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Childhood Obesity In Louisiana Case Study

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Problem Statement According to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (2013), about 33 percent of children in Louisiana are overweight or obese. When compared to the other 49 states in the United States, Louisiana is ranked sixth in childhood obesity (Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 2013). Louisiana’s percentage of overweight and obese children is higher than the national average of overweight and obese children, which is approximately 17 percent (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). These alarming statistics raise concerns about the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States, especially in the state of Louisiana. Childhood obesity is influenced by several factors, such as socioeconomic status, screen-time, …show more content…

Childhood obesity increases the risk for adult obesity and other chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and cancer (CDC, 2015). With the risk for such comorbidities, medical resource utility and their expense is quite high. For example, in 2013 the costs associated with overweight and obesity in adolescents were estimated to be about $46 million (American Heart Association, 2013). This does not include other sub-cohorts of children, such as preschool or school-age children, nor does this include the costs associated with childhood obesity-related comorbidities; therefore the economic impact related to childhood obesity is considerably …show more content…

Many of these studies were culturally tailored. The locations of these studies included California, Virginia, and Texas. Gaps in the knowledge includes the impact of after-school programs in at-risk, school-age children in Louisiana. Louisiana has a mix of various cultures, such as Creole and Cajun cultures. These cultures believe to live in the moment, and do not give much thought in regards to future consequences of living in the moment. The phrase laissez les bons temps rouler [let the good times roll] reflects this belief. This belief can negatively impact childhood obesity, and the beliefs found in Louisiana’s culture may be one of the many reasons why Louisiana has such a high childhood obesity prevalence. Because the prior studies that tailored their programs to the sample’s culture had good results, creating a culturally tailored after-school program in Louisiana could improve childhood obesity rates in school-age at-risk children. By providing disadvantaged children with a health promoting after-school program (ASP), childhood obesity could potentially be reduced in southwest

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