Childhood Obesity: a Growing Epidemic
Childhood Obesity: A Growing Epidemic
Matt Vogel
University of South Dakota
Introduction:
Would you like to super-size this meal for an extra $.39? That is a question far too many Americans hear everyday. People in this country are getting fatter and fatter. "In a study conducted by the independent Institute of Medicine (IOM), the prevalence of obese children age 6 to 11 is three times as high as 30 years ago," (Arnst and Kiley, 2004). Additionally, 31% of the total U.S. population is classified as obese (Tiplady, 2005). As obese kids move through adolescence and into adulthood, their risk for health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes increases greatly (surgeongeneral.gov, n.d.). To tackle this giant, ever-growing problem, we need to start at the beginning, with children. Seventy percent of kids who are obese will be stay that way into adulthood (surgeongeneral.gov, n.d.). To fully understand the dilemma, I will identify the major causes, discuss the effects, and come up with some methods of prevention for childhood obesity.
Research Questions:
1. What are the major causes of childhood obesity?
2. What are the various health effects of childhood obesity?
3. How can childhood obesity be dealt with in current children and prevented in future children?
Significance:
The obese lifestyle leads to some scary health issues down the road. A diet containing lots of foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries and other cardiovascular problems which can cause heart disease as the person gets older. Another health problem, and the one most likely to occur in overweight children, is Type Two Diabetes. According to the aforementioned IOM report, an approximate 30% of obese boys and 40% of obese girls are at risk to develop diabetes at some time in their lives. Type Two causes an imbalance of blood sugar in the body. It has also been known to cause kidney failure and coronary artery disease. In
Matt Vogel
University of South Dakota
Introduction:
Would you like to super-size this meal for an extra $.39? That is a question far too many Americans hear everyday. People in this country are getting fatter and fatter. "In a study conducted by the independent Institute of Medicine (IOM), the prevalence of obese children age 6 to 11 is three times as high as 30 years ago," (Arnst and Kiley, 2004). Additionally, 31% of the total U.S. population is classified as obese (Tiplady, 2005). As obese kids move through adolescence and into adulthood, their risk for health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes increases greatly (surgeongeneral.gov, n.d.). To tackle this giant, ever-growing problem, we need to start at the beginning, with children. Seventy percent of kids who are obese will be stay that way into adulthood (surgeongeneral.gov, n.d.). To fully understand the dilemma, I will identify the major causes, discuss the effects, and come up with some methods of prevention for childhood obesity.
Research Questions:
1. What are the major causes of childhood obesity?
2. What are the various health effects of childhood obesity?
3. How can childhood obesity be dealt with in current children and prevented in future children?
Significance:
The obese lifestyle leads to some scary health issues down the road. A diet containing lots of foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries and other cardiovascular problems which can cause heart disease as the person gets older. Another health problem, and the one most likely to occur in overweight children, is Type Two Diabetes. According to the aforementioned IOM report, an approximate 30% of obese boys and 40% of obese girls are at risk to develop diabetes at some time in their lives. Type Two causes an imbalance of blood sugar in the body. It has also been known to cause kidney failure and coronary artery disease. In
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