Overweight in Children.
Introduction
One health trend that is being observed today is overweight in children; it has become a new normal condition among children of both the pre and primary schools’ levels. According to research in this field, the chances are high that an obese child may likely continue to be overweight in the adolescent and adult age. This condition may also stand to expose the kid to risks associated with excess weight. Childhood obesity in the US is a serious problem that has grown considerably in the recent past. Obesity is believed to be among the easiest medical conditions for identification but proves to be a difficult one to be treated. The United States has established numerous efforts, goals, and initiatives to combat teen obesity. For instance, The National Health Education Standards (NHES) was developed to help promote the behaviors that relate to health in all grade levels. These behaviors constitute Physical activities, nutrition, and obesity, having been embedded as the priority areas or standards of concern since its inception in the office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. These standards support the core national campaigns for early-stage development for healthy habits.
The essay focuses on exploring different questions relating to this condition in children. It tries to answer questions regarding the causes of obesity in children, explores to examine if mothers contribute to teen overweight and obesity conditions and to further if they have a role to play to ensure the safety of kids from this factor. The article will also examine the effects of single and dual parenthood on the level of Body Mass Index (BMI), which constitutes a measurement of obesity. The relationship between nutrition, obesity, and physical activity to the academic performance of obese children is examined.
Review of Literature on Overweight Conditions in Children.
Campbell et al. (719-730) studied the associations existing between the home food setting and the behaviors of eating that contribute to obesity in adolescence. The authors entirely examined such features in adolescents at the ages between 12 and 13 years. They investigated their diet behaviors, mainly their frequency of consuming high energy fluids, savory snacks, sweet snacks as well as take out foods. The study established that mothers’ influence either as models for the behaviors adolescents exhibit in eating or as the food providers, was prevalent. The consumption of the various foods by mothers was established to show a positive relationship with the intake behaviors by the boys for the same foods. Besides, the intake behaviors of mothers for high energy drinks was also positively linked to the consumption behaviors by the daughters for the same drinks (Campbell et al., 719-730). Therefore, the study deduces that the actions of mothers at home concerning the intake of various foods and beverages are highly associated with the determination of obesity-promoting eating among adolescents. Diet is a critical factor that contributes to obesity and overweight incidences not only in adults but also among teens.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) provides facts concerning obesity among children. The percentage of adolescents and children in the United States that are affected by obesity has more than tripled starting from the year 1970s. The CDC provides that data from 2015-2016 demonstrates that almost 1 in 5 young individuals (6 to 19 years) and school-age children in the US have obesity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The observation is attributable to various factors, including metabolism, which explains how the body of an individual changes oxygen and food into usable energy. Other elements include short sleep duration, genetics, eating, and behaviors of physical activity, as well as adverse childhood events. It is established that changing genetic factors is challenging even though it is possible to make children attain and keep up with a healthy weight. This is attainable through changing the environments in which young individuals spend their time, including schools, homes, and community environments. Such environmental transformation helps young persons to be physically active and access nutritious foods.
There are various causes of obesity and the consequences among children. Obesity in children is a complex issue. It is explained as occurring in the event a child substantially above the healthy or normal weight for his or her height and age. The causes attributable to overweight in young adults are established to be similar to those in children. Such are the genetics and behavior of an individual. Besides, obesity disorder can be influenced by the community that individual life as it affects their people’s ability to make healthy choices (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). The repercussions of obesity include high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are the risk elements contributing to cardiovascular disease. Obesity also leads to breathing issues, including sleep apnea and asthma. It may also contribute to fatty liver disease, gastroesophageal reflux, and gallstones. Children with obesity disorder face psychological problems, including depression and anxiety — the social issues associated with obesity in young persons, including stigma and bullying problems.
Childhood obesity prevalence and its associated complications have significantly escalated across the world. Huffman, Kanikireddy & Patel (2800-2810) studied on parenthood as a contributing element to obesity prevalence among children. The authors maintained that parental status could be linked to the health outcomes among children, such as body weight, eating habits, and blood cholesterol. The study analyzed families under single parents and those under dual parents as being the indicators of primary variables of the outcome of the Body Mass Index (BMI) in children, blood cholesterol, and consumption of dietary nutrients. The study establishes that children from households under single parents were significantly overweight as opposed to children from families under the dual-parent (Huffman, Kanikireddy and Patel, 2800-2810). Besides, children from households under single parents showed higher total calorie and consumption of saturated fatty acids.
