Childhood Obesity in Society - Essay Example

Childhood Obesity in Society The childhood obesity rate had more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it had more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years in the period from 1980 - 2000. In 2008, the rate of overweight and obese children in the United States was 32%, and had stopped climbing. At present, more than 9 million children over 6 years of age are considered obese. The factors that contribute to this include ones diet, life style, genes etc. While the effects of this condition can lead to several chronic and life threatening diseases like diabetes and atherosclerosis, the psychological effects due to teasing and social stigmatization lead to depression and drug abuse. To cure this condition and to prevent this from happening again, the individual, family and the society must work with the government. Introduction The 21st century America is the richest country in the entire world. In 2007, the annual advertising expenditure was approximately $2, 79,612 million. But what is the world's richest in money may well become 'richest' in body weight as well. Over 66 percent of American adults are overweight or obese; this amounts to 68.6 million adults (Gormley, 2008). And for the past 35 years, the United States has been experiencing, what has rightly been termed, 'an epidemic' of childhood obesity. The childhood obesity rate had more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it had more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years in the period from 1980 - 2000 (Institute of Medicine Fact Sheet, 2004) It has however has not changed significantly between 2000 and 2006 with the most recent statistics showing a level just over 17 percent (Ogden et al., 2008). In 2008, the rate of overweight and obese children in the United States was 32%, and had stopped climbing. At present, more than 9 million children over 6 years of age are considered obese. Prevalence of overweight is especially higher among certain populations such as Hispanic, African American and Native Americans. Also, while more children are becoming overweight, the heaviest children are getting even heavier. As a result, childhood overweight is regarded as the most common prevalent nutritional disorder of US children and adolescents, and one of the most common problems seen by pediatricians. Causes There are numerous causes for obesity in general and childhood obesity in particular. In each of these, the society seems to have a role, however obscure it may be. The three most important are listed below. Dietary/ Food Habits: The effects of eating habits on childhood obesity are difficult to determine. A three year randomized controlled study of 1,704 3rd grade children which provided two healthy meals a day in combination with an exercise program and dietary counseling failed to show a significant reduction in percentage body fat when compared to a control group. This was partly due to the fact the even though the children believed they were eating less their actually calorie consumption did not decrease with the intervention. At the same time observed energy expenditure remained similar between the groups. This occurred even though dietary fat intake decreased from 34% to 27% (Caballero et al., 2003). A second study of 5,106 children showed similar results. Even though the children eat an improved diet there was no effect found on BMI (Nader et al., 1999). Why these studies did not bring about the desired effect of curbing childhood obesity has been attributed to the interventions not being sufficient enough. Changes were made primarily in the school environment, whereas it is felt that they must occur in the home, the community, and the school simultaneously to have a significant effect (Kolata, 2007). Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studied national beverage consumption patterns for over 73,000 Americans between 1997 and 2001 and found the following: overall calories from sweetened drinks went up 135 percent. Kids drank about 40 percent fewer calories from milk while their soda drinking doubled. Although the popular thinking is that diet sodas help people to lose weight, since they are low in calories, data from the San Antonio Heart Study found that the more diet soda a person drinks the greater is the likelihood that he or she will become overweight or obese. 'On an average, for each diet soft drink our participants drank per day, they were 65 percent more likely to become overweight during the next seven to eight years and 41 percent more likely to become obese,' said Sharon Fowler, MPH, faculty associate in the division of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio. Other, more recent unpublished findings from Fowler back this up. While parents and schools may need to do a better job of promoting regular exercise and better dietary choices, the viral distribution of these soft drinks doesn't help. A key part of the problem, says the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI), is that, school food programs compete against the widely available and aggressively advertised fast food, soft drink and snack foods that fill vending machines, school stores and la carte cafeteria lines (Gormley, 2008). Lifestyle and Socio-economic Status: Physical inactivity of children has also shown to be a serious cause, and children who fail to engage in regular physical activity are at greater risk of obesity. Researchers studied the physical activity of 133 children over a three week period using an accelerometer to measure each child's level of physical activity. They discovered the obese children were 35% less active on school days and 65% less active on weekends compared to non-obese children. Physical inactivity as a child could result in physical inactivity as an adult. In a fitness survey of 6,000 adults, researchers discovered that 25% of those who were considered active at ages 14 to 19 were also active adults, compared to 2% of those who were inactive at ages 14 to 19, who were now said to be active adults (Ortega et al., 2007). Staying physically inactive leaves unused energy in the body, most of which is stored as fat. Researchers studied 16 men over a 14 day period and fed them 50% more of their energy required every day through fats and carbohydrates. They discovered that carbohydrate overfeeding produced 75-85% excess energy