Sarah Drake
Childhood Obesity Paper
10/25/17
Childhood Obesity
Michelle Obama once said, “Slowly but surely, we’re beginning to turn the tide on childhood obesity in America. Together, we are inspiring leaders from every sector to take ownership of this issue.” Childhood obesity is described as a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Children who are obese are above the normal weight for their age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2016). Many citizens are not aware of the importance of educating and preventing childhood obesity. Society is not aware of the prevalence of childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity is the number one health problem of the twenty-first century, and in each school, at least one out of four students is at an unhealthy weight (Schumacher & Queen, 2007). The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity throughout the United States has led policy makers to rank it as a critical public health threat. Ober the past three decades, its rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2 to 5 years and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, and has more than tripled for children aged 6 to 11 years. At present, approximately nine million children over 6 years of age are considered obese (Koplan, Liverman, & Kraak, 2005). In 2000, obesity was two to three times more common in children and youth than in a reference period in the early 1970s. the increase in obesity prevalence has been particularly striking since the late 1970s, and affects both boys and girls and has occurred in all age, race, and ethnic groups throughout the United States ( Schumacher & Queen, 2007).
So, what causes childhood obesity? What is causing this epidemic? There are several different factors such as insufficient amounts of the protein leptin, genetics, poor diet, and several other factors. Genetics are one of the biggest factors examined as a cause of obesity. Some studies have found that BMI is 25–40% heritable. However, genetic susceptibility often needs to be coupled with contributing environmental and behavioral factors in order to affect weight (Sahoo, et al., 2015). Leptin may also contribute to childhood obesity, and obesity in general. In a recent study, Yale researchers led by Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobiology Rajita Sinha explored the relationship between the hormone leptin and obesity in the hope that leptin may in the future be used as an obesity treatment. Leptin, the “satiety hormone” studied by the Yale team, is produced in the adipose tissue where it regulates energy homeostasis and metabolism. Obese patients have previously shown resistance to leptin, wherein their adipose tissue shows increased expression of the hormone, but these increased levels do not reduce body fat. Their findings, published in Diabetes Care, reinforce the leptin-obesity connection. Using two subject groups, the researchers examined how obese and lean subjects responded when presented with high calorie foods, low calorie foods, and non-food items. Comparison of fMRI scans shows that obese participants had stronger neural responses to both high and low calorie foods versus non-food items as compared with lean participants. Baseline leptin expression was also increased in all regions where increased activity was seen on the fMRI, suggesting that there may be a connection between leptin and neural motivation-reward pathways that cause overeating. Increased leptin levels were therefore shown to be associated with the increased food-induced brain activity seen in obese adolescents. The correlation between increased leptin levels and brain hyperactivity suggests that abnormalities in the body’s response to leptin may be responsible for overconsumption leading to obesity and its related illnesses. The alteration of leptin processing thus has promise as a future target for drug therapy. In facing the growing obesity epidemic, such innovative treatments are necessary to make progress against this ubiquitous disease (Ludwin-Peery, 2014).
A combination of two factors majorly effect a child’s chance of being obese. These two factors are diet and exercise. A poor diet containing high levels of fat or sugar and few nutrients can cause children to gain weight very quickly. Convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, salty snacks, and canned pasta can also contribute to unhealthy weight gain (Roth, 2016). Not enough physical activity can be another cause of childhood obesity. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education suggests that children get a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise every day. The type of activity does not matter as long as it is either of moderate or high intensity—that includes anything from jump-rope to playing tag. Toddlers and preschool children should get 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity, and should not be allowed to stay sedentary for more than an hour at a time. In a survey of 10th graders in Washington in 2006, only 43 percent reached the suggested daily activity target (Mitchell, 2017).
Childhood obesity can lead to several complications throughout the lifespan of the child. These health issues and complications include premature death, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea.
According to the World Health Organization, childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of premature death. This happens because overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. The World Health Organization also noted that the most significant health consequences of childhood obesity include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and certain types of cancer (endometrial, breast, and colon.)
High blood pressure is also a large issue for childhood obesity. By age 7, more than fifty percent of hypertension is due to obesity; this number typically rises to eighty-five to ninety-five percent by the teenage years (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the first step with lowering blood pressure in an obese child is losing weight, which will have to be very closely monitored by a pediatrician, which will then lower the blood pressure.
Type 2 diabetes is also a common problem in obese children. Studies have shown that obesity has led to a dramatic increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents over the past 2 decades. Obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance, which, when coupled with relative insulin deficiency, leads to the development of overt type 2 diabetes. Children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes may experience the microvascular and macrovascular complications of this disease at younger ages than individuals who develop diabetes in adulthood, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, stroke, myocardial infarction, and sudden death; renal insufficiency and chronic renal failure; limb-threatening neuropathy and vasculopathy; and retinopathy leading to blindness (Hannon, Rao, & Arslanian, 2005).
Sleep apnea is another major issue caused by childhood obesity. The single most effective intervention for sleep apnea is weight loss. Overweight and obese children are five times more likely to develop sleep apnea than their normal weight peers (Fink, 2012).
So, how do we prevent childhood obesity? Several ideas and principles can be put into place in order to prevent childhood obesity.
First, children should eat breakfast. Breakfast breaks the overnight fast, provides necessary carbohydrates to maintain sugar levels, primes muscles for the day’s work and sends essential nutrients to all cells of the body for growth (Denny, 2015). Second, children should eatj a modest amount of fruit and vegetables. Studies have shown that this protects against increased adiposity in children because of their low energy density, high fiber content, and satiety value (Davis, et al., 2007). Another way to prevent childhood obesity is to allow kids to be kids, and let them play. Fred Fornicola, a nutrition coach, stated “Today’s youth is way too sedentary, with the technological era making it much too easy to just sit around and be occupied. Try to encourage kids to put down their indoor electronics and go for a walk, ride their bike, hit the playground, play recreational sports, and engage in all types of physical activities—especially with other friends. Kids tend to play more often and longer when they are with other kdis so this is a great way to get them moving”.
In conclusion, childhood obesity is a serious epidemic. Childhood obesity can lead to a number of different health issues in the present, or in the future.