Thesis on "Childhood Obesity Is Growing at an Alarming"

Thesis 10 pages (2938 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Childhood obesity is growing at an alarming pace presenting serious health and socio economic consequences. A multi-pronged approach involving parental guidance and school-based initiatives, is necessary for tackling this preventable problem from developing into an unmanageable healthcare crisis. This coordinated approach is the key to promoting healthy life style modifications in our children who are the future of our country.

Obesity is fast developing into a major healthcare threat for America. While the growing overweight concern among adults is a pressing issue what is more alarming is the developing trend of obesity and overweight condition among children. As per the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior survey, around 13% of American high school children are obese [CDC] while 25% are clinically overweight. [Mashid et.al, (2005)] in fact, Obesity among children is a global concern. In the UK, for instance, one in every 10 children below that age of six is obese. [Science Daily] Improper food habits and inactive lifestyle are the two main causes for the surging obesity epidemic. The flourishing fast food industry and the indiscriminate eating practices induced by the fast life style have all contributed to the high levels of obesity and overweight conditions. Statistics indicate over 65% of the students did not meet the recommended level of physical activity and over 34% of students consumed soda and other junk food everyday. [Mashid et.al, (2005)] a brief overview of childhood obesity, its causes, effects and control measures would provide us a better picture into this growing health care crisis.

Understanding Obesity (Energy Balance and Obesity)

Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals and water are the six nutrient resources of the body. Of these, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are important for their calorific value and provide 4, 4 and 9 calories respectively per gram. Carbohydrates constitute the main energy source of the body. Body weight is determined by 'energy balance', which is nothing but the difference between the calorie intake and the calorie expenditure. Normally, the body tries to maintain the energy balance by either increasing or decreasing the metabolic rate in relation to the increase or decrease in energy consumption. For example, an increase in carbohydrate or protein consumption would trigger oxidation of the respective nutrients, which stabilizes their levels. However, Fat oxidation is not so directly related to its intake resulting in its accumulation as adipose tissue. Consequently, fat consumption directly affects the energy balance and hence the weight. [FAO]

Another nutritionally related cause for obesity is the increasing consumption of food with high carbohydrate content, as in the case of most junk foods. Since, increased carbohydrate content in food spurts the blood glucose level, the body's homeostatic response is to synthesize insulin to counter it. Insulin distributes this energy to the cells of the body while the excess is stored as fat. Further, increased carbohydrate consumption (fast foods) leads to increased carbohydrate oxidation, which indirectly increases the fat levels. (Low fat oxidation) This theory is the basis for the famous Atkins low carb diet, which prescribes reduced intake of carbohydrates to induce lyposis/ketosis mechanism. (Using fat as energy source). Thus, the amount food that is consumed and activity levels determine the energy balance of the body. [FAO]

It is found that only 20% of American people consume the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The fact that almost 60% of American youth consume excess of fatty foods such as chips, cookies, soda, etc. is a clear indication of the fast changing dieting habits. [John Dorsey, 2008] the availability of junk foods at school canteens and other stalls promotes this unhealthy dieting trend. In fact, researchers have identified a direct link between Junk food advertisements and increasing obesity among children. In a collaborative study, researchers from the Harvard School of public health along with the Children's hospital in Boston revealed that television viewing has other impact besides the physical inactivity. The researchers claimed that children who watched more TV were prone to consuming more of junk food and consequently have an increased chance of becoming overweight and obese. This study, which followed 548 students in the Boston region, concluded that every one-hour of TV watching contributed to an increase in consumption of around 167 calories derived from junk foods. This is attributed to the junk food advertisements on the TV. [Medical NEWS]

Growing Inactivity

Besides the changing dieting habits, the other important factor that has contributed to the obesity epidemic is the growing inactivity among children. Maintaining an active life style is the key to achieving a balance between the food consumed and the energy spent. A confirmed fact is the growing sedentary life style among the children of the world and in particular, children in the developed countries. The rising use of computers, the increased time spent watching television programs and the growing addiction to video games are all the reasons that are attributed to such a drastic downturn in physical activity among children. The national Institute of health reports that there is a direct relationship between TV watching time and Obesity among children with an observed high incidence of obesity among those who spend more hours watching TV. [John Dorsey, 2008] Studies show that an average child's meal served at a typical fast food restaurant having roughly 785 kcal of energy would need atleast 1 to 2 hours of vigorous physical activity to be effectively counteracted. [Mashid (2005)] Thus, an increase in calorific consumption compounded by a decrease in physical activity, have together created the high risk factors for obesity among children.

Genetic Predisposition

Genetic predisposition is also an important factor responsible for obesity among children. A 10-year-old study that compared the genetic makeup of obese children and adults within the normal population has revealed three new gene mutations that increase the risk of obesity. The variations associated with the PTER gene, NPC1 gene and the MAF gene are found to influence appetite and metabolic rate and therefore contribute to overweight and obesity. The variation in the MAF gene in particular accounts for nearly 6% of childhood obesity and nearly 16% of adult obesity. As professor Philippe Froguel, the lead researcher of the study says, "Understanding the genetic basis of obesity is the first step towards helping these children. Once we identify the genes responsible, we can develop ways to screen children to find out who is most at risk of becoming obese. Hopefully we can then intervene with measures such as behavioral therapy, to make sure a child forms healthy eating habits and does not develop a weight problem," [ScienceDaily] There is also a demographic disparity in obesity in America with the minority population more at risk. While Caucasian children have a 11.9% (boys) and 12%(girls) risk for obesity, the numbers are 17.6% for boys and 22.1% among girls for the African-American population. Even more disproportionately affected is the Hispanic population with almost 27.3% of boys and 19.6% of girls carrying a risk for obesity. Also, in general, the population in the lower economic group faces a high risk for obesity because healthy eating is not a priority among the low-income group. [John Dorsey, 2008]

Effects of Obesity

The effects of obesity are very significant. The medical complications of childhood obesity are diverse and potentially life threatening and severely compromise the quality of life. Let us have a brief overview of some of these conditions related to obesity.

Type2 Diabetes

The incidence of diabetes among the pediatric population has mainly been confined to the genetic variety of type 1 diabetes. But the situation has changed dramatically over the last two decades. The prevalence of overweight conditions and obesity among children has witnessed a dramatic increase in Type 2 diabetes and it involves almost 50% of the newly identified cases of diabetes among children. Children with early onset T2DM are at an increased risk for severe vascular complications such as diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy compared to normal diabetic adults. [Tamara et.al, 2005]

Pediatric Hypertension

Obesity is also known to be a key factor in pediatric hypertension. Obesity and diabetes together pose a significantly greater risk for pediatric hypertension. A recent study by Maggio et.al has confirmed that childhood obesity is a high risk factor for hypertension. This was a cross sectional study involving 44 obese and 22 lean prepubertal children with a mean age of 8.8 ± 1.5 years. Measurements for all the subjects pertaining to their casual BP and ambulatory BP were documented. Also using echocardiography the left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were also noted down. The researchers also used X-ray absorptiometry to calibrate the whole body lean tissue and fat mass. A comparative analysis of the data suggested that the 24-hour systolic Blood Pressure (124.8 ± 14.2 vs. 105.5 ± 8.8 mm Hg), diastolic BP (72.8 ± 7.3 vs. 62.7 ± 3.8 mm Hg), and the LVMI (36.1 ± 5.8 vs. 30.9 ± 5.7, g m?2.7) were considerably higher than that of the lean subjects. The fact that systolic ambulatory hypertension was observed in almost 47.6%… READ MORE

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