents (Gance-Cleveland, Gilbert, Kopanos, Gilbert, 2009, p. 72)? Obesity in children and adolescents has become a worldwide epidemic, increasing every year. In fact, childhood obesity in the United States (US) has increased to 17%, which has nearly tripled the prevalence of obesity in the last three decades (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Childhood obesity is a significant issue, with many of its adverse health consequences often continuing into adulthood. The adverse affects of obesity are associated with hypertension, type II Diabetes Mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and numerous other comorbidities (Gance-Cleveland, et al., 2009, p. 72). According to Cornette (2008), there are also â€Å"non-physical consequences of childhood overweight such as depression, social isolation, discrimination, and poor self-esteem, self-image, academic performance, and professional performance† (p. 136). These comorbidities, inevitably, lead to an exponential growth in obesity-related health care costs. As healthcare professionals, we need to address the issue of childhood obesity in order to avoid further damage to those affected, decrease obesity in our youth, as well as decrease the healthcare costs that coincide with obesity. This paper focuses on the multitude of factorsShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity. Child hood Obesity Is A Growing Problem1085 Words   |  5 PagesChildhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States. Childhood obesity is defined as a child being at or above the 95th percentile for the child’s age and sex (Dietz, 1998). According to the Center of Disease Control â€Å"Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012† (CDC, 2017). There areRead MoreChildhood Obesity : A Growing Problem1594 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood Obesity: A Growing Problem According to the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development â€Å"Twenty-five percent of children in the US are overweight and 11% are obese† ( Dehgan 1) . The Center of disease Control and Prevention defines overweight as having a body mass index, or BMI, of 30. BMI can be found by dividing an individual’s weight by their height. Childhood obesity is present in children from ages ranging 6-18. 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The rates at which children and adolescents have become overweight have increased dramatically since the 1970’s leading to a call for action to try and reverse this growing trend (Birch Ventura, 2009). This topic must be addressed as today childhood obesity affects approximately one in every five children and adolescents across the United States. This issue is important to discuss because beingRead MoreChildhood Obesity : A Growing Problem2416 Words   |  10 Pages Why is childhood obesity on the rise in America? Student name Instructor name Course name Date Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States. More and more young people are living with video games, televisions, and computers so are living their lives in a mostly sitting position. Few children are able to spend the hours between school and dark playing outside as they used to do and even less would choose to. Most children are trapped within the walls of their homes while their