Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity - Research Paper Example

? The Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity The Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity The World Health Organization, or WHO (n.d defines epidemiology as the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems. Various methods of investigating the spread of the disease within populations can be used, such as surveillance and descriptive studies to determine distribution within a population, and also analytical studies to determine why particular members of a population size are more susceptible, among others. In epidemiology, there are certain steps done systematically to successfully cure diseases (Page, Cole & Timmreck, 1995). The first step is to identify the problem, or the disease, then make a community or a population assessment by determining whether there are actual or potential health problems present. In this step, questions such as which among the population is the least or the most susceptible is determined. By performing demographic profiling, it can determine the percentage of individuals affected, and can be a reliable indicator of the overall health of the population (Yarnell, 2007). This step is followed by the determination of the causes of the disease. After having a conclusion as to how an ailment affects individuals, epidemiologists give out information on what the disease is, as well as causes, effects and prevention methods. The last step would be on the hands of an individual and his or her personal decisions after being informed about a certain disease. The person can choose whether to do actions that could prevent the onset of the disease or just do nothing to prevent it (Page et al., 1995). Diseases can be studied either by the number of affected individuals in a given population (quantitative epidemiology) or by studying the causes and effects of the disease in the affected individuals (qualitative epidemiology), which are both important in determining risk factors (Yarnell, 2007). In order to search for the causes of diseases, a model is used in determining those factors. Figure 1. The Epidemiology Triangle The epidemiology triangle is a traditional model used in determining the causes of diseases (Page et al., 1995). The vertices consist of the host, or the carrier of the disease, the agent or the cause of the disease, and the environment where the host and the agent are brought together (ibid.). Another part of the triangle is TIME, or the incubation period before a disease becomes full blown (Merril & Timmreck, 2006). After all components of the formation of the disease are identified properly, epidemiologists break the legs of the triangle, disrupting the connections between environment, host and agent in order to prevent the outbreak of the disease and prevent it from spreading. However, in non-infectious diseases this triangle model is not always reliable due to some particular components that are not easily classifiable whether they are agents or environmental (Page et al., 1995). This paper would be tackling the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, and attempt to create a disease model as well as to list the steps in its prevention, focusing on presentation of qualitative obesity epidemiology. Definition of Obesity Body mass index or BMI is used to determine whether a person’s weight is below normal, normal, or above normal, which can be overweight, obese or morbidly obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2011). A percentage of at least 25-30% fat in the body can consider a child as fat (Williams et al., 1992). BMI that is 25 up to 29.9 is overweight, and beyond that is considered obese. Being obese, or obesity is defined as an excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat that presents various risks to health (WHO, n.d.). Problems that can arise from excessive fat include high blood pressure and cholesterol, increased impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, breathing problems, joint and musculoskeletal discomfort, fatty liver and gallstones, and psychosocial problems such as discrimination and poor self-esteem that can be carried on to adulthood (CDC, 2011). As one of the most prevalent and controversial diseases today, countless factors have been linked to obesity, aside from genetic factors. Also, not only does it affect developed nations, but developing countries as well (Deghan, Danesh & Merchant, 2005). Thus, developing nations gained the burden of having obesity as a problem in their people, aside from the previous problem of malnutrition and undernourishment (Poskitt & Elmonds, 2008). Causes of Obesity An even more alarming trend at the moment is the increase of obesity among children and adolescents, with as much as 300% increase in the number affected individuals since the 1980’s (Bagchi, 2011). According to the CDC (2011), 17% of the population is considered obese. The combination of readily-available empty-calorie food in stores as well as the lack of physical activity contributes greatly in the onset of obesity among children and adolescents (Koplan, Liverman & Kraak, 2005). Early onset of obesity in children can lead to adult obesity, thus the need for a preventive measure while the children are still young (Deghan et al., 2005). The onset of the disease is very disturbing due to the long-term implications on the affected children and adolescents for their health in the future (Poskitt & Edmunds, 2008). Also, certain races like Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans and Native American and their children are at high risk for obesity, but additional data needs to be generated to include Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the statistics (Crawford et al., 2001). In the US, the identified additional factors for causing obesity in children are: changes in the household, where both parents are away at work and are most of the time unable to prepare healthy foods; changes in the school’s environment, that in order to cut costs cheap and unhealthy food alternatives are served; changing physical designs of the community, where people do not interact as much as before, and tend to stay at home to be safe; influx of various cultures and assimilation of such into the current generation, where children become more attached to technological advances that prevent them from getting additional physical activities; and lastly other collective cultural and social characteristics of the US