Childhood Obesity: A Cultural Epidemic

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Childhood Obesity A Cultural Epidemic

• Its causes, effects, and how we can solve the
  problem

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What is Obesity?

• Though there is no ideal weight for everyone, a
  person is considered obese when his/her BMI is
  over 30
• BMI is a persons Body Mass Index

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Calculating BMI

• In addition to the numerous websites available to
  calculate ones BMI, there is a formula
• Weight(lbs)? (704.5)/(height(in))2

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What makes a kid/teen overweight?

• Instead of using the word obese the Centers for
  Disease Control refer to two markers for those
  who are overweight
• The 85th percentile is considered at risk,
  corresponding to a BMI of 25 for adults
• The 95th percentile is the more severe level of
  obesity, corresponding with a BMI of 30 for
  adults

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8 Main Causesaccording to a study of 9,000
seven- year- olds

• High birth weight
• Obesity in one or both parents
• 8 hours of TV per week by age 3
• Larger size in early life, measured at 18 months
• Rapid weight gain in the 1st year
• Rapid catch up growth between birth and two
  years of age
• Less than 10.5 hours of sleep per night by age 3
• Early development of body fat in pre- school
  children
• Before age 5-6, when it should start increasing

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• Though humorous, this cartoon reflects the
  mentality of modern America

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• Part of the reason for the marked increase in
  obesity over the past 40 years is the shift in
  the types of calories being consumed
• 10 of caloric intake is from soft drinks, thats
  double from what it was in 1980
• American children spend nearly 30 billion of
  their own money annually on junk food, a result
  of increased advertising specifically targeting
  them
• Since 1994, 600 new childrens food products have
  been introduced, half of these being candies and
  gum

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There are many factors that can influence a
childs chances of becoming overweight
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Recent studies have shown that one of the many
factors influencing the weight of children today
is their ethnicity
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Frightening Food

• As time goes by, children have been consuming
  increasing amounts of soft drinks, which contain
  high amounts of sugar and calories devoid of any
  nutritional value
• 30 of the calories in an average childs diet
  come from these junk foods
• Some pediatricians estimate that many overweight
  children may consume 1200 to 2000 calories per
  day solely from soft drinks
• In recent years, low income families are finding
  it increasingly difficult to afford healthy foods
  such as fruits and vegetables
• The foods that are most convenient (fast food,
  microwave meals, packaged snacks) are generally
  less nutritionally valuable and highly processed

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Two of the main causes of obesity exemplified
unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle
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Enough Exercise?

• Suburban and Urban environments discourage
  walking or biking to places, with increased
  emphasis on riding in cars
• Less opportunity for exercise in schools
• Leisure activities such as video games becoming
  dominant over outdoor sports etc.

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The many risks associated with being overweight
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• Long term effects of obesity

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• In this study, mothers of Australian pre-school
  aged children were questioned concerning their
  childrens weights and whether or not they would
  consider them overweight currently

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• This box an whisker plot reflects those mothers
  from this same survey who were concerned about
  their children being overweight in the future

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What Can Be Done?

• Funding in schools can be increased in order to
  allow for more nutritious school lunches
• Allowing time for physical activities during
  school hours
• Instilling healthy eating and exercise habits in
  children, starting with the parents
• Encourage family out door leisure time as opposed
  to video games or tv

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• According to scientists in England, based on the
  trends in recent years,by 2010, obesity rates in
  adults will further increase, as shown in this
  graph
• This same British group estimates that if no
  action is taken, obesity rates in children will
  continue to increase at a frightening rate

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• If nothing is done about this nationwide, and
  even worldwide problem, we will have to deal with
  the consequences of the ailments of our children
  of today as they grow up to be our unhealthy
  adults of tomorrow. It is essential that children
  learn good habits now for better lives tomorrow.

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Works Cited

• Anne Collins Weight Loss Program 2007. 20 Oct.
  2007 lthttp//www.annecollins.com/weight-loss/body-
  mass-index.htmgt.
• ERIC Digest. American Association of Colleges
  for Teacher Education. 1990. 20 Oct. 2007
  lthttp//www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/obesi
  ty.htmlgt.
• Research Uncovers 8 Causes of Childhood
  Obesity. Daily News Central. 20 May 2005. 19
  Oct. 2007 lthttp//health.dailynewscentral.com/cont
  ent/view/802/0gt.
• Childhood Obesity in the United States Facts
  and Figures.Institute of Medicine of the
  National Academics. Sept 2004. Institute of
  Medicine. 19 Oct. 2007 lthttp//www.iom.edu/Object.
  File/Master/22/606/FINALfactsandfigures2.pdfgt.
• The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity. Feb
  2004. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 20
  Oct. 2007 lthttp//www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/The-
  Role-Of-Media-in-Childhood-Obesity.pdfgt.
• Haire-Joshu, Debra. Laura L. Hayman and Marian L.
  Fitzgibbon. Childhood Obestiy Can Policy
  Changes Affect this Epidemic? Society of
  Behavioral Medicine. 2007. Society of Behavioral
  Medicine. 19 Oct. 2007 lthttp//www.sbm.org/policy/
  childhood_obesity.aspgt.