...Childhood Obesity 1. Problem identification and overview 1. Problem identification The problem issue of childhood obesity is regarded in a very serious light by nursing and healthcare profession. It is considered to be “…the most common prevalent nutritional disorder of US children and adolescents, and one of the most common problems seen by pediatricians”( Childhood Overweight. NASO). However, it is also important to see this problem in the large problem of obesity in the country. The problem of obesity has become an increasingly serious concern for medical and healthcare authorities in recent years. The rate of obesity in developed countries like the United States has shown an alarming growth in the last decade and this has concomitant implications for healthcare professionals, including the nursing profession. The seriousness of the issue at stake is underlined by many experts in the field; for example, the claim that obesity is "... poised to become the nations leading health problem and No. 1 killer" and is "already the cause of 400,000 deaths a year...or 45 per hour..." (Hearne. S. et al, 2004) Central to the increase of general obesity is the severity of childhood obesity. There has been an alarming increase in obesity among younger children and adolescents and this has placed the emphasis on policy that focuses particular attention to this problematic area. Figure 1: The following table provides details about the increase in the prevalence...
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...Epidemiology Paper on Childhood Obesity Obesity is a global epidemic affecting millions of the world population. Childhood obesity is especially worrisome as it is linked to higher incidence of health issues in adulthood (Lakshman, Elks, & Ong, 2012). There are many factors to look at when assessing the prevalence of childhood obesity, including culture, socio-economic status, food availability, activity, and genetics. To better understand this problem, it is essential to understand the factors that lead to obesity, how obesity is studied, and what are ways to help reduce the occurrence of obesity. Through epidemiology, this health concern can be better understood and provide the information needed to generate a plan of action to help reduce the risk factors that lead to childhood obesity. Epidemiology is “the study of the occurrence and distribution of health–related states or events and specified populations, including the study of the determinants influencing such states, and the application of this knowledge to control the health problems” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2012, pg 255). Through epidemiology the questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why can be investigated to offer information about the dissemination or patterns of health measures. The Epidemiological Triangle allows epidemiologists to understand the relationships between agent, host, and the environment when looking at a specific health concern. When considering childhood obesity, the agent could be viewed as...
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...The obesity epidemic has become a public health crisis in the United States (US), as well as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More than one-third of the US adult population is obese and seventeen percent of youth in the US are obese. Philadelphia’s rate of obesity (64% adult obesity rate and 57% obesity rate for youth) far surpasses the National metrics. The impact of obesity on health is well documented for being a major risk factor/contributor for heart disease, many forms of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. In addition, the prevalence of these diseases in Philadelphia is well above the National averages. Besides Philadelphians becoming bigger horizontally, the obesity related medical expenditures are in the billions of dollars ($147 billion in 2008)....
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...Why is obesity bad? Developing technology has negatively affected people's nutritional habits. According to a statement made by the World Health Organization; obesity, so as to disrupt the health excessive fat accumulation in the body is defined as.15-18% of body weight in adult men, 20-25% of body weight in women compose the adipose tissue.25% of the ratio in men, and in women above 30% is considered obesity. Lack of physical activity and excessive nutrition are the most important reasons that lead to obesity. Apart from these such as genetic factors, environmental, neurological, physiological, biochemical, and psychological factors causes the emergence of obesity. Obesity was spread to world. Obesity has many losses because of three aspects....
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...Linn November 10, 2010 Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that has reached epidemic proportions in many developed countries throughout the world, with America having one of the highest rates of overweight children. The consequences this issue has for the children involved can be serious in a number of aspects of their lives. Not only does this issue affect a child physically, it can also have detrimental effects on a child’s psychological and emotional wellbeing. Childhood obesity also has adverse outcomes for society economically in a number of ways. The causes of obesity are multi-factorial, however some aspects create greater worries for health professionals. Obesity is largely the result of caloric imbalance, too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed. Perhaps the most important contributing factors are lack of exercise and unhealthy diet and eating habits causing this caloric imbalance. It is also mediated by genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children in America aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1% (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention). The physical effects that obesity has on children can lead to serious...
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...Practice Guidelines Medical Management of Obesity According to Drs. Ethan Berke, and Nancy Morden, obesity continues to be a leading preventative medical condition, which contributes to more than 400,000 deaths each year in America. Obesity is diagnosed when an individual’s body mass index (BMI) is greater than thirty. Medical conditions stemming from the core condition include: high blood pressure (hypertension), cardiovascular issues, joint discomfort, and diabetes. In the article, the “Medical Management of Obesity” the physicians link the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) obesity clinical practice guidelines, with evidence based research from the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). The article is broken down into sections: 1) Definition of Obesity 2) Describing Body Mass Index 3) Classifications of Overweight and Obesity in Adults 4) Risk Factors Associated with Obesity 5) Etiology of Obesity 6) Treatment of Obesity 7) Management of Obesity 8) Summary of Weight Loss Medications The preceding subcategories use information provided by the WHO, which provides statistical information regarding obesity around the world, and the IOTF that presents statistical information regarding the treatment, and prevention of obesity as a universal epidemic. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2011) suggests that due to the “large number of clinical practice guidelines available, guideline users,...
