Childhood Obesity
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- Date Submitted: 10/13/2012 03:53 AM
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Childhood Obesity
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Obesity means a surplus amount of body fat. There is no general statement that exists on the smallest definition of obesity in adolescents and children, unlike the standards for adults. There is an increased risk for overweight children to be overweight in their adulthood. Family environment, genetic and behavior play a key role in childhood obesity. Childhood obesity increases the risk of certain psychological and medical conditions. The prevalence of obese children in the U.S. has dramatically increased in the recent years. Approximately 16% of children between 2 to 19 years have been classified as obese, according to recent reports (Ogden et al., 2008). The aim of this paper is to analyze childhood obesity because excess body weight has both long term, and immediate effects and this issue requires serious attention.
Because of the changing body compositions of children and the different growing rate of girls and boys, the body mass index for children is gender and age specific. The terms overweight and obese are mostly used interchangeably, although the words overweight and risk of overweight are preferred when referring to children whose excessive weight poses medical risks. Overweight adolescents and children have an increased risk of acquiring several health complications. When they are in their youth, they are likely to exhibit the risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure compared to the normal weight people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Other health complications associated that are associated with obese children include liver damage, apnea, and asthma. Furthermore, obese adolescents and children are at a higher risk of becoming obese adults. A study shows that approximately 80% of the children who were obese between the ages of 10 to 15 years were obese at 25 years. Another study shows that 25% of overweight adults...
Name
Institution
Obesity means a surplus amount of body fat. There is no general statement that exists on the smallest definition of obesity in adolescents and children, unlike the standards for adults. There is an increased risk for overweight children to be overweight in their adulthood. Family environment, genetic and behavior play a key role in childhood obesity. Childhood obesity increases the risk of certain psychological and medical conditions. The prevalence of obese children in the U.S. has dramatically increased in the recent years. Approximately 16% of children between 2 to 19 years have been classified as obese, according to recent reports (Ogden et al., 2008). The aim of this paper is to analyze childhood obesity because excess body weight has both long term, and immediate effects and this issue requires serious attention.
Because of the changing body compositions of children and the different growing rate of girls and boys, the body mass index for children is gender and age specific. The terms overweight and obese are mostly used interchangeably, although the words overweight and risk of overweight are preferred when referring to children whose excessive weight poses medical risks. Overweight adolescents and children have an increased risk of acquiring several health complications. When they are in their youth, they are likely to exhibit the risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure compared to the normal weight people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Other health complications associated that are associated with obese children include liver damage, apnea, and asthma. Furthermore, obese adolescents and children are at a higher risk of becoming obese adults. A study shows that approximately 80% of the children who were obese between the ages of 10 to 15 years were obese at 25 years. Another study shows that 25% of overweight adults...