Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity

Introduction

Within United States childhood obesity is a grave issue due to its emerging commonness in recent years and its link with detrimental physical and social consequences. Even though a number of suggested methods for finding out obesity within children subsist, the method that is mostly utilized is defining obesity within children as above or equal to ninety-fifth percentile on the BMI (Body Mass Index). It has been suggested by the epidemiological studies that employ the Body Mass Index that within United States roughly 11% to 15% of children are obese. Approximations propose that over the previous decades the commonness of obesity within children has augmented by 4% (CDCP, 2004). Even though, the raters of obesity have amplified for all ethnic-racial groups that are studies and for both sexes, it seems that obesity rates when compared to whites might be elevated for minority groups, comprising of Mexican Americans and African Americans. This paper discusses childhood obesity in a holistic context along with discussing the ways through which this could be controlled.

Discussion and Analysis

Obesity is known as a highly critical nutritional problem in front of the world. This inclination has happened during a fairly short span; within U.S., it seems to have started in twentieth century's last quartet. The contagion in children tagged on soon after that. The latest figures depict that 34% of the population is obese having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of greater than 30, and 61% of the population of the U.S. is overweight having a BMI (Body Mass Index) that is greater than 25. Even though no subgroup of the population has been seen as spared by this epidemic and it has been observed in people of all socioeconomic and ethnic / racial and of all ages along with poor people. Obesity affecting almost each part of the globe except sub-Saharan Africa has become a global public health issue. According to Cismaru (2008) the term obesity has been coined by policymakers as epidemic in order to tag the linked challenges in an illustrative, simple, but simultaneously even to some extent in an ambiguous way. The principal risk factor for the development of adult and childhood obesity is the intake of excessive energy.

There exist numerous potential causes behind childhood obesity that could be best comprehended through taking into consideration the cumulative effect of behavioral, genetic and social factors. A couple of significant trends within society might elevate the risk for obesity within children. The first trend within the society is that children are going through a much inactive style of life, partially due to the financial cut downs in United States' programs for physical education. Studies hold up the notion that obesity within children is linked to augmented time employed within inactive activities like working on computers, playing video games, and watching television. Researched have found out that obesity in children is related to video games and the body fat levels are linked to watching television. Furthermore, studies have indicated that the higher the time consumed ...