EDUCATION

Childhood obesity



Childhood obesity

Obesity in children is said to be a growing problem at a worldwide level. The problem has become so alarming that several international organizations are seriously studying the issue, including the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the sources, measures must be taken immediately to counter the epidemic and its impact.

In Canada, the number of overweight children continues to grow. Between 1981 and 1996, the percentage of obese boys increased by 92% and 57% for girls. In Quebec, it is estimated that between 10% and 15% of children are obese (Chambers &Wakley, 2002).

The problem has become severe or chronic to the extent that U.S. military said that childhood obesity is becoming a problem to be attacked because it is seen as a threat to national security because it limits the access of young people to the army. U.S military conducted a research which stated that one individual out of every four individual in the population of USA is said to be overweight and it is due to the higher obesity level that they become inapt to join the Army. They further stated that when it comes to organizations obesity is an acceptable criterion but when it comes to military and when it comes to national security obese people can put it to stake. Military leaders have also stated the fact that there is a certain range of height and weight that an individual needs to be in to ensure that he is apt for the military but they have been coming across individuals who are said to be above the range which is one of the many factors which shows that child obesity is a growing problem. Childhood obesity is said to be a global epidemic that affects more and more children. There are now three times more obese children than 15 years ago. The consequences of this development can be very troubling, but solutions exist: the key is to change habits. To prevent this from happening, it is important to know what the causes of childhood obesity are and what are the factors that influence overweight in children (Blumenthal, 2012).

This paper presents the definition of obesity in children, the consequences and causes, some tips and links on the subject.

What is childhood Obesity?

Obesity is considered to be an eating disorder in which there is an energy imbalance where the calories consumed are greater than calories expended. When this happens during childhood, is more difficult to solve, since children do not respond to diet in the same way as adults. To prevent complications of childhood obesity, it is important to prevent it from occurring. Obesity is generally defined by a weight of more than 20% of healthy weight, the latter being calculated according to body mass index (weight / height).

The body mass index (BMI), as measured for adults, is not suitable for children and adolescents because the distribution of fat tissue is constantly changing during growth and it is not the same for boys ...