Child_Obesity

I choose child obesity as a chronic disease topic for this culminating project. Obesity is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects people of all ages and is associated with potentially fatal health problems such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Obesity in children is an increasing problem in the United States, but Mexico is also facing a soaring childhood obesity rate. It ranks second only to the United States for highest rates in the world (Los Angeles Times, 2010). Childhood obesity is becoming more common in the Mexico. Too much food with a high fat or sugar content and a lack of physical activity means that many children are becoming overweight and some even develop the health problems usually seen in adults. In 2004, about 6 to 18 percent of Mexican boys of various ages were either overweight or obese and about 6 to 22 percent of girls of various ages were overweight or obese, according to a study in "Obesity Research." As of 2010, about 25 percent of Mexican school-aged children and more than 33 percent of Mexican teens are either overweight or obese. In Mexico City, about 40 percent of children are overweight or obese. As overweight children become overweight adults, the diseases associated with obesity and health care costs are likely to increase even more. If your child is overweight or obese, it's more likely that he or she will develop some serious health problems more usually seen in adulthood, such as hardened and blocked arteries (coronary artery diseases), high blood pressure and diabetes. Overweight children are twice as likely to be obese when they grow up as children who are not overweight. This means that in adulthood, they will be at an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, osteoarthritis and certain cancers. The risk of health problems increases the more overweight the child becomes. As well as being a risk to the child's health, being overweight as a child may also cause emotional problems. Teasing about his/her appearance can affect a child's confidence and self-esteem, and can lead to isolation and depression. Obesity presents numerous problems for the child. In addition to increasing the risk of obesity in adulthood, childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, is associated with Type II diabetes mellitus, increases the risk of coronary heart disease, increases stress on the weight-bearing joints, lowers self-esteem, and affects relationships with peers. Some authorities feel that social and psychological problems are the most significant consequences of obesity in children. A sufficient energy intake is important for your children while they are growing, and a varied and nutritious diet is essential for their development. However, like adults, if they take in more energy - in the form of food - than they use up, the extra energy is stored in their bodies as fat. References Bouchard, C., Tremblay, A., Despres, J-P, Nadeau, A., Lupien, P. J., Theriault, G., Dussault, J., Moorjani, S., Pinault, S., and Fournier, G. (1990). The response to long-term overfeeding in identical twins. The New England Journal of Medicine, 322(21), 1477-1482. Dietz, W. H., & Gortmaker, S. L. (1985). Do we fatten our children at the television set' Obesity and television viewing in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 75(5), 807-812. Dietz, W. H. (1983). Childhood obesity: Susceptibility, cause, and management. Journal of Pediatrics, 103(5), 676-686. Ross, J. G., & Pate, R. R. (1987). The National Children and Youth Fitness Study II: A summary of findings. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 58(9), 51-56. EJ 364 411. Wolf, M. C., Cohen, K. R., & Rosenfeld, J. G. (1985). School-based interventions for obesity: Current approaches and future prospects. Psychology in the Schools, 22, 187-200. EJ 318 072.