Child Obesity: The Basic Facts, Causes, Problems and Prevention

Child Obesity has become an international epidemic phenomenon. In order to prevent this outbreak from further deterioration, this web site is created with hope to increase the awareness of the general public towards this issue. Consequently, this web site illustrated the facts, causes and problems of the child obesity. Besides, plenty of  the child obesity prevention tips have been suggested.

Child Obesity (Childhood Obesity)

Child Obesity: Definition

Child Obesity: How to Know

Child Obesity: Facts

Child Obesity: Causes

Child Obesity: Problems

Prevent Child Obesity: Tips for Parents

Children Serving Counts

Child Obesity (Childhood Obesity)

In the year early 2010, Michelle Obama has set an ambitious goal. “We want to eliminate this problem of childhood obesity in a generation,” the first lady told “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts. “We want our kids to face a different and more optimistic future in terms of their lifespan.”

In accordance to the NHANES survey in the year from 1999 to 2002, 16% of children age between 6 to 19 years is overweight (Refer to Figure 1). [2], [5],[7] Not only have the rates of overweight has increased, the heaviest children in the NHANES survey recently showed that there were obviously heavier than those in preceding surveys.

The statistics are shocking. The number of adolescents who are overweight has increased more than three times in the past 30 years. Similarly, the occurrence for the younger children has increased more than double. Currently, 12.5 million American children age from two to 19 are obese, it is 17% of the American population. Besides, another 16.5% are at the risk of becoming overweight or obese.

Correspondingly many countries around the world, the rates of obesity or overweight in children have increased significantly over the past 20 years. This has lead to a number of researchers to call it as 'international epidemic of childhood obesity'.

Child obesity and overweight are vital health issues in the United States. Obesity is a modern health tight spot for children and adolescents these days who having pressure with weight never from previous generation before. It is a difficult problem to be handled, given the reality that the parents need to ensure that the children are having adequate amounts of nourishment in their daily diets.

Overweight and obesity has a critical and never-ending medical condition, which is related with a wide variety of unbearable and life threatening situations. Additionally, this problem has effect on children from all ages and disregarding of racial.

Obesity and overweight is more common in girls than boys and in older preschooler’s age between 4 and 5, than younger age between 2 and 3. Obesity become more intense as children gets older. For children ages from 6 to 11, one child in five is overweight.

For most children and adolescents, overweight and obese is the outcome of unhealthy eating habits as the intake of foods consist excessive calories and insufficient exercise and physical activities. Since these behaviours are found establish in the early childhood, attempt to stop or prevent child obesity have to start at the child’s early years.

In addition, fraction of the problem is the environment formed by parents these days. More than two third of the American adults are overweight and one third is obese. It is their lifestyles that have an effect on the child's environment.

References

[1] Beauty Impress, "How To Combat The Dilemma Of Childhood Obesity?" http://www.beautyimpress.com/articles/childhood-obesity.php

[2] Childhood is defined for the purposes of the paper as 6-19 years of age

[3] Lisa Collier Cool, "3 Healthy Family Habits to Prevent Childhood Obesity", 24^th August 2010, http://www.healthymagination.com/blog/3-healthy-family-habits-to-prevent-childhood-obesity/

[4] Mayo Clinic Staff, “Childhood Obesity”, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698

[5] National Center for Health Statistics, “Prevalence of Overweight among Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2002” Downloaded from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overwght99.htm Accessed: Feb. 2005.

[6] NSW Government Health, "Obesity", http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/publichealth/healthpromotion/obesity/index.asp

[7] Overweight and obesity are used interchangeably and are defined as a BMI on or above the 95^th percentile for gender and age (BMI-for-age). Downloaded from: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm Accessed: Feb. 2005. These terms have different connotations for adults.

[8] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Childhood Obesity", http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/

[9] World Health Organization, “Childhood overweight and obesity”, http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/

Last update: 13 June 2011 21:17