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...Obesity Today Page 1 Ryan Psych-106-016RN 4 February 2015 Unit 1 Obesity Today Obesity Today Page 3 In the society that we live in today obesity has become one of the most detrimental things we have dealt with and continue to deal with in the twenty-first century. There are many contributing factors to produce overweight individuals. The most common are that we as Americans don’t get enough sleep and that most of us live a sedentary lifestyle. For many people to get away from these things is difficult. Their jobs entail sitting at a computer all day and sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. These are only two of the more prominent causes of obesity. In 2011-2012 about 32 percent of adults 20 years and older were obese. At the same time about 17 percent of children aged 2 through 19 were obese. (Ogden, Caroll, Kit, Flegal, 2014 ) This is proof that obesity isn’t just effecting the adults of America it is also effecting the youth and future of this country. The first problem beyond the obesity is the lack of sleep which coincides. Without adequate sleep the hunger-related hormones leptin and ghrelin are disrupted. (Hockenbury, Hockenbury, pg. 328 2012) When sleep...
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...comes to childhood obesity USDA blog feels that children should have a healthy lifestyle and also healthy education as well. The blog also provides information about hoe the rates of childhood obesity has declined over the past decade. This is an awesome thing due to the fact that there were numerous of children that were obese for their age. “Efforts to turn the tide of obesity, both within the Federal government and in communities across the country, are having an impact in the preschool population. The USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services programs are an important part of these efforts. Through the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, USDA is making critical changes to the foods available to children.”(blogs.usda.gov) When it comes to the podcast it provides an interview with two individuals, one is asking questions about childhood obesity while the other is answering all of the questions that is being asked. When it comes to the podcast it’s the individuals is providing information, about why children are obese before the age of 5 and before they get to kindergarten. Centers for disease control and prevention shares a lot of information and a very helpful video. That gives a lot of different tips when it comes to childhood obesity, it provides information about the teens and how when it comes to obesity the numbers continue to increase. This video also provides information about what being obese can do when it comes to health issues. “Childhood obesity is associated with...
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...The Effects Of Obesity On Healthcare March 24, 2013 University of Phoenix In a world where obesity is becoming an epidemic, people should be informed about prevention, and on how to boost the quality of their life. Obesity is increasing at alarming rates and affects over two-thirds of the American population. While media and entertainment are obsessed with thinness, we should be more concerned with the larger problem of obesity. There are great risks involved in being obese. Obesity is taking it’s toll on many people. It is about time somebody stepped up and proved to these suffering humans that there is help available, and there are people who care and are willing to help with this problem. Obesity currently affects over two – thirds of the population. (www.acsh.org ) Americans are paying less attention to what they are eating, and paying more attention to the costs of foods. Obesity rates have been steadily increasing over the past twenty five years. This is partly due to the rising costs of eating healthy. ( www.acsh.org) “Families get fatter as they buy cheaper and less healthy foods in order to try to fill up”. (Emily Openchowski, May 21, 2012) Obesity has been known to shorten life spans by six to seven years depending upon it's severity. ( www.acsh.org/publications/obesity-and-its-health-effects)...
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...Childhood Obesity Stephanie Johnson COM156 December 23, 2012 Brian Joseph Childhood Obesity Nearly 12.5 million children in America ages 2-19 currently suffer from obesity (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). It is easy to point the finger and shift blame, but the focus should be on solving the problem. Despite the increasing awareness about this condition in addition to programs that promote diet and exercise, the number of cases continues to the rise. Many schools have changed their approach to eating and physical activity, but the problem may require a bigger answer. Childhood obesity in America can be eliminated with parent education and the willingness to adapt to a healthier lifestyle. Who’s to Blame? The issue of childhood obesity has many different complex issues, but is it right to cast the blame on one particular party? The one thing that is certain is that it is not a problem where that child him- or herself can be held responsible. With this in mind, who are the other parties that have a contribution to this problem, the parents, school systems, society? Parents Whether parents want to assume any of the blame, they do play a part in this problem either directly or indirectly. The parents and their eating habits have a great deal to do with the example that is modeled for their children; if a parent has poor eating habits than so will the child. For this reason, it is important that parents of young child set a good example of healthy eating...
