Childhood Obesity Nanci Klein Shauna Richey NURS 450

Childhood Obesity Nanci Klein Shauna Richey NURS 450 Ferris State University

Childhood Obesity � What is obesity? › › � Body Mass Index (BMI) for children BMI 85 -95 th percentile have a weight problem 95 th and up indicates obesity More than 1. 2 times the 95% indicates extremely obese Why is this a problem? › Curing obesity is difficult › Long term adverse effects make preventing childhood obesity a public health priority (Family Health Guide) (Wang, 2001, p. 1129)

BMI Charts (https: //search. yahoo. com/yhs/search? p=BMI+chart+children&ei=UTF 8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-004

Childhood Obesity facts � Rates of childhood obesity tripled in past three decades � 1 in 3 children in the U. S. are obese or overweight � 7% of boys and over 5% of girls classified as extremely obese � Numbers increase among Hispanics and African Americans (Letsmove. gov)) (Family Health Guide)

Root Cause of Obesity Most commonly caused by consuming excess calories coupled with lack of exercise • Unhealthy food choices • Portion sizes • Environmental factors • Lack of physical activity • Psychological factors • Socioeconomic factors • Medical conditions (Family Health Guide) (Letsmove. gov)

Societal Factors � Urban neighborhoods: Fewer, if any, outdoor produce stands. No supermarkets Fewer open spaces for physical activity Increased traffic on the streets Increased violence (Wieting, 2010)

Mass Media � Children spend an average of 5. 5 hours per day using various media � Children are exposed to an average 40, 000 commercials annually, which are usually linked to food, beverage, and candy products � Fast-food outlets spend $3 billion annually in advertisements toward children (Wieting, 2010)

Consequences of Childhood Obesity � Early onset of adult heart disease � Increased medical cost � Decreased overall life expectancy � Increased circulatory problems � Higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, cancer, asthma, sleep apnea � Poor self esteem, social and psychological problems (Wieting, 2010)

Advocacy and Regulation � The US department of Agriculture fails to regulate nutritional content of most snacks � The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) limits high-calorie foods in schools � The American Public Health Association favors regulation of food and beverages in schools (Wieting, 2010)

Strategies for Change � Collaborated effort including › Parents › Schools › Active involvement of kids › Physicians � Approaches include › Education › Personal responsibility › Moderation › Healthier lifestyles (Letsmove. gov. , Wieting, 2010)

The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) � National program designed to build alliances among children, parents, and educators � Teach children lifelong healthy practices › Reduce fat content of school lunches › Increase physical activity › Influence students’ self-reported eating habits (Wieting, 2010)

Let’s Move! Is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of childhood obesity. � Let’s Move's goal is to reduce the childhood obesity rate to just five percent by 2030. � There a series of 70 specific recommendations ranging from prenatal care to after school activities for school-aged children. � (letsmove. gov)

Conclusion Many complex, social, environmental, and financial forces influence the eating behavior and activity levels of US children and adolescents. Change must occur now or the current epidemic of childhood obesity will result in today’s children having shorter and less healthy lives than their parents. (Wang, 2001, p. 1129)

References Family Health Guide: Childhood Obesity. (2015). Retrieved June 2. 2015, from http: //www. parenting. com/health-guide/childhoodobesity Lets. Move. (n. d. ). www. letsmove. gov Wang, Y. (2001). Cross-national comparison of childhood obesity: the epidemic and the relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status. International Journal of Epidemiology, 30(5), 1129 -1136. Retrieved from: http: //dx. doi. org/10. 1093/ije/30. 5. 1129 Wieting, J. M. , DO. (2010). Cause and Effect in Childhood Obesity: Solutions for a National Epidemic. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. (108) (545 -552).