Global Health Challenge, the Plan
Global Health Challenge, The Plan Part 1
Benedictine University
Global Health Challenge, The Plan Part 1
The incidence of childhood obesity is on the rise. In fact, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health, 2010). Holtz (2008) states “Childhood obesity is also now considered a global epidemic” (p.378). Lack of physical activity is an important contributing factor for excess weight in childhood (Liu, Bennett, Harun, & Probst, 2008, p. 408). The purpose of this paper will be to evaluate the correlation between lack of physical activity and childhood obesity and to develop a prevention plan to help reduce the risk of childhood obesity related to physical inactivity.
In 2000, the total cost of obesity for children and adults in the United States was estimated to be $117 billion (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, n.d). Approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. Sedentary behavior is implicated in youth and adult overweight and obesity (CDC website, 2011). Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type II diabetes as a youth. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children, under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Global increases in childhood overweight and obesity are attributable to a number of factors including; a trend towards decreased physical activity levels due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of recreation time, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization (World Health Organization, 2011). Sedentary behavior, usually assessed as screen time and predominantly TV viewing, is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors in children,
Benedictine University
Global Health Challenge, The Plan Part 1
The incidence of childhood obesity is on the rise. In fact, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health, 2010). Holtz (2008) states “Childhood obesity is also now considered a global epidemic” (p.378). Lack of physical activity is an important contributing factor for excess weight in childhood (Liu, Bennett, Harun, & Probst, 2008, p. 408). The purpose of this paper will be to evaluate the correlation between lack of physical activity and childhood obesity and to develop a prevention plan to help reduce the risk of childhood obesity related to physical inactivity.
In 2000, the total cost of obesity for children and adults in the United States was estimated to be $117 billion (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, n.d). Approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. Sedentary behavior is implicated in youth and adult overweight and obesity (CDC website, 2011). Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type II diabetes as a youth. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children, under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Global increases in childhood overweight and obesity are attributable to a number of factors including; a trend towards decreased physical activity levels due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of recreation time, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization (World Health Organization, 2011). Sedentary behavior, usually assessed as screen time and predominantly TV viewing, is associated with unhealthy dietary behaviors in children,
References: CDC website. (2011). http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.html Holtz, C Institute of Medicine website. (2004). http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2004/Preventing-Childhood-Obesity-Health-in-the-Balance/ChildhoodObesity4pagerfixforwebpdf.pdf Liu, J., Bennett, K., Harun, N., & Probst, J Lobstein, T., Baur, L., & Uauy, R. (2004). Obesity in children and young people: A crisis in public health Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website. (2009). http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/20090925alractiveeducation.pdf U.S World Health Organization. (2011). http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/