Childhood Obesity in America

The prevalence of child obesity is on the rise in America. “One out of every five children in the U.S. is overweight, and this number is continuing to grow” (“Weight”). There are numerous reasons for this epidemic. Some blame obesity on lack of nutrition and inactivity, but many other factors such as heredity, family income, and medical conditions may contribute. However, no matter what the contributor, childhood obesity is a serious problem that needs to be better understood and prevented.

Obesity is defined as “specifically having an abnormally high proportion of body fat” (United States “Statistics”). The difference between being overweight and being obese is very simple. If a person is overweight, they are 1 to 34 pounds over their healthy weight. To be obese, a person is 35 pounds or more over their healthy weight. According to Sharon Dalton, “overweight is a milder degree of excess fat than obese” (Dalton 15).

There are many tests that are used to determine if a child is obese. The three most widely used are the body mass index, triceps skinfold measurement, and bioelectrical impedance test. The most commonly used method to measure for obesity is the body mass index, or BMI. The BMI uses the height of the child in meters and compares it to the child’s weight in kilograms. The formula for this is weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. Another way to use the formula is to use pounds and inches instead of meters and kilograms, which involves height in inches divided by the square of the weight in pounds. Obese people have a body mass index that falls into the 85^th to 95^th percentile. Table 1 shows the categories used by health professionals in order to classify children according to their BMI percentile.

Underweight	BMI-for-age < 5th percentile
Normal	BMI-for-age 5th percentile to < 85th percentile
At risk of overweight	BMI-for-age 85th percentile to < 95th percentile
Overweight	BMI-for-age > 95th percentile

Another test that can be used to determine whether a child is obese is known as the triceps skinfold measurement test. This test “measures the thickness of the skin and fatty tissue with a special instrument called skinfold calipers” (Smith 22). In children this is most often measured at a point halfway down the back of the arm. A child that has a triceps skinfold measurement at or above the 85^th percentile is classified as obese.

The last test used for determining obesity is the bioelectrical impedance test. This test is mainly used in clinical studies to estimate body fat. The principle of the test is as follows: “A harmless low-voltage current is passed across the body. Resistance to the current is determined by relative amounts of fat mass and fat-free mass. Mathematical equations are used to convert percent body water into an estimate of body fat mass and body lean mass” (Smith 25).

Similarly, there are many health risks associated with being obese. These include disease of the heart and coronary arteries, high blood pressure, hypertrophy, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, depression, tibia vara deformity, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis. The heart is the organ that is mostly affected. Obesity can block the supply of blood that is flowing to the heart. This can cause the heart to dilate, pumping more blood to the extra vessels that are formed from the excessive fatty tissue on the body, this is called hypertrophy.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused when an “excessive fatty tissue in the back of the throat is blocking air flow from the nose to the lungs during sleep” (Smith 8). Loud snoring is the only sign for partial obstruction. Total obstruction causes 30 or more seconds of interrupted breathing, which causes the child to change the position of sleep, possibly leading to a poor attention span and poor school performance (8). The only way to help someone with this condition is surgery to remove the fatty tissue.

Tibia vara deformity, or Blount’s disease, is a “condition in which the growth plate of the tibia, the larger bone in the lower leg, develops abnormally. This can result in severe bowing of the legs, which limits a person’s ability to run, jump, or even walk” (Smith 13).

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis, on the other hand, is a condition where “the growth plate of the head of the femur (the single large bone of the upper leg which joins the pelvis bone) becomes detached from the main body of the femur, causing pain and inability to walk” (Smith 13). This interferes with blood supply to the hip, causing severe disability to the hip join and possibly causing permanent disability.

While it is obvious that childhood obesity is an increasing and serious problem associated with numerous health risks, what is causing this obesity outbreak? One major factor contributing to childhood obesity is the lack of nutrition in children’s diets. In other words, kids are not eating healthy foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eighty percent of young people do not eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables. Kids are eating less fruits and vegetables and more sugars and fats. The CDC also states that “less than forty percent of children and adolescents in the United States meet the U.S. dietary guidelines for saturated fat.” Reasons for poor nutrition among children may be partly attributed to what types of foods schools are making available to their students. Andrew Young, a seventh grader at Central Middle School in Midland, Michigan, reports that the daily choices he has for school lunches include pizza, French fries, hamburgers, milk, juice, and nachos. He also states that salads, apples, peaches, and carrots are available, but none of the students ever choose these items. Many schools also include vending machines full of candy and chips. While many schools are getting rid of soda machines, other unhealthy foods are still readily available to students through these other machines. Similarly, nutrition or health classes are rarely required for school children. Young announces he has never had a health class in his entire student career. This lack of health education leaves children uniformed as to how to keep their body healthy and the importance of doing so.

