Childhood Obesity: Overview, Causes & Solutions

Childhood obesity is a term used to describe children who have excess weight that is not needed for normal development. This excess weight can cause a number of health problems as well as predict that their future weight will likely be excessive if poor lifestyle choices are not corrected. In fact, one study suggests that children who are overweight or obese between ages 10-15 have an 80% chance of being overweight or obese when they are 25. The terms obesity and overweight describe how much excess weight someone has depending on factors such as gender, age, and height. Aside from these factors, body mass index (BMI) is a calculation used to determine if a person is either overweight or obese. BMI that is equal to or greater than 30 would be described as obese, not overweight. Childhood obesity is becoming a global epidemic, but it has hit the U.S. nation extremely hard.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently reported that one in three children in the U.S. is obese. This means that the prevalence of obesity has tripled in the nation's youth from 1980 to present. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2000 the U.S. spent $117 billion on child and adult obesity with $61 billion going directly towards medical care. This is nearly double the amount of money spent on smoking. In virtually all of America's states the number of obese children outweighs the number of obese adults. The state of Mississippi is currently the leader in the number of obese people in its population with 32.5% of the adults and 44.4% of the children with BMI equal to or greater than 30. With these numbers, the nation has been trying to stop the growing obesity problem by altering its cycle, which starts at the nation's youth.

First Lady, Michelle Obama has recently announced a new program called "Let's Move" which is aimed at eliminating obesity in an entire generation. This program will focus on providing parents with more information about nutrition and exercise, improving the quality of the foods children are eating at school, lowering the costs of healthy foods, and physical education. Mrs. Obama states that her "goal is to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight." President Obama is also working towards solving the childhood obesity epidemic by creating a special task force that is to review and regulate federal nutrition programs as well as develop a long-term plan for managing obesity in the country.

These programs, and others, cannot be implemented fast enough for those effected by obesity related illness and death. Along with added weight come many adverse health conditions such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease & stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, and metabolic diseases. Being overweight often leads to higher LDL levels (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL levels (good cholesterol) and can be attributed to some of these sometimes fatal illnesses such as heart attack & stroke. In 2003 the Surgeon General stated that one out of every eight deaths in America is caused by illnesses directly related to obesity.

Programs such as "Let's Move" are defining the exact causes of obesity and children to better understand how it may be reversed. Some researchers say its causes are complex, however others think it is more black & white than we like to admit. Several reports indicate that the lack of affordable and attainable healthy foods is the leading cause of obesity in lower to middle income families in America. It is much cheaper for food manufacturers to produce foods low in nutritional quality than to provide healthy, unprocessed foods. Because of this, these processed "junk" foods are sold at low prices that encourage consumers to buy and results in a lower demand for healthier foods making them less affordable. This has proven to be true in adults; however children even in affluent homes tend to be obese at the same rate as their peers from lower income homes.

Those researchers who support the evidence of equality of obesity in children regardless of income then blame factors such as marketing and the parents' lack of nutritional knowledge for obesity in children. The "junk" food market seems limitless to marketers, and when the sky is the limit marketers pull every trick. From making parents believe an unhealthy product is healthy to creating hypnotic commercials on children's television stations, they are good at what they do. Researchers have also noticed the correlation between the latch key generation and the generation that consists of the most obese children in our nation's history. This is because those generations are one in the same. Children are returning home from school alone while parents work. They often eat unhealthy snacks and watch television until their parents return home from working all day only to prepare a quick meal with little to no nutritional value. With each case, there are various reasons for obesity. Ultimately, we can conclude that the causes of obesity are centered on our society's way of living.

Despite the reasons, solutions to the obesity problem are all very similar. First, more affordable healthy foods need to be available to all despite their income or location within the nation. Local farmers and foods markets should be given a boost from the federal government to promote and expand their industries. Large food corporations that produce unhealthy foods should be taxed in accordance with the damage they are causing to American's health, just as the tobacco industry is. Foods that are unhealthy should also hold higher taxation, just as cigarettes do. The population should be given the information needed to make more health conscience decisions. School systems should provide nutritional and healthy lifestyle information as a mandatory requirement for all students. School lunches should be prepared with nutrition in mind, not saving a dollar. Parents also need to be aware of the long-term affects their purchasing decisions at the super market can have on their family's health. These parents also must be educated of the impact their lifestyle choices have on their children. Lastly, physical activity needs to be promoted in schools and at home.

As a community, members should work together to allocate their resources in ways that provide healthy food, education, and physical activities where they live and work. Small community programs are often more effective than larger government programs, and the response is almost always more positive. Local farmers and markets should be encouraged by community members through choosing their products over the local 'Wal-Mart's' products. The people need to demand that food-stamps be accepted at these local markets as well. They should also insist the food manufacturers provide information about where the foods in their local grocery stores are coming from. Educational programs should be developed that educate the community's children and adults of the importance of proper nutrition and the truth behind what is really in the foods they eat. Community events and extra-curricular activities are a great way to get members active. Bike trails and bike lanes on the roads are also great tools that promote physical activity.

The solutions to childhood obesity are relatively easy conveyed, yet their execution is difficult. These programs are not going to be effective until the parents of obese children realize the severity of the problem. This generation could prove to be a turning point in obesity or it could be paving the way to a whole new 'fat' future.