Childhood Obesity Essay

In 2012, more than one third of children under the age of 18 were overweight or obese. Over the past three decades, the rates of childhood obesity have tripled, and the United States now has some of the highest obesity rates in the world (“Child Obesity,” 2012). According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the definition of being overweight is that a child is above a weight that is considered normal and healthy. The definition of being obese means that a child is severely overweight with a body mass index (BMI) that is equal to or greater than the 95th percentile. The way that obesity or being overweight is determined is through a body mass index (BMI) calculation. BMI is the person’s weight (in kilograms) over their height squared (in

However, there are multiple contributing factors to those two causes such as an increased sedentary lifestyle, advertising and marketing of less healthy foods, variation in licensure regulations among childcare centers and schools, no safe and appealing places (in many communities) to play or be active, limited access to healthy affordable foods, a greater availability of high-energy-dense foods and sugar sweetened beverages and increasing portion sizes. The health consequences from childhood obesity in childhood are high blood pressure and high cholesterol (risk factors for cardiovascular disease), increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as sleep apnea, and asthma, joint problems and musculoskeletal discomfort, fatty liver disease, gallstones, and gastro-esophical reflux (heartburn). The emotional consequences can be seen through depression, behavioral problems, and issues in school, low self-esteem, and low self-reported quality of life and impaired social, physical, and emotional functioning. The health consequences from childhood obesity in adulthood are heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Childhood obesity can be prevented through living a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise every