Childhood Obesity Research Paper
Define and discuss the importance of your topic.
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity has important consequences for health and wellbeing both during childhood and also in later adult life. The rising prevalence of childhood obesity poses a major public health challenge in both developed and developing countries by increasing the burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases. Despite the urgent need for effective preventative strategies, there remains disagreement over its definition due to a lack of evidence on the optimal cut-offs linking childhood BMI to disease risks, and limited evidence …show more content…
In childhood and adolescence the most common complications of obesity are increased risk of: orthopaedic problems (particularly in the foot and hip); asthma symptoms and psychosocial morbidity (largely the result of teasing and stigmatisation, particularly in adolescents and in girls). Obesity in children and adolescents has adverse effects on the cardio- vascular system: an abnormal blood lipid profile; chronic low-grade inflammation and higher blood pressure. In addition, overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence have adverse effects on the metabolism of glucose and obese adolescents in particular are at higher risk of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was once thought of as ‘adult onset diabetes’ but adolescents now account for a high proportion of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in the USA. Childhood obesity also seems to be associated with an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent or ‘childhood onset’ …show more content…
Modern children are much less likely to ‘grow out of their obesity’ than in the past: at least 70 per cent of contemporary obese adolescents will remain obese and so become obese adults. In recent years, since the publication of our systematic review on the health effects of child- hood obesity, evidence has been emerging of a range of other adverse consequences of childhood obesity. Of particular note here is liver disease (‘fatty liver’) and cancer. The con- tinuing childhood obesity epidemic therefore predicts future increases in liver disease and the incidence of certain
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. Childhood obesity has important consequences for health and wellbeing both during childhood and also in later adult life. The rising prevalence of childhood obesity poses a major public health challenge in both developed and developing countries by increasing the burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases. Despite the urgent need for effective preventative strategies, there remains disagreement over its definition due to a lack of evidence on the optimal cut-offs linking childhood BMI to disease risks, and limited evidence …show more content…
In childhood and adolescence the most common complications of obesity are increased risk of: orthopaedic problems (particularly in the foot and hip); asthma symptoms and psychosocial morbidity (largely the result of teasing and stigmatisation, particularly in adolescents and in girls). Obesity in children and adolescents has adverse effects on the cardio- vascular system: an abnormal blood lipid profile; chronic low-grade inflammation and higher blood pressure. In addition, overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence have adverse effects on the metabolism of glucose and obese adolescents in particular are at higher risk of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was once thought of as ‘adult onset diabetes’ but adolescents now account for a high proportion of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in the USA. Childhood obesity also seems to be associated with an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent or ‘childhood onset’ …show more content…
Modern children are much less likely to ‘grow out of their obesity’ than in the past: at least 70 per cent of contemporary obese adolescents will remain obese and so become obese adults. In recent years, since the publication of our systematic review on the health effects of child- hood obesity, evidence has been emerging of a range of other adverse consequences of childhood obesity. Of particular note here is liver disease (‘fatty liver’) and cancer. The con- tinuing childhood obesity epidemic therefore predicts future increases in liver disease and the incidence of certain