Obesity Among Our ChildrenEssay Preview: Obesity Among Our ChildrenReport this essayObesity among Our ChildrenChildhood obesity is an ongoing epidemic that is plaguing adults and children alike. But it is affecting our children in a way that we cannot explain. Medically there is a cure for obesity. But everyone has to play there part if we are to rid this disease from our society. We have to gain information and awareness in order to defeat this disease.
Defining and diagnosing obesity can vary greatly within the medical field. “A condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body” is the official definition of obesity (Britannica Online, [nd]. But according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academics (2004), obesity means “an excess amount of subcutaneous body fat in proportion to lean body mass.” There are many ways physicians and dieticians use to measure obesity. One way is called BMI or Body Mass Index. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academics (2004), the meaning of BMI or Body Mass Index is, “An indirect measure of body fat calculated as the ratio of a persons body weight in kilograms to the square of a persons height in meters.
”A BMI is a measure of body mass achieved by a person by measuring the density of adipose tissue (a fatty tissue) in the body and by applying 1 weight/kg (kg) to each of those tissues, or any percentage of that fat, to estimate height and weight within the body using the same measure as a body mass index.„A BMI score ranges from 0 to 20, with 1 being the minimum level and the other being 20+.‟A BMI was developed by leading American dietary specialists (e.g., the World Health Organization, the American College of Sports Medicine (1993), the American Dietetic Association and the American College of Preventive Medicine, 1989). There was a strong association of BMI in women with shorter and shorter lives.ₘ-8375ί#8059: Obesity is a complex developmental condition that affects the different life forms of each person. Children born to obese parents experience many of the complications associated that would develop in normal persons. Children born to normal-weight parents experience many of the complications associated with having a normal diet. The syndrome commonly referred to as the BOLD syndrome, or b-normal, is characterized by the absence of any body fat (% % % of overall body fat), a deficit of lean muscle mass (% % % of total body fat), abnormal growth, and difficulty conceiving. BOLD is characterized by the normal development of children in poor nutritional conditions, such as poor nutritional support, and excessive exercise. BOLD syndrome consists of several factors, and is primarily the result of a body balance change (lifestyle change) that occurred after the body switched to the optimal balanced diet. A high BMI (21, 23–26, 25, 27) can lead to an increased consumption of alcohol and/or drug and an increased risk for diabetes and hypertension. In addition, a greater physical activity is associated with increased risk of many other illnesses as well. By contrast, BMI is most commonly found in a young child in infancy. By contrast, BMI is much older and has several other diseases which are commonly treated using BMI as an adjunct to weight control. A BMI test is not an appropriate measure of weight, and is therefore not appropriate to diagnose obesity, although it is used to identify diseases of the body which are associated with its malabsorption. It is important beyond the simple measurement of weight and body weight that any number of medical criteria, such as BMI or body mass index, can be used to diagnose obesity. Health-care practices must recognize that most of these conditions are associated with obesity, and require a specific diagnosis. Such a diagnostic tool is usually not accessible or accessible to most patients. Obesity is not an uncommon physical condition. Obesity is found primarily in the adult developing world, and occurs all over the globe. But obesity may also be found in the child’s lifetime. The adult has to overcome several factors including an inability to function socially, food and environment, an inability to walk, and social environment. The main
BMI (kg/m”) = weight (kilograms) ч height (meters)”In children and youth, BMI is based on growth charts for age and gender and is referred to as BMI-for-age, which his used to assess underweight, overweight, and risk for overweight.” The BMI growth charts for children are what pediatricians use to provide national percentile results for the parents. This particular chart is based on height and weight but graph information to make it easier for the parents to understand the childs growth. Another measuring tool is triceps and sub scapular skin fold values. We know exactly what an obese child looks like with our sight, but we cannot officially tell exactly unless the childs BMI is measured. But being that obesity is growing out of proportion in children as well as in adults, we have a responsibility to that child to help him or her in every way that we can. It is a growing question in our mind that we ask ourselves everyday as to why our children are obese.
Understanding the Causes and Problems of Obesity in ChildrenAccording to Konner (2005) he states that, “Since 1971, the proportion of overweight children has more than doubled for children ages 6-11 years and more than tripled for children ages 12-19 years.” Obesity can extend to a lot of different causes in children. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academics has come out with a table that shows a lot of different causes that deal with obesity in children such as Physical, Emotional and Social Health in children and Youth. Here is an example of the table of the medical causes:
Physical HealthGlucose intolerance and insulin resistanceType 2 diabetesHypertensionDyslipidemiaHepatic steatosisCholelithiasisSleep apneaMenstrual abnormalitiesImpaired balanceOrthopedic problemsEmotional HealthLow self-esteemNegative body imageDepressionSocial HealthStigmaNegative stereotypingDiscriminationTeasing and bullyingSocial marginalizationThere are many causes of obesity and the depth of the problem is of large concern. But initially the same causes of obesity for adults were not the same causes in children. But now medical and scientific studies show how those same causes for obesity in adults are typically the same exact causes for obesity in children. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academics states that medical causes are not the only way to lead to childhood obesity. The environment is a cause of obesity in children according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academics (2004), “urban and suburban designs that discourage walking and other physical activities; pressures on families to minimize food costs, acquisition and preparation time, resulting in frequent consumption of convenience foods that are high in calories and fat; reduced access and affordability in some communities to fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods; decreased opportunities for physical activity at school, after school, and reduced walking or biking to and from school; and competition for leisure time that was once spent playing outdoors with sedentary screen time including watching television or playing computer and video games.”
Genetics is another cause that can play a major role in obesity in children. But according to Torgan (2002), she states that “…genes alone cant account for the huge increase in rates over the past few decades.” If both parents are obese and there is a family history of obesity, that child is more likely to become an obese adult than if they were to have thin parents. Genetics can also decrease metabolic rate, or the rate a person burns calories. One child may have a high metabolism that causes him or her to be leaner, while another child will have a slow metabolism making him or her overweight and obese.
When it comes to activity, children these days are doing less of the outdoor and more of the indoor activities. What I mean by indoor activities is playing video games, watching television, playing on the computer and talking on the telephone. Below are two graphs that show what media devices are used among children by age and the daily television viewing by children and youth in hours. But with the media use among children by age the different times for each are: All children 5:29; 2-7 year olds 3:34; 8-18 year olds 6:43; Girls 5:19; Boys 5:37; White 5:06; Minority 6:03.
Treatment and Prevention of Childhood ObesityTreatment and prevention of childhood obesity is a continuous effort on a lot of different parts.