Further, the study found out that black children were more overweight as opposed to other races. Generally, the results of the study depicted that there was a robust relationship existing between single-parent status and the overweight incidences in children. Obesity among children escalates the risks of coronary heart disease; it is linked to high incidences of asthma and liver diseases. The children with obesity and overweight suffer psychological effects, including low self-esteem that affect peer relationships and also contributes to social issues.
Obesity is linked to risks of health and that monitoring the obesity prevalence is essential for public health programs focusing on preventing or cutting down obesity. Ogden et al. (1-8) studied obesity prevalence among adults and youth in the US for years between 2011-2014. The authors established that obesity prevalence among the United States’ adults was 36.5 percent during 2011-2014. Besides, the prevalence among younger adults the age between 20-29 was 32.3%. Obesity prevalence among youth within the age bracket of 2-19 was reported as 17.0% and that the overall obesity prevalence among preschool-aged children of ages between 2-5 was reported as 8.9%. Obesity prevalence among the school-aged children at the age between 12-19) was higher than the preschool-aged children at 17.5%. Obesity is explained by the use of body mass index, even though the BMI fails to measure body fat directly. It is also established that body fat and BMI vary by age, sex, and race. Nevertheless, obesity definition is based on the body mass index for both adults and the youth. The study finds out that the overall obesity prevalence among children is higher as opposed to the goal of 14.5% of Healthy People 2020.
Edelman & Ficorelli (1-3) studied on eliminating the adolescent obesity epidemic. The study focused on children and teens ages 6 to 19 years. According to the survey, the percentage of American children with obesity has tripled over the previous decades and that the numbers of children with the disorder continue to scale up. Obesity among children puts them at higher risk of falling into severe chronic diseases as well as premature death occurrences. Obesity prevalence calls for the need to lose weight, especially among teenage persons. The study provides that losing 5% of body weight would scale down the risk of developing heart problems, diabetes, hypertension (Edelman & Ficorelli, 1-3). If teens attain such, they can significantly improve their quality of life. Exercising is a crucial factor that can contribute to losing bodyweight. Children and young people in the contemporary world suffer from technological involvement where they spend more time indoors as opposed to outdoor activities. As a result, they become less active and promote a sedentary lifestyle.
Burkhalter & Hillman (201-206) studied the relation of nutrition, obesity, and physical activity to academic performance and cognition across the lifespan of a human being. The study was focused on body mass, nutrient intake, as well as physical activity. It is essential to ensure a balance of energy as it is related to cognition, brain health, and academic performance. Practices involving under consumption or overconsumption of energy as well as excess body mass have been associated with educational attainment deficits among the school-age children. It also contributes to significant brain structure decay and its function during aging. The study established that physical fitness and activity showed a relationship with escalated energy expenditure, and hence it advantageous to brain health and cognition as well as better academic performance among school-age children.
According to a study by Brands et al. (578-585). Concerning how growth as a result of infant nutrition impacts obesity and consequently contributes to disease risk. The study establishes that infant nutrition constitutes a key influence on the immediate results as well as long-run health risks and ultimate disease risks. Such hazards include obesity and associated disorders, which is a phenomenon known as metabolic programming. The study establishes that gaining weight rapidly, especially in the initial two years of an individual life, influences insulin-like growth element metabolic pathways (Brands et al., 578-585). Infant nutrition is established to be a robust and modifiable risk determinant among childhood obesity. A huge opportunity to prevent obesity occurs in growth at the time of an individual’s early life and its relation with particular elements of nutrition, including protein.
Findings on Overweight Condition.
Obesity can be assessed or diagnosed through an analysis of the Body Mass Index (BMI) that is typically carried out in two ways for children; BMI at the 95th percentile or more for age and gender, or The BMIs of more than 30 whichever smaller. The BMI results from this method mean the child should have a full obesity check-up (Skinner et al., 2018). For the second way, BMI between the 85th percentile or BMI equal to 30, whichever is smaller, is used for analysis. The results would mean that the child should have a screening that examines his/her health risks.