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...crave the milk? Hunger can be attributed to both psychological and physiological aspects. The physiology of hunger has been explored in several varying theories, but several of these theories have been proven inaccurate and, therefore, have been rebuked. The stomach contraction theory states that we know we are hungry when our stomach contracts, but this theory does not explain why people without stomachs continue to feel hungry. The glucose theory presents the idea that we feel hungry when our glucose level is low, but it has been found that blood glucose levels do not differ under normal conditions. The insulin level theory indicates that we feel hungry when the insulin level in our bodies increases; however, this theory requires humans to eat to increase insulin levels, which in turn makes them hungry. Perhaps the most accurate theories are the fatty acid theory and the heat-production theory. The fatty acid theory indicates that we have fatty acid receptors, and when these receptors are activated, when there is an increase in the fatty acid levels, we feel hungry. The heat-production theory states that as our bodies change temperatures we feel differences in our hunger patterns. For example, the drop in our body temperature makes us feel hungrier, and the rise in our body temperature makes us less hungry. (Hara, 1997) Beyond the physiology of hunger, there is a psychological aspect that derives from social and cultural influences of eating. People eat at certain...
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...The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines obesity and overweight as a range of weight that is considered healthy for a given height. The body mass index (BMI) is the measurement used to define who is overweight or obese. For adults a BMI of 25-29.9 is considered over weight, anything above 30 is considered obese (CDC info at cdc.gov). Obesity is one of the most discussed current health issue, because it is a precursor to hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, gall stone, breathing problems and certain cancers. Preventing over weight and obesity will in effect reduce or eliminate these conditions from the population. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in United States. Obesity affects 97 million Americans that are over 30% of the population. It cost about $100 billion a year to manage obesity related disease. (NIH publication 98-4083). Overweight and obesity is very common in minority groups, but affects people of all ages, but the number rises with age, and has a particular relationship to socio-economic status. The lower the socio-economic status the greater the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Rational: We chose this health indicator because as nursing students, we think it is important to live a healthy lifestyle and also educate the public about healthy eating to prevent overweight and obesity. We believe obesity is a preventable disease. Too much time is spent by Americans sitting in a couch...
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...doctors? Although there could be many reasons people do not hear these words come out of their doctors’ mouths, in America one of the biggest reasons is obesity. Obesity is a health issue that results from a combination of causes and contributing factors that make an individual’s body mass index (BMI) higher than what is considered healthy for their height and weight (Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences) (Ward-Smith 242). In America obesity is a major problem that relates to about 112,000...
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...Although some might say that altering individual choices and applying dietary restrictions are the best ways to tackle the obesity epidemic, I strongly believe that developing a national plan that entails environmental, educational, and industrial aspects is the most fit solution. While addressing obesity, the first things that come to mind are diets and individual choices. Thus, to hinder this epidemic, dietary restrictions and control over eating habits need to be exercised, much like our ancestors have done with staying away from gluttony. (Critser, 2001, p. 1, par. 3) [According to Koplan and Dietz, dieting and prevention are an effective method for treating obesity, especially in children and adolescents.] Despite the fact that dieting is thought to be healthy and energy giving, this lack of eating is only a sign of depression and illness (Seid, p. 5, par. 16). [In addition to that, and as mentioned by Worley, there aren’t any kinds of research that prove that dieting is, in fact, effective when it comes to treating obesity; on the contrary, it could have lasting harmful effects on the person’s health and state of mind.] What must be taken into account is that the human body, due to evolutionary factors, has a tendency to maintain its weight and prevent the person from starving. That is, when we diet and consume less food, our metabolic rate will decrease and slow down till it becomes compatible with the amount of food consumed (Worley, p. 3, par. 11). Add to that, people...
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...As discussed in our debate paper obesity is on the rise and has been a growing health concerns for the United States for many years. Childhood obesity has become an epidemic issue worldwide and some Asian countries are seeing an increase among childhood obesity for instance, country like Japan. Before discussing the obesity issues in Japan there are cultural differences that needs to be taken into consideration in order to fully understand the reason for the increase of childhood obesity among the Japanese There are numerous connotations to describe and point out differences of one’s culture, many sociologists describe culture as an adoption and process of behavioral patterns that influence people within a society. Cultural factors that play a key role in the increase of obesity within the Japanese population are; attitudes and customs. Japan’s cultural and eating habits has for many years included a seafood-based cuisine, rice and fresh vegetables. Japanese food portions are smaller compared to American portions and simply prepared with fresh ingredients. 50 Years ago a stable meal consisted of soup and rice three meals a day. With the adaption of Westernized eating habits, Japanese are eating bigger portions for breakfast, eating lighter lunch and having a big dinner. With the influence of bigger portions, Japanese are increasing their diets with more sweets and fatty calorie rich foods. With a change in life styles and a more westernized eating habits, there has be...
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