being stored as body fat and fat overfeeding produced 90-95% storage of excess energy as body fat (Horton et al., 1995). Many children fail to exercise because they are spending time doing stationary activities such as playing video games or watching TV. TV and other technology may be large factors of physically inactive children. Researchers provided a technology questionnaire to 4,561 children, ages 14, 16, and 18. They discovered children were 21.5% more likely to be overweight when watching 4+ hours of TV per day, 4.5% more likely to be overweight when using a computer one or more hours per day, and unaffected by potential weight gain from playing video games (Horton et al., 1995). Technological activities are not the only household influences of childhood obesity. Low-income households can affect a child's tendency to gain weight. Over a three week period researchers studied the relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) to body composition in 194 children, ages 11-12. They measured weight, waist girth, stretch stature, skinfolds, physical activity, TV viewing, and SES; researchers discovered clear SES inclines to upper class children compared to the lower class children (Lluch et al., 2000). Genetic factors: Childhood obesity is often the result of interplay between many genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in various genes controlling appetite and metabolism predispose individuals to obesity when sufficient calories are present. As such obesity is a major feature of a number of rare genetic conditions that often present in childhood. The Prader-Willi syndrome, Leptin receptor mutations etc have all been found to result in obesity in young children. One study found that 80% of the offspring of two obese parents were obese in contrast to less then 10% of the offspring of two parents who were of normal weight (Kolata, 2007). Parental obesity may also reflect a family environment that promotes excess eating and insufficient activity. Effects: Medical: There are many known medical conditions that can be attributed to childhood obesity. One of the most prevalent ones is diabetes. More and more children are getting diagnosed with this harmful disease. According to a CBS news report, children with diabetes get all of the symptoms that an adult would have. It puts them at a much greater risk for cardiac complications, kidney problems, and can greatly harm their eyesight. Children that are considered overweight are also a greater risk for developing asthma. The Center for Health Care in Schools states that the risk of new-onset asthma is higher among children who are children who are overweight. Another illness that overweight children can incur is cardiovascular disease. The Center for Health Care in Schools stated that approximately 60% of obese children aged 5-10 years old had at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor. Other conditions that can arise are sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels (Algoe, 2008). Emotional/ Psychological: One side effect of obesity that is scarcely acknowledged or dwelled upon is the psychological effects that come with it. Studies have recently established that even if a child manages to lose weight in adulthood, some of the psychological damage from being an obese child linger. Researchers surveyed 1,520 children; ages 9-10, with a four year follow up and discovered a positive correlation between obesity and low self esteem in the four year follow up. They also discovered that decreased self esteem led to 19% of obese children feeling sad, 48% of them feeling bored, and 21% of them feeling nervous. In comparison, 8% of normal weight children felt sad, 42% of them felt bored, and 12% of them felt nervous (Strauss, 2000). While obese children generally tend to have poor body images, this is not helped by all the teasing that they tend to have to endure at school and in other social situations with their peers. A lot of times, obese children will skip school or drop out altogether in order to avoid having to confront their peers teasing head on. Social stigmatization can continue even after a child has grown resulting in feelings of hopelessness and depression. These can cause a child to seek comfort from food. Researchers provided an in-home interview to 9,374 adolescents, in grades seven through 12 and discovered that there was not a direct correlation with children eating in response to depression. Of all the obese adolescents, 8.2% had said to be depressed, compared to 8.9% of the non-obese adolescents who said they were depressed (Goodman & Whitaker, 2002). Antidepressants, however, seem to have very little influence on childhood obesity. Prevention of Childhood Obesity - A National Priority. The problem of childhood obesity is being hard to solve because of the convergence of several factors - genetic, social, economic and environmental. But like any other problem, it can also be brought under control by implementing strict rules and following them. Healthy Eating and Exercise - Role of the Individual and Family: The practice of healthy eating and lots of physical exercise is a must for any family. The following points can be followed. Parents should choose what children can eat, (what foods and drinks are in the home, what foods and drinks are served at meals and snacks, what restaurants they go to, etc) but among those foods, parents should allow kids to choose whether they eat at all and how much to eat. Fruits and vegetables, as compared to high calorie snack foods (often high fat and high sugar), should be readily available in the home. Serve and eat a variety of foods from each food group. Use small portions - child portions are usually very small, particularly compared to adult portions. More food can always be added. Bake, broil, roast or grill meats instead of frying them. Limit use of high calorie, high fat and high sugar sauces and spreads. Use low-fat or nonfat and lower calorie dairy products for milk, yogurt and ice cream. Support participation in play, sports and other physical activity at school, church or community leagues. Be active as a family - Go on a walk, bike ride, swim or hike together. Limit TV time. Avoid eating while watching TV. TV viewers may eat too much, too fast, and are influenced by the foods and drinks that are advertised. Replace high-sugared drinks, especially sodas, with water and/or low