Obesity is the state that an individual is overweight or grossly fat due to higher body fats. Obesity has been a major nutritional disorder affecting children and adolescents in the US. Obesity is higher among specific communities, which is roughly 16% to 18% of the American children and adolescents are obese while 21 to 24% are overweight. It is considered a public health problem, as it is increasing at an alarming rate ( Chen et al., 2017 ). Despite the decrease in the number of children affected by obesity in the recent reports, it is still a significant issue in the US. Additionally, obesity is a health problem, as the people in the community do not receive enough education and training regarding the possible causes and effects of obesity among children in the US.
Prevalence of Obesity
The recent interventions on the problem of obesity among children in the US have reduced the prevalence among the pre-school aged children, but obesity among the entire groups of children is still high. Prevalence of obesity among children has remained at 175, which is affecting about 12 million of the children and adolescents in the US. According to the studies conducted, the prevalence of obesity was higher among the Hispanics with 22%, as compared with the non-Hispanic whites with 14% and Hispanic blacks with 19%. Among the non-Hispanic Asian children, they had lower obesity at 9% as compared with Hispanic, Non-Hispanic whites, and non-Hispanic black who had higher percentages of affected children ( Wu et al., 2017 ). Prevalence of obesity among the young children aged 2 to 5 years is lower at 9% as compared with adolescents aged 6 to 11 years at 17% and those aged 12 to 19 years at 20%. Prevalence of childhood obesity varied among the people living in the US depending on the level of income. Children from income families were most affected as compared with those from high-income families. Childhood obesity among such children varied depending on the State with Virginia posting 20% while Utah is posting 8% of the children affected by obesity ( Vijayakumar et al., 2018 ). Low-income Hispanics had 17% of children affected by obesity, American Indian 18%, non-Hispanic white 12%, Asian/Pacific Islander 11%, and non-Hispanic blacks 12% ( Vijayakumar et al., 2018 ).
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Causes and Risk Factors for Obesity
Children who eat more food than the portions needed in their bodies are risking being affected by obesity. The extra calories are stored in the fat cells for future use, but after a given period, they will exceed the permitted levels thereby resulting in obesity. Initially, children and infants were responding to the signals of fullness and hunger such that they could avoid eating excess calories than the amount needed in their bodies. With the recent changes in food choices and lifestyles, many children are affected by obesity due to the types of food and their lifestyles in the family ( Chen et al., 2017 ). Children enjoy food with high sugar and fat content due to the TV ads and commercials advertised. Children will eat large portions of such food leading to accumulation of high calories in their bodies and development of obesity. TV ads and commercials attract the attention of children leading to unhealthy food choices. Lack of physical exercise among the children risks developing obesity. In some cases, obesity may occur because of hereditary factors mostly which the victims have no control over.
Impacts of Obesity among Children
Obesity has various impacts on the children. Obesity will cause low self-esteem and lower self-reported quality of life. Such children will feel odd one out in the society, and they will not feel free while trying to interact with other children in the society. Additionally, children with obesity will face stigma and bullying from their other children while trying to interact and play with them in school or even in the society. Such children will not be free talk about their lives while in school, church or other gatherings ( Vijayakumar et al., 2018 ). Children with obesity will have negative thoughts about themselves leading to the development of problems like depression and anxiety especially when they are bullied. Children with depression and anxiety at a tender age will likely affect their growth and development as well as education. Health problems associated with obesity include heart problems, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Children suffering from obesity are likely to suffer from such diseases due to low immunity.
How to Prevent Childhood Obesity
It is the responsibility of the parent to monitor what their children as a way of preventing the occurrence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity. Children consume what is available in the family and what the parent can agree and afford to buy. Parents should be educated on the healthy lifestyles such that they can make food choices, which will not lead to the development of obesity among children ( Chen et al., 2017 ). Parents should encourage their children to engage in various physical exercises, which will help them to reduce the accumulation of calories in their bodies. Additionally, children should be educated regarding the importance of staying physically active, as they participate, as they will play a role in the prevention of obesity.
Conclusion
Obesity is still a major problem among children in the US despite the measures to deal with it among the pre-school children. Many children suffer from obesity based on the level of income, race, and ethnicity. For example, the Hispanics are the most affected based on the level of income, race, and ethnicity factors, as they are living in a foreign country. It is difficult for them to access the education about obesity, higher incomes levels, and discriminations due to race and ethnicity leading to higher percentages of obesity among their children ( Wu et al., 2017 ). Government and other non-governmental organization should educate people in the community regarding the causes, signs, impacts, and prevention of obesity. Education and awareness will help the parents to understand more about obesity and preventing it in the society.
References
Chen, Z., et al. (2017). Effects of childhood asthma on the development of obesity among school-aged children. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , 195 (9), 1181-1188.
Vijayakumar, P., et al. (2018). Secular changes in physical growth and obesity among southwestern American Indian children over four decades. Pediatric Obesity , 13 (2), 94-102.
Wu, Y., et al., X. (2017). Short sleep duration and obesity among children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice , 11 (2), 140-150.
