Abstract
Obesity among young children is on the rising trajectory. Research journals about obesity focus on the causes of obesity and mitigating interventions for childhood obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control in the United States, obesity cases pose a health risk to children and thus there is need to prevent it. Medical practitioners in most health care centers are also worried with the increase of the cases of obesity among the young generation. Ebbelin, Pawlak & Ludwig, (2002) suggests that the increase in the cases of obesity has resulted in a high number of cardiovascular infections among the youths. The purpose of this resource guide is to discuss current trends in childhood obesity and inform readers about the dangers of childhood obesity and how it can be mitigated.
Childhood Obesity
Obesity in children is defined as the situation where the weight of a child is above the normal in relation to the child’s height; this means that the body mass index of the child is above the 95th percentile. Childhood obesity is a worrying issue among many families and the health care practitioners since it puts the affected child at a risk of contracting diseases especially the cardiovascular diseases. According the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the cases of child obesity have been increasing rapidly, and this has prompted national concerns over the health and wellbeing of the young children. Ebbelin, Pawlak & Ludwig, (2002) states that the excess weight among children that results from obesity puts the children on the verge of contracting diseases that were initially common among adults such as stroke and heart attacks. It is, therefore, important to put strategies to mitigate the cases of childhood obesity among children. This resource guide analyzes childhood obesity and suggests the possible solutions that can be used to reduce and prevent childhood obesity.
Cases of childhood obesity and its effects
The cases of childhood obesity have increased at a very alarming rate from 1980 to 2012, with statistical data indicating an increase from 7% to 12% within the same period among children age 6-11years old. According to Farley & Dowell, (2014) childhood obesity increased two fold among children and four-times among adolescents in the last three decades. In 2012, CDC approximates that over 1/3 of all American adolescents were obese or overweight. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention proposes that this rate is likely to increase further unless suitable interventions are made. Since the excess weight results from excess fats in the system of the children, there are serious health consequences that the affected child is exposed to and can easily contact diseases. The causes of obesity are diverse and numerous. Scientists claim that excessive consumption of fats among children increases the chances of obesity. Some studies have also indicated that there are cases of obesity that come as a result of inheritance. Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, (2014) suggests that there is a conduit between an obese child and the parent such that if a parent was at some point obese, then the children may inherit this condition from the parents. Further, the cases of obesity are rampant among the families that have a culture of eating junks, fatty foods, and cholesterol; however, obesity is rare among families that consume balanced diets and exercises regularly. Therefore, the eating culture and nature of the family will determine if the child suffers obesity or not (Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, 2014).
Obese children are likely to experience problems of weaker bones and joints known as osteoporosis. Overweight children may have problems in movement and general body coordination. This imposes serious health and psychological problems as they grow. The children may also fail to live for longer as their condition reduces the life span. Farley & Dowell, (2014) explains that obese children are affected psychologically especially when they are with their peers, due to self-esteem issues and discrimination by peers. This makes the affected children to become isolated and may be affected by stress issues (Farley & Dowell, 2014).
Diseases like heart attack, stroke and diabetes affected majorly adults in the past, with less case being noticed in children and the youth. However, due to the occurrence of obesity conditions in children and the youth, these diseases are currently affecting both the children and adults. This is a very worrying situation to parents and health care practitioners because it causes adverse health complications that may even cause death.
Treatment and Prevention of childhood obesity
Medical solutions can be applied in the instances where a child has been affected by obesity. This involves the application of medications that induce weight-loss by accelerating oxidation of fats. Medical prescriptions require qualified and experienced physicians to administer and monitor patients for weight loss. Besides, interventions may involve the prescription of diets and nutrition to the affected children so as to regulate the intake of fats and cholesterol in the body (Borys et al., 2012).
Prevention of obesity involves several activities that aim at cutting down the fats in the body of an individual. The first preventive measure that is recommended is the general diet and eating habits of an individual. The type and amount of food that an individual takes may contribute to the increase or reduction of obesity. Parents are encouraged not to administer foodstuffs with high fats and cholesterol contents. Fatty foods and junks are a high contributor to cholesterol and obesity. The amount of food that a child is allowed to take during the day should be controlled to minimize overeating or excessive consumption of sugars and cholesterol rich foodstuffs (Farley & Dowell, 2014).
Exercise is another important measure that is used to prevent and reduce obesity among children. In case a child is obese, the parent or the health practitioner should subject the child to exercise activities that will activate the breakdown of fats in the body. The participation in physical activities should be a priority since it is the best measures that can be applied to reduce the amount of fats in their bodies. To prevent obesity, parents should keep their children active by having them play and run around the compound regularly. Borys et al., (2012) recommends that American should exercise regularly for at least 200 minutes a week to reduce the chances of weight gain and maintain the processes of fat breakdown (Borys et al., 2012).
The health policies should focus on the maintenance of pediatrician health and wellbeing by instituting laws that prohibit producers from producing products with excessive cholesterol and fats (Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, 2014). Besides, there should be staged campaigns and seminars that aim at educating parents about the dangers of obesity and importance of health living. This will help in the prevention of childhood obesity and instead promote public health (Borys et al., 2012).
Conclusion
Obesity is a critical public health crisis among children because it exposes them to a danger of contracting disease that were initially common among adults. Obesity results from consumption of excess fats, cholesterol, and failure to exercise. Statistical evidence indicates that obesity cases have increased over years, and this causes a health concern. Children need to be encouraged to exercise regularly, eat balanced diets and undergo frequent health checkups. Besides, policy makers should institute laws and policies to regulate production of food products with limited cholesterol content and fats.
REFERENCES
Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002). Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure. The lancet, 360(9331), 473-482.
Cunningham, S. A., Kramer, M. R., & Narayan, K. V. (2014). Incidence of childhood obesity in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine,370(5), 403-411.
Farley, T. A., & Dowell, D. (2014). Preventing childhood obesity: what are we doing right?. American journal of public health, 104(9), 1579-1583.
Borys, J. M., Le Bodo, Y., Jebb, S. A., Seidell, J. C., Summerbell, C., Richard, D., &Raffin, S. (2012). EPODE approach for childhood obesity prevention: methods, progress, and international development. obesity reviews, 13(4), 299-315.
