Childhood obesity has become one of the nation’s significant medical threats owing to its harmful effects on children and adolescents. The epidemic is particularly troubling because, in most cases than not, it progresses to adulthood. It is associated with comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, some forms of cancer, and physiological burdens leading to depression and poor self-esteem (Gurnani, Birken & Hamilton, 2015) . The condition descriptively occurs as a result of excess weight or body fat that ultimately alters the body’s biology. The affected individual is considered obese when the body mass index is above the required standard. Thus, this discourse will focus on not only the demographics and statistics but also solutions associated with the condition.
As explained, obesity is characterized by excessive body fats. However, there is no agreed level of excess fatness of obesity in children. It is explicated by the abnormal fat accumulation that brings health risks. Indeed, obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries because the highest prevalence has been identified in these nations as it gradually increases in third world nations. The disorder is more likely to occur in females than males attributed to hormonal differences. Statistically, more than a third of adults and 17% of youths are overweight (Ogden, Carol, & Flegal, 2014). Today, a third of American children and adolescents are obese.
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Further, for over three decades, obesity rates have escalated among American children and adolescents. For those aged between two and nineteen years, the rates increased to seventeen percent between 2009 and 2010. For this population, the prevalence was about 18.5% affecting about 13.7million children and adolescents. Among children aged between two and five years, the prevalence was 13.9%, 18.4% for those aged between six and eleven years, and 20% among 12 to 19 year-olds.
A lot of factors expose children to obesity, including lifestyle issues like too little exercise or too many calories from food and drinks as the main factors. However, genetic and hormonal factors are also influential in the development of the condition. Changes in the digestive hormonal function can as well affect the quantity of food the child takes, potentially resulting in obesity. On this accord, the following environmental and lifestyle factors increase the risk of contracting childhood obesity: type of diet, regularly feeding on high-calorie foods causing weight gain, particularly fast meals, baked goods, and vending machine snacks. Also, candy and desserts contribute to weight gain. Researches point to sugary drinks as a significant factor for the epidemic. Lack of exercise also leads to weight gain because inactivity does not burn calories. ( Sahoo et al., 2015 ). This inactivity is often a result of too much time spent watching TV and playing video games.
Genetic factors or family factors can as well contribute to the epidemic as critical factors. Research contends that children born to obese parents are more likely to be overweight, especially in environments where high-calorie foods are available with minimal physical exercise. Psychological factors, on the other hand, influence the feeding habits of children, whereby when they are stressed; they feed too much leading to weight gain. Ultimately, socio-economic elements as well determine the development of childhood obesity. While some communities have parks and playgrounds for children, some do not have these amenities and are further exposed to high-calorie diets or foods. Such conditions consequently play a significant role in weight gain in the less privileged communities. Therefore, childhood obesity complicates a child’s not only physical and social but also emotional well-being.
Suggested Solution Description
A good lifestyle can help reduce childhood obesity. Being physically active and maintaining a healthy diet are important aspects of the lifestyle. Studies on the correlation between lifestyle and childhood obesity should focus more on physical activities and eating habits and how the parents or guardians can effect this change.
Further, parents should always measure and evaluate children’s BMI regularly to monitor any abnormal increase in weight. BMI is usefully in evaluating fold thickness (Felman et al., 1994). Children with more than 85% fold thickness are considered overweight, and those with more than 95% as severe cases. The process needs to start before the age of three years and continued regularly to detect any abnormal growth.
Another recommendation is regular exercising. According to Cunningham, Kramer, & Narayan (2014), exercise helps in maintaining the required body shape and shedding off extra weight. Physical activities further help burn calories and bolster the development of bones and muscles. Exercise also assists children in sleeping well at night and staying alert during the day. Also, good exercise habits in children help maintain healthy weights despite their rapid growth, hormonal changes, and social influence that usually encourage overeating.
Furthermore, active children are deemed to become more productive. Parents can implement the following strategies to increase children's physical activity: Limit their screen and recreational computer time and limit the time they spend on sedimentary activities like playing computer and video games, talking on the phone, or sending short messages. Emphasize activity rather than exercise because children tend to participate actively in activities they deem fun, unlike exercises. Children need to be vigorously involved in physical activity for at least an hour. The activity does not need to be structured; instead, get them moving around in chasing or running games. Playing games like hide and seek or rope jumping offer excellent opportunities to burn calories. Always provide them with activities they enjoy doing most of the time. For example, if they like riding, parents need to ensure bicycles are available.
Providing education and guidance to prospective and nurturing parents also can help solve childhood obesity by understanding the risks and dangers of high birth weight, maternal diabetes, and obesity among family members associated with the condition (Wang et al., 2013). Children as well should be educated on the dangers of eating fatty and sugary foods as well as the importance of physical fitness.
Lifestyle choice is the primary determinant in resolving childhood obesity. Children need to adopt diets and exercise that reduce the accumulation of fats in their bodies because too much eating and less physical activity is the primary cause of overweight children. As such, parents and all implicated personnel, such as teachers, should implement a lifestyle that discourages heavy feeding and promotes physical activity.
References
Cunningham, S. A., Kramer, M. R., & Narayan, K. V. (2014). Incidence of childhood obesity in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine
Gurnani, M., Birken, C., & Hamilton, J. (2015). Childhood obesity: causes, consequences, and management. Pediatric Clinics , 62 (4), 821-840. , 370 (5), 403-411.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Jama , 311 (8), 806-814.
Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A. K., Sofi, N. Y., Kumar, R., & Bhadoria, A. S. (2015). Childhood obesity: causes and consequences. Journal of family medicine and primary care , 4 (2), 187.
Wang, Y., Wu, Y., Wilson, R. F., Bleich, S., Cheskin, L., Weston, C., ... & Segal, J. (2013). Childhood obesity prevention programs: comparative effectiveness review and meta-analysis. In Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet] . Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (UK).
