Child Obesity Paper Essay Example
Obesity is a huge epidemic in America, as more alarming statistics begin to emerge - including estimates that 30% of all adults and as many as one-third of all children in the US are obese. About one in five children in the United States is now overweight! (Child Obesity Facts, 1999, para.2) Childhood obesity has lasting psychological effects, due to parental knowledge, lack of physical activities, and food advertisement; which has made obesity become a major health issue in many young children's lives today.
First, what is child obesity? The term child obesity means, “A child is between birth and puberty and is extremely overweight and has a body mass index BMI at or the 95th percentile.” (Hassink, 2006) This disease is caused by lack of exercise and over-eating by a child. Child obesity can cause many medical problems; for a child that suffers from obesity, issues such as high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and Type 2 Diabetes can occur.
In the article “Childhood Obesity in New York City Elementary School Students”, the author Lorna E. Thorpe discusses the numbers and statistics of how many kids are really overweight. “Findings from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that in 1999-2000, the prevalence of obesity among children aged six through eleven years was 15 percent. Previous surveys have shown that in 1960 the obesity rate was five percent, and at eleven percent in 1988-1994.” (Thorpe, List, Marx, May & Al, 2004, para.4)
It is easy to see that the obesity rates are climbing rapidly. With obesity, come many dangerous side effects, both short term and long term. Short term side effects of obesity are “adverse effects on growth, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose metabolism” Long term effects consist of “greater risk of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gall bladder disease, and osteoarthritis” (Thorpe et al. 2004,para.5). Along with physical
First, what is child obesity? The term child obesity means, “A child is between birth and puberty and is extremely overweight and has a body mass index BMI at or the 95th percentile.” (Hassink, 2006) This disease is caused by lack of exercise and over-eating by a child. Child obesity can cause many medical problems; for a child that suffers from obesity, issues such as high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and Type 2 Diabetes can occur.
In the article “Childhood Obesity in New York City Elementary School Students”, the author Lorna E. Thorpe discusses the numbers and statistics of how many kids are really overweight. “Findings from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that in 1999-2000, the prevalence of obesity among children aged six through eleven years was 15 percent. Previous surveys have shown that in 1960 the obesity rate was five percent, and at eleven percent in 1988-1994.” (Thorpe, List, Marx, May & Al, 2004, para.4)
It is easy to see that the obesity rates are climbing rapidly. With obesity, come many dangerous side effects, both short term and long term. Short term side effects of obesity are “adverse effects on growth, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose metabolism” Long term effects consist of “greater risk of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gall bladder disease, and osteoarthritis” (Thorpe et al. 2004,para.5). Along with physical