Obesity is a highly preventable public health concern. Defined as a Body Mass Index of 30 or
above in adults, or 25 or above in children, obesity leads to many
complications. Most notably, the
obese individual is at heightened risk for heart disease, hypertension, type 2
Diabetes, and stroke.
Additionally, obesity can lead to asthma, mental health problems,
osteoarthritis, immobility, and dangerous complications for pregnancy and
childbirth. All of these may lead
to chronic conditions that often lead to co-morbidities and require long-term
care. While this need for care
causes a significant financial burden for the individual and their loved ones,
it also takes a heavy emotional toll.
If they are unable to care for themselves, the chronically ill adult may
also be unable to work outside the home, or care for any children they may
have. Due to the fact that obese
children are far more likely to be obese as adolescents and adults, obesity
prevention should begin as early in life as possible (CDC, 2013). In 2008, 17% of children and
adolescents were considered obese, with a full third of children and
adolescents considered either overweight or obese. This was triple the rate of obesity in children and teens
from 1980 (CDC, 2011). The CDC has
identified four main risk factors for obesity: lack of physical activity,
unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, and environmental factors.
Teaching children healthy behaviors early on and encouraging
them along the way has proven to be an effective way of preventing obesity. According to the CDC’s 2013 Vital Signs
report, obesity rates in preschools have decreased in 19 out of 43 states studied. Measures that contributed to this
decline included making it easier and more affordable for families with small
children to purchase healthy foods, helping schools open gyms and playgrounds
during non-school hours so that children would have a safe place for active
play, and providing safe, free drinking water in community areas. Increasing the availability of safe,
free drinking water has led to a decline in the consumption of sugary
beverages. While not the entire
cause, sugary beverages have been a major contributor to the rise of obesity as
a public health concern.
While there has been some improvement after decades of
increasing rates of obesity, the rates of childhood obesity are still too high
(CDC, 2013). In order to slowly
reverse the obesity epidemic, there will need to be a long-term,
well-coordinated approach with schools acting as key players (CDC, 2011). Since children and adolescents spend
the majority of their time in schools, they are an excellent place to teach and
encourage healthy behaviors.
Providing a quality school meal program with healthy and appealing
choices for kids is a way to direct kids towards healthy eating habits. Physical activity programs in schools
should not be limited to physical education classes, but also include breaks
for physical activity in the classroom, recess, and activities before and after
school.
Sources:
Here's an example of an environmental factor that contributes to childhood obesity. An article discussing research completed at UM links childhood obesity and larger waist circumference to higher levels of Bisphenol A (BPA). In 2012, the FDA banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and children's cups; however, the chemical is still found in children's toys. The study did not find a link between BPA and cardiovascular or diabetes risk among children, which has been shown in adults.
ReplyDeleteLink to article: http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201308/high-bpa-levels-children-associated-higher-risk-obesity-and
Although children do spend a lot of time in school each week (about 30 hours), the majority of their time is spent at home (about 44 hours, not including sleeping time). Additionally, Savage et al.
ReplyDelete(2007) indicate that the parental influence on a child's first 5 years of life, before they ever start school, has been shown to have the biggest impact on forming eating habits for life. LaRocca (2009) goes as far to say that parents are directly to blame for childhood obesity. Although childhood obesity is certainly a multifaceted problem, I firmly believe that parental influence is the biggest factor to reducing this epidemic.