fat milk. Limit fruit juice intake to two servings or less per day (one serving = cup) - Many parents allow their children unlimited intake of fruit juice (100%) because of the accompanying vitamins and minerals. However, children who drink too much fruit juice may be consuming excess calories. Encourage free play in young children and provide environments that allow children to play indoors and outdoors. Role model through actions healthy dietary practices, nutritional snacks, and lifestyle activities. Avoid badgering children, restrictive feeding, labeling foods as "good" or "bad," and using food as a reward. Pediatricians & Other Health Care Professionals: (from the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement, August 2003) Health Supervision Recommendations: Identify and track patients at risk by virtue of family history, birth weight, or socioeconomic, ethnic, cultural, or environmental factors. Calculate and plot BMI once a year in all children and adolescents. Use change in BMI to identify rate of excessive weight gain relative to linear growth. Encourage, support, and protect breastfeeding. Encourage parents and caregivers to promote healthy eating patterns by offering nutritious snacks, such as vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy foods, and whole grains; encouraging children's autonomy in self-regulation of food intake and setting appropriate limits on choices; and modeling healthy food choices. Routinely promote physical activity, including unstructured play at home, in school, in child care settings, and throughout the community. Recommend limitation of television and video time to a maximum of 2 hours per day. Recognize and monitor changes in obesity-associated risk factors for adult chronic disease, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance, and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Advocacy Recommendations: Help parents, teachers, coaches, and others who influence youth to discuss health habits, not body habitus, as part of their efforts to control overweight. Enlist policy makers from local, state, and national organizations and schools to support a healthful lifestyle for all children, including proper diet and adequate opportunity for regular physical activity. Encourage organizations that are responsible for health care and health care financing to provide coverage for effective obesity prevention and treatment strategies. Encourage public and private sources to direct funding toward research into effective strategies to prevent overweight and to maximize limited family and community resources to achieve healthful outcomes for youth. Support and advocate for social marketing intended to promote healthful food choices and increased physical activity. Role of the Food Industry (Baker, 2008): It is estimated that food and beverage companies spend $10 to $12 billion a year for a broad range of marketing activities primarily directed to children. Of that, more than $1 billion is spent on media advertising, primarily TV. The remaining billions are spent on youth-targeted promotions, public relations, and specially designed packaging. Advertisers are marketing online, in stores, at schools - through character licensing and celebrity endorsements - with premiums, prizes, promotions, and product placements - and via viral marketing, buzz marketing, and even cell phone messaging. Some of these efforts surely are experiments in advertising - but others presumably work. Some contend that the media and marketers are at least partially at fault for children's rising obesity rates. The advertising of "junk foods" to children has allowed the epidemic of childhood obesity to grow rapidly. Others contend that the serving sizes of foods sold in stores and restaurants have increased significantly from the 1960s. They argue that consumers eat the sizes put in front of them without realizing that serving sizes may be double or triple the size that such foods used to be or should be. The food industry can do the following to help control childhood obesity. Voluntary advertising restrictions such as: not advertising food products to children under the age of 6, not advertising less healthy food choices to children under the age of 12 and not advertising less healthy food choices in schools. Such initiatives may also involve changing food products or options by improving the healthfulness of existing products by, for example: removing fat or calories, or using more whole grains or fiber and making packages or portion sizes smaller and making healthier products specifically for children adding healthy items, such as fruit or low-fat yogurt, as available food options. The food Industry can also help parents and their children make the right and smart eating choices by changing products and packaging; changing advertising and marketing, and to encourage healthier choices for children. Competition will hopefully lead to healthier food choices and marketing towards children and help encourage food marketers and the media to consider adopting a set of best practices. This essay tries to illustrate that preventing childhood obesity is a collective responsibility requiring individual, family, community, corporate, and governmental commitments. The key will be to implement changes for this issue from many directions and at multiple levels, and through collaboration with and between many sectors. It would not do to become lax, now that the problem has plateaued. Continued efforts from all sections of the society and the government are necessary to prevent another attack of this 'epidemic'. REFERENCES American Academy of Pediatrics. 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"High body mass index for age among US children and adolescents, 2003-2006". JAMA 299 (20): 2401-5. doi:10.1001/jama.299.20.2401. PMID 18505949. Retrieved from http://www.wikipedia.org/childhood obesity/, November 10, 2008. Ortega FB, Ruiz JR, Castillo MJ, Sjstrm M (2007). "Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker of health". Int J Obes (Lond) 23: 1-11. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803774. PMID 18043605. Retrieved from http://www.wikipedia.org/childhood obesity/, November 10, 2008. Strauss RS (2000). "Childhood obesity and self-esteem". Pediatrics 105 (1): e15. PMID 10617752. Retrieved from http://www.wikipedia.org/childhood obesity/, November 10, 2008. Read More