Childhood Obesity


 


            Obesity is a condition where weight gain has got to the point that it poses a serious threat to health of an individual. It is measured in terms of a person’s body mass index or BMI, which is determined both by weight and height. BMI cut-off points have been agreed for obese and overweight adults, but for children, the situation is more complex. Because a child’s BMI varies with age, different cut-off points have to be used to define overweight and obese children depending on age (2003). Many experts believe that childhood obesity most probably results from the interaction of a child’s genetic makeup with the environment in which the child lives. An example of gene-environment interaction of a child who possesses some genetic traits tending to produce obesity include a taste for fatty and sweet foods, an aversion to fruits and vegetables, a reduced brain signal to the brain that he or she is “full”, a decreased capacity to burn fat as an energy source, and a preference to sit rather than to move about. Not only must a child possess the genes necessary for obesity to develop, but the factors or conditions, which interact with those genes, especially an excess of fat and calories, must also be present in the child’s environment (1999). In addition, the role of media is also significant in the development of obesity in children. The increase in engaging in watching TV shows and videos, cable networks, video games, computer activities, and Internet Web sites, and the advertisements on candy, soda, and snacks have an adverse effect on the eating habits and preferences of children, thus, significantly contributing to the increase in their weight leading to obesity (2004). In this regard, according to the International Obesity Task Force, childhood obesity is now a serious worldwide health issue, whereby approximately 22 million children under the age of 5 are overweight across the world (2006). This prompted the government to endorse awareness and prevention of childhood obesity worldwide, through continued publications and joint efforts with different professional education organizations, through encouraging children to be more playful and physically active, through promotion of physical environments for young children, and through the involvement of parents and the larger community in emphasizing the importance of healthy lifestyles among families (  2006). In this regard, the prevention of the obesity among children can be achieved through holistic endeavors and concerted efforts of the whole community.     


 



Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Top