The study that was reviewed concerning the relationship between home setting and eating patterns in children and adolescents reveals that mothers influence the model of eating, especially the junky and fatty foods that are associated with obesity conditions. The study conducted by the CDC indicated that the number of obesity in the US currently triples the number experienced back in the 1970s, reading that 1 out of 5 children is obese. Research conducted between 2015-2016. The study has also revealed the causes of obesity as majorly, lack of physical activities, and genetics (family history). The obesity condition is analyzed based on the Body Mass Index. However, this does not give information on the level of calories and fats. Nutrition constitutes a key influence on children’s health factors. Practices involving under consumption or overconsumption of energy as well as excess body mass have been associated with educational attainment deficits and disease risks among the school-age children.
Recommendations.
Parents and guardians have a crucial role to play in ensuring a child do not get affected by this health-related problem, which can be prevented. First, there is a need for parents to understand clearly the causes of obesity. These causes include poor eating habits, lack of regular exercise, overreacting, or binging; it could also relate to family history, medical illnesses such as neurological or endocrinal problems, medications, stress, and emotional problems. Children should be observed against these to prevent overweight. Secondly, there is a need to understand the risks and complications of obesity. The chances are high blood pressure, heart complications (cardiovascular problems), diabetic issues, breathing issues, and difficulty of sleep. In adults, it could be coupled with the risk of emotional stress. But this is not entirely free from kids, as they may suffer low self-esteem, especially impacted by the peers hence causing them depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. In case the child is obese, there are guidelines or management methods to help cure the condition — first, the need to attend to a pediatrician or physician to assess the possibilities of the overweight conditions. The main form or way for reducing obesity/overweight is to lower the number of calories eaten and raise the level of physical activities unless it is associated with a physical disorder. These can be achieved through enrolling the child in a weight management program, changing the diet and eating habits of the child, planning meals for the child (avoid junky and fatty foods), limit snacking the child, and not using the menu as a reward to a child. Attending to support groups such as the overeaters could also help as parents are much advised to check out on what children eat at schools.
Conclusion.
In summary, obesity in children has been regarded as a condition that is on the rise. The essay paper has focused on exploring reasons, extends, and qualitative academic reviews on this condition. The article herein stipulates the findings of different types of research that link with obesity and overweight, especially in children. The paper has answered the research questions on mothers’ influence on the obesity condition, causes of obesity in children, the effects of single parenthood, and dual to the child’s BMI. The relation that exists between nutrition, obesity, and physical activates affecting the child’s scholastic performance. Recommendations regarding this condition have been explored in detail to help prevent, treat, and control obesity. It has been found that if this condition is not controlled at the childhood stage, chances of this extending to the adolescent hood and then to adulthood are high thus need to curb it as early as possible. Despite the government of the United States establishing promotional organizations such as the National Health Education Standards (NHES) by the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to foster behavioral health, parents and guardians are obligated to be on the frontline for this course.
Works Cited.
Brands, Brigitte, et al. “How growth due to infant nutrition influences obesity and later disease risk.” Acta Paediatrica 103.6 (2014): 578-585.
Burkhalter, Toni M., and Charles H. Hillman. “A narrative review of physical activity, nutrition, and obesity to cognition and scholastic performance across the human lifespan.” Advances in Nutrition 2.2 (2011): 201S-206S.
Campbell, Karen J., et al. “Associations between the home food environment and obesity‐promoting eating behaviors in adolescence.” Obesity 15.3 (2007): 719-730.
Edelman, MaryAnn, and Carmel T. Fiorelli. “Ending the epidemic of adolescent obesity.” Nursing2019 42.11 (2012): 1-3.
Huffman, Fatma G., Sankarabharan Kanikireddy, and Manthan Patel. “Parenthood—a contributing factor to childhood obesity.” International journal of environmental research and public health 7.7 (2010): 2800-2810.
Ogden, Cynthia L., et al. “Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: the United States, 2011–2014.” (2015): 1-8.
Skinner, Ashley Cockrell, et al. “Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in US children, 1999–2016.” Pediatrics 141.3 (2018): e20173459.
Overweight & Obesity. (2016, December 15). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
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