population being accepted as normal that greatly affect the mindset not just of children but the adults as well (Koplan et al., 2005). Possible Treatment and Intervention Methods Obesity is considered as a chronic condition, developing over the course of time slowly (Smith, 1990). Thus it didn’t just happen overnight, but was the product of the accumulated food and lack of exercise by affected individuals. But it can be prevented, and is even treatable if given the chance. For children, intervention and the prevention of obesity should be started at a young age, to be effective (Deghan et al., 2005). According to the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth, there are proposed action plans and goals for children and adolescents in the US to be implemented in schools and communities, for the prevention of obesity (Kaplan et al., 2005). Among the proposed obesity-prevention methods of the committee are the following: the expansion and promotion of physical activities in communities in the state and local levels; routinely check BMI in children and youth as well as providing guidance and counseling to both children and their families; improve nutritional quality of foods and beverages served and sold in schools; and the engagement of families and communities in the promotion of healthful dietary intakes and healthy lifestyle choices such as increased physical activity and lessening TV/video-gaming times (Kaplan et al., 2005). Policy-makers are also enjoined to participate in the campaign against obesity (Brownson et al., 2010). Additional physical education activities in schools are to be implemented and be revised as needed based on the physical evidence performed through qualitative research (ibid.). There should be an increase in the energy being expended by children and adolescents to balance out the energy being supplied, thus the relevance of additional PE in schools (Crawford et al., 2001). The neighborhood as a whole must also be modified in order for its inhabitant children as well as adults to become proactive in preventing obesity (Deghan et al., 2005). Among proposed modifications are by adding additional footpaths and walkways, bicycle lanes, open areas such as parks and other recreational facilities, among other (ibid). However, the community must also be able to maintain these facilities in order for these places to remain as such. Lastly, since the child is molded at home, the household itself should be the starting point for obesity intervention. Familial intervention should start with the parents since they are highly capable of behavioral modification (Waters et al., 2010). Also, targeting parental behaviors can be a lot more effective in curbing undesired behaviors in children, since they tend to follow examples set about by their parents. Conclusions In the field of epidemiology, the prevention of disease outbreak and recurrence is the main focus of activities. Disrupting the interactions of the disease agent with the host and the environment is the primary concern of epidemiologists. But the importance of identifying the risk factors as well as the demographic information of individuals at-risk is also necessary for information about the diseases. Figure 2. Epidemiologic Triangle for Obesity In the US, obesity is considered as one of the most prevalent diseases affecting not just adults but children and adolescents as well. The number of obese children has tripled since the 1980’s, and this has caused alarm in various levels of the society. There are also additional risk factors for the onset of obesity such as race and genetics. Also, due to such increase in the number of obese children, the factors which are mostly attributed to this are unhealthy eating habits and low-levels of physical activities, drastic intervention and prevention methods are being done, with young children being the targets since they are easier to train and influence. Methods for intervention are by adding physical activity opportunities at home, at school and in the communities where children live. Alteration of eating habits is also encouraged by eating healthier food alternatives. Lastly, the participation of families, schools, communities and the state as a whole is also an important and a deciding factor in the success of programs targeting the prevention of obesity. References Bagchi, D. (2011). Global status on childhood obesity: current status, consequences and prevention. San Diego, CA: Elsevier Inc. Brownson, R.C., Chriqui, J.F., Burgeson, C.R., Fisher, M.C. & Ness, R.B. (2010). Translating epidemiology into policy to prevent childhood obesity: the case for promoting physical activity in school settings. Annals of Epidemiology, 20(6): 436-44. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Childhood overweight and obesity. Retrieved March 24, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html Crawford, P.B., Story, M., Wang, M.C., Ritchie, L.D. & Sabry, Z.I. (2001). Ethnic issues in the epidemiology of childhood obesity. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 48 (4): 855-78. Deghan, M., Akhtar-Danesh, N. & Merchant, A.T. (2005). Childhood obesity, prevalence and prevention. Nutrition Journal, 4:24. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-4-24 Koplan, J., Liverman, C. and Kraak, V.I. (2005). Management of childhood obesity. Washington: National Academy of Sciences Merril, R.M. & Timmreck, T.C. (2006). Introduction to epidemiology. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Page, R.M., Cole, G.E. & Timmreck, T.C. (1995). Basic epidemiological methods and biostatistics: a practical guidebook. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Poskitt, E. & Edmunds, L. (2008). Management of childhood obesity. New York: Cambridge University Press. Smith, C.J. (1990). Understanding childhood obesity. MI: University Press of Mississippi. Waters, E., Swinburn, B., Seidell, J. & Uauy, R. (2010). Preventing childhood obesity: evidence policy and practice. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. World Health Organization. (n.d.). Health topics: epidemiology. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from the WHO website, http://www.who.int/topics/epidemiology/en/ World Health Organization. (n.d.). Health topics: obesity. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from the WHO website, http://www.who.int/topics/obesity/en/ Yarnell, J. (2007). Epidemiology and prevention: a systems-based approach. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Read More