As statistics indicate, obesity among children and adolescents is rapidly becoming an epidemiological burden to the US that requires extensive scientific studies. The risks that obesity among children and teenagers and thus the future of US public health necessitate a structured study into the problem. Principally, according to Smith et al. (2020), understanding the dynamics of obesity has presented scholars and clinicians with a myriad of challenges as they attempt to find a solution to the problem. From this, it is evident that a bottom-up approach in understanding this epidemiological burden is tenable at this point as a means of laying a foundation for combating the disease. Understanding basic concepts of the disease, including occurrence, signs, and symptoms, will lay a foundation for current and future studies. With such information well-documented, healthcare authorities and other key players in the private and research realms in the US will have the required facts to educate the public while also making the necessary policies to combat the menace.
Occurrence of Obesity Among Children and Teenagers in the US
The most recent data regarding obesity in the US and documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is from 2017 to 2018. According to CDC, about 19.3% of children and teenagers in the US are obese. This translates to about 14.4 million children living with obesity in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Further, the CDC estimates that the occurrence of obesity will continue to rise in the foreseeable future.
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Signs and Symptoms of Obesity
Obesity is a serious disease characterized by excessive accumulation of body fats associated with an increased risk of other diseases and health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. There are several documented signs and symptoms of obesity that the public should know to properly manage the disease. According to Jastreboff et al. (2019), making authoritative information on obesity available is important for several reasons, including promoting campaigns for combating the public health problem. The beginning point in fighting the rising prevalence among children and adolescents is understanding its signs and symptoms. Several signs and symptoms are associated with obesity that includes eating disorders, fatty tissue deposits, acanthosis nigricans, and GI reflux.
Eating disorders which are the underlying factor for weight gain, are common signs that a child or teenager has obesity. According to Giuseppe et al. (2019), eating disorders due to obesity are triggered by psychosocial distress that affects their feeding behaviours and thus the quality of life. Fundamentally, child and teenage obesity are factors associated with psychopathology, which is evidenced through eating disorder symptoms. Due to eating disorders such as cravings for fast food, beverages containing processed sugars, or binge eating, children will gain excessive weight, thus becoming obese with time. Also, such disorders are manifested through hoarding food, eating when one is not hungry, or embarrassing when eating in the presence of others. As such, parents need to note their children's feeding habits to preempt the onset of eating disorders. Due to eating disorders such as eating food high in calories and low nutrients, food and beverages, and lack of enough exercise, a child's body will gain excessive weight as evidenced by fatty tissue deposits (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Fast foods such as fries, candy, and desserts can lead to a child rapidly gaining weight, which can lead to obesity when not checked. When a child becomes overweight, they cannot execute simple tasks such as running or lifting objects.
Acanthosis nigricans is the third symptom of obesity. According to Hyde (2019), overweight or obese people have higher chances of developing acanthosis nigricans. However, the author notes that the condition can go away with weight loss. Acanthosis nigricans is a health condition manifested by thicker and darker patches around a person's joint areas and body areas with many folds such as inner thighs, hands, and groin. Fundamentally, obesity causes one to have resistance to insulin, which results in prediabetes and eventually Type 2 diabetes characterized by acanthosis nigricans (Ng, 2017). Like eating disorders and weight gain, a parent should seek medical intervention when they note such signs.
Studies have established a link between obesity in children and adolescents and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). According to Quitadamo et al. (2018), being overweight or obese is a significant factor associated with GERD. The authors note that an obese person is three times more likely to suffer from GERD than people with normal weight. Also, research indicates that if a person is overweight, their GERD condition may have more severe symptoms.
Controlling Obesity in Children and Adolescents
Fundamentally, management of obesity aims at reducing the degree of fat deposit in patients. These efforts are often conducted in a clinical setting with guidance from trained clinicians. Essentially, control of obesity in children and teenagers includes a myriad of strategies that include limiting calorie intake, promoting exercising, and behavioral therapies. The success of weight management among obese patients is not well covered by research because much efforts evaluate short-term results in few participants ( Psaltopoulou et al., 2019 ). That notwithstanding, there is a need for concerted efforts to address the problem of obesity among children and teens in the US. Such efforts will significantly improve the public health outlook of the entire country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, childhood and teenage obesity is a serious problem facing the US's public health sector. Current statistics indicate that obesity prevalence in the country has steadily been rising in the last few years. Policymakers in the public and private health sector, including the general public, must understand the basic facts concerning obesity. For example, it is important to understand signs and symptoms and endeavor to educate those at the greatest risk of developing obesity. Also, stakeholders in the health sector must understand different strategies employed in obesity management endeavors.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in the United States . https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
De Giuseppe, R., Di Napoli, I., Porri, D., & Cena, H. (2019). Pediatric Obesity and Eating Disorders Symptoms: The Role of the Multidisciplinary Treatment. A Systematic Review. Frontiers in pediatrics , 7 , 123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2019.00123
Hyde, P. (2016). Acanthosis Nigricans (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth . Kidshealth.org. Retrieved 19 June 2021, from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/acanthosis.html .
Jastreboff, A., Kotz, C., Kahan, S., Kelly, A., & Heymsfield, S. (2018). Obesity as a Disease: The Obesity Society 2018 Position Statement. Obesity , 27 (1), 7-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22378
Ng H. Y. (2016). Acanthosis nigricans in obese adolescents: prevalence, impact, and management challenges. Adolescent health, medicine, and therapeutics , 8 , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S103396
Psaltopoulou, T., Tzanninis, S., Ntanasis-Stathopoulos, I., Panotopoulos, G., Kostopoulou, M., Tzanninis, I. G., ... & Sergentanis, T. N. (2019). Prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity: a systematic review of meta-analyses. World Journal of Pediatrics , 15 (4), 350-381.
Quitadamo, P., Zenzeri, L., Mozzillo, E., Cuccurullo, I., Rocco, A., & Franzese, A. et al. (2018). Gastric Emptying Time, Esophageal pH-Impedance Parameters, Quality of Life, and Gastrointestinal Comorbidity in Obese Children and Adolescents. The Journal of Pediatrics , 194 , 94-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.10.039
Smith, J. D., Fu, E., & Kobayashi, M. A. (2020). Prevention and Management of Childhood Obesity and Its Psychological and Health Comorbidities. Annual review of clinical psychology , 16 , 351–378. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-100219-060201
