Obesity has been an epidemic in the United States for more than 100 years now and is currently increasing. The main cause for obesity is diabetes mellitus, or diabetes. It is a group of diseases in which a person has High Blood Sugar levels as a result from the pancreas producing too much or little insulin. If not detected and treated urgent, diabetes can be fatal and even cause death. The 21st century began with an increase in childhood obesity and will continue to grow if Americans do not put a stop to it.
Pediatric obesity is defined as a condition in which a child is significantly overweight based on their age and height. It is diagnosed based on the child’s Body Mass Index (BMI) which identifies the range in which the child’s weight
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It is important to maintain a healthy environment at home. Many parents think that obesity is inevitable because it runs in the family but it can and should be prevented. “Moreover, it is exceedingly difficult to quantify with any certainty the degree to which inherited factors cause obesity because, as we’ll see below, biological and environmental factors are so tightly intertwined” (Dalton 46). The child’s lifestyle at home plays a part towards their health. “We know this from everyday observations and from research studies; children with two obese parents are more than six times as likely to become obese than children of non-obese parents” (Dalton 49). Demographics also plays a role in pediatric …show more content…
In 1980, the percentage of obese children from ages 6-11 was 7 percent and in 2012, the number went up to 18 percent. “The big headlines you see in this paper are that we predicted by 2030, obesity rates will increase 42%, which is significantly than the 50 plus percent” (“CDC Weight…”). The map shows the percentages of children within the state that have had many cases on child obesity. Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Washington D.C. are the top states with the most cases. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, in 2011, a study showed that Mississippi has the most obese children with a staggering percentage of 21.7%. Obesity is one a the few diseases that can’t be cured but can be slowed down and