Prevalence and Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity - Essay Example

"Prevalence and Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity" is a worthy example of a paper on child development.
Obesity refers to excess fat levels in the body. Obesity in children has been on the rise to epidemic levels in the US. 25% of kids are fat and 13% suffer from obesity. The prevalence occurrence of obesity in children is greater than ever.  A higher number of girls obese compared to boys (Langwith, 2013).

Children at Risk of being obese

Some factors increase the risk of children becoming obese. The diet the children, if it consists of fatty fast foods, will make them overweight. Children who do not do regular exercise are more likely to add weight. Also, a child coming from a family of fat people is most likely to become overweight.

Screening for Obesity

Clinicians should screen children aged five years and above for obesity and recommend them to counsel so as to encourage weight management. Screening is done by measuring their Body Mass Index (BMI). It identifies excess weight in children. Counselling should be undertaken to encourage treatment by interventions and change in behaviour (McKnight, 2010).

History and Physical examination

A history of vomiting, headaches in the morning, visual disorder, and too much urination or eating suggest that the child is obese. Obese children have fat accumulation in the neck and trunk. They experience a reduced linear growth rate due to growth hormone deficiency. Others include early sexual activity, stretch marks, and hypertension.

Interventions & Treatment Recommendations

Obesity intervention measures are meant to prevent kids from too much bodyweight gain and reduction in the risk of being obese. Loss of weight interventions for overweight kids aim is to help them lose weight by diet modification and doing physical exercise. Surgical treatment is also available. More encouragement should be put on research using modern technology to test and come up with innovative interventions (Buchwald, 2008).

Referrals & Follow-up Plan

Referral to a specialist for obesity treatment service is important for obese children. It is because of the need for further investigations in case conventional treatment has failed or in case the obese condition is chronic. The continuous follow-up is vital. The obese specialist input is should be for two years. Chronic obese in children must be managed and monitored to prevent a case of relapse (Virani, 2009).