1. Childhood obesity is a growing problem throughout the United States. According to the Center For Disease Control & Prevention (2014) approximately 17% of children age 2-19 are obese. Statistically, this equates to 12.7 million children throughout the country. However, the number of children that meet the criterion to be defined as obese has continued to flourish over the past few decades. The Center For Disease Control & Prevention (2014) further concurs in finding ‘childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years’ (para. 1). Despite the increased commonality of childhood obesity, this condition has immediate and long-term effects on the child’s health.
Children who are obese are more likely to develop high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, pre-diabetes/diabetes, sleep apnea, and joint problems (Center For Disease Control & Prevention, 2014). In addition to the immediate physical effects childhood obesity has on the child’s physical health, this condition has also been shown to affect the child emotionally. Children that are obese often exhibit trouble making friends, and higher rates of victimization (Gray, Kahhan, and Janicke, 2009). Harrison (2010) further concurs in finding ‘children who were overweight were 1.2 times more likely to be bullied than children who were not overweight’ (para. 3). Harrison further demonstrated that this finding was consistent regardless of the child’s race, gender, socio-economic status, academic skills, or social skills. This suggests that childhood obesity may place a child at risk for being bullied.
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The long-term risks of childhood obesity intensify as the individual reaches adulthood. According to the Center For Disease Control & Prevention (2015) individuals that suffer from obesity during childhood are statistically more likely to be obese as adults. This is problematic, as obesity during adulthood adversely impacts the individual’s health, and makes them more suspetable to a variety of medical problems. The Center For Disease Control & Prevention further concurs in finding that adults who are obese are more likely to develop heart disease, suffer from a stroke, suffer from a heart attack, develop type 2 diabetes, suffer from osteoarthritis, and develop certain cancers. In exploring what types of cancers obese adults are more likely to develop, research has shown that these individuals are more likely to suffer from cancers of the breasts, colon, kidneys, gall bladder, pancreas, thyroid, cervix, ovary, prostate, endometrium, esophagus, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and various types of myeloma.
Although the long-term effects of childhood obesity are often attributed to physical health problems, some research has demonstrated that obese children who grow into obese adults are more likely to negatively stigmatized. In this research, Puhl and Heuer (2010) found that many adults who were obese reported being discriminated against in the workplace, or socially. The effects of being stigmatized, or discriminated against in the workplace or socially may lead the individual to suffer from low self-esteem, depression, or emotional problems.
The immediate and long-term effects childhood obesity has on the individual makes childhood obesity one of the most severe public health problems plaguing the nation. With a growing number of children meeting the criterion to be defined as obese, and the long-term effects this condition has on the individual’s health, the public health system will need to determine how to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity. Yet, the increased likelihood that children who are obese will grow up to be obese adults is another problem. Bassett and Perl (2004) further concurs in finding that $117 billion was spent in 2003, on healthcare costs for conditions attributed to obesity. The increase cost of care, and prevalence of individuals who will need care for issues related to obesity makes childhood obesity a growing problem for people throughout the United States. Yet, as more people meet the criterion to be defined as obese, healthcare spending on an annual basis for medical problems related to obesity will continue to increase.
2. Although the Food and Drug Administration may have approved Qsymia, I do not think that this is an effective way to treat the growing childhood obesity problem. Even though some children may suffer from medical problems that cause them to gain weight, the growing prevalence of children that meet the criterion to be defined as obese suggests that many children throughout the nation are not leading healthy lifestyles. The Center For Disease Control & Prevention (2014) provides a similar assumption in exploring what causes childhood obesity. According to the Center For Disease Control & Prevention, ‘childhood obesity is the result of eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity’ (para. 1). Yet, providing children with medication, in my opinion is not the solution to reducing childhood obesity. Instead, I believe that healthcare professionals throughout the country need to focus on educating parents on the role of leading a healthy lifestyle. In supporting this opinion, Fuemmeler, Lovelady, and Zucker (2013) found that having an overweight or obese parent makes a child more likely to be overweight or obese. This study further demonstrated having two overweight or obese parents drastically increased the likelihood the child would be obese. Svensson, Jacobsson, and Fredriksson (2010) provided similar conclusions in demonstrating that parents with higher BMI’s were more likely to have children with higher BMI’s. In reviewing the findings of these two studies and the causes listed by the Center For Disease Control & Prevention, I believe childhood obesity is a learned behavior directly influenced by the child’s parents.
Even though childhood obesity may be a learned behavior, medicating children will not solve the problem. Instead, parents need to commit to leading healthier lifestyle and teaching their children the importance of diet and exercise. Yet, many parents are not emphasizing the importance of healthy eating patterns or physical activity. The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (2015) further concurs in finding that ‘only one in three children are physically active each day’ (para. 1). Additionally, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition found that children spend on average, 7.5 hours per day on the computer, television, or playing video games. Considering many children are in school for 6-7 hours per day, this is a substantial amount of time for a child to remain stagnant.
I further believe that it is important for schools to help prevent childhood obesity. Schools need to provide children with some type of physical activity. The Center For Disease Control & Prevention (2014) further concurs in arguing ‘children should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day’ (para. 2). Despite this recommendation, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (2015) found that only six states throughout the country mandate that children have gym class. Yet physical activity is only one element in teaching children to lead healthy lifestyles. Schools need to teach children about nutrition and how healthy eating patterns may impact the child’s life. Additionally, I believe that schools should provide children with healthy lunches and breakfasts whenever possible. Despite my beliefs, many schools are not taking the time to enact these measures. The Center For Disease Control & Prevention provides a similar assessment in finding, ‘nearly half of U.S. middle and high schools allow advertising of less healthy food, which impacts students abilities to make healthy food choices’ (para. 4).
In reflecting on the various findings from the Center For Disease Control & Prevention, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, and various scholarly findings, I believe that a new medication to treat childhood obesity is merely a band-aid for the existing problem. I further believe that based on current trends, this medication will not be successful in treating children suffering from childhood obesity.
- Bassett M.T., Peri S. (2004) Obesity: The Public Health Challenge of Our Time. American Journal of Public Health 94(9), 1477-1502.
- Childhood Obesity: Causes & Consequences (2014) Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
- Childhood Obesity Facts (2015) Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
- Facts & Statistics (2015) Retrieved from: http://www.fitness.gov/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/
- Fuemmeler B.F., Lovelady C.A., Zucker N.L. (2013) Parental Obesity Moderates the Relationship Between Childhood Appetitive Traits and Weight. Obesity 21(4), 815-828.
- Gray W.N., Kahhan N.A., Janicke D.M. (2009) Peer Victimization and Pediatric Obesity: A Review of the Literature. Psychology in Schools 46(8), 720-727.
- Harrison P., (2010) Obesity Makes Children a Target For Bullying. Retrieved from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/721233
- Puhl R.M., Heuer C.A. (2010) Obesity Stigma: Important Considerations For Public Health. American Journal of Public Health 100(6), 1019-1028.
- Svensson V., Jacobsson J.A., Fredriksson R. (2011) Associations Between Severity of Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence, Obesity Onset, Parental BMI: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. International Journal of Obesity 35(1), 46-52.