Besides a lack of nutrition, little physical activity can be attributed to high child obesity rates. Technology has had a direct effect on the activity of today’s children. Rather than riding bikes or playing outside with peers, kids spend most of their spare time with television, video games, and computers, which results in little or no exercise for children. Student Andrew Young spends an average of 6 hours a day between watching 45television, playing video games, and using the computer, compared to the one hour he engages in physical activity each day. Schools can assist in getting kids the exercise they need with physical education classes. “Among schools in Michigan that require physical education, 62 percent require students to take two or more physical education courses” (United States Centers). Physical education classes are great if they reinforce activity. Unfortunately, good exercise and working hard isn’t always supported by teachers, resulting in a mild work-out (Young).

Another possible contributor of childhood obesity is heredity. Heredity factors involve the genes passed from the parents to the child. Some children are more prone to obesity if their parents are overweight or obese. In fact, studies show that “children with two obese parents have an eighty percent chance of becoming obese, compared to the forty percent chance if one parent is obese, or the three percent chance if neither parent is obese” (Pitman and Kaufman 30). Therefore, while nutrition and physical activity can have major effects on a child’s weight, heredity may be partly to blame for obesity.

Other less obvious factors may also contribute to obesity in children. Body changes or puberty can affect weight. “As children approach puberty, they often go through a period of weight gain just before their growth spurt begins” (Pittman and Kaufman 41). This is a fairly normal occurrence and is often naturally corrected as children grow into young adults (41). In addition, children of low-income families may be more prone to obesity. According to the Obesity Action Coalition, lower-income children cannot always afford to get involved in extra curricular activities, resulting in less physical activity. Also, families with little money often buy “convenience foods” that include high amounts of fat, sugar, and calories. Similarly, parents with a low-income often have little or no education, preventing them from teaching their children about good health. Lastly, medications or medical conditions may lead to weight gain. For example, thyroid problems can cause a child to be overweight (Pittman and Kaufman 42). Similarly, medications such as steroids can cause an increase in weight (42). Puberty, low-income, and health problems are, therefore, some aspects effecting obesity that an individual has little to no control over.

Things such as poor nutrition, watching too much television, playing video games, and just the plain lack of proper exercise are obviously contributing to childhood obesity. However, there are many ways to treat or prevent child obesity that may take little time and effort for the whole family.

Good nutrition is an essential part of a child’s diet. Having things in the home such as high fat and high sugar snacks can put a child’s health at risk. Parents need to help their child change to healthy eating habits by providing well balanced meals with low fat and low calorie content (Poussaint). Lori Skinner, a nurse at Genesys Hospital in Flint says, “Eating the right proportions of all the food groups will help prevent obesity within children, they have to have a balanced nutrition.” The way to help a child change their eating habits is for the whole family to change theirs as well. When doing this, it is better if the parents are subtle about it. For example, do not tell the child that they are on a diet or that they are overweight, simply explain that the family is going to eat healthier. If a child sees their mom or dad eating healthy, they will do the same because parents can influence their kids. If parents lead by example, kids will usually follow. Also, by changing the whole family’s eating habits, the child does not feel singled out (“Weight”). Parents can also control what kinds of foods are brought into the house. Instead of chips or candy for a snack, buy fruits and vegetables. Similarly, parents should be aware of how often they take their kids to fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants do not provide nutritious meals since the foods they provide contain a high amount of fat and calories. By taking all these items into consideration, parents can help their children become healthier eaters. In fact, parental involvement is the most important key to their kid’s diet (Poussaint).

Exercise is another factor that contributes to the treatment of childhood obesity. Kids today do not see the same value in physical activity as they used to. In today’s society, kids just sit inside playing video games or watching television (Poussaint). This may be fine to do every once in a while, but if they sit inside too much they are not getting any kind of exercise. For parents, it is important to monitor the time that their child spends watching television or playing video games. Instead of these activities, encourage the child to get involved with sports at their school. Again, parents have to be subtle when doing this because of the child’s feelings. Parents should make sure to take their kids outside once in a while to get exercise with activities such as jumping rope or even games where the child has to run such as tag (Poussaint).

Watching television and playing video games is a large contributor to an overweight child’s lifestyle. “Playing video games and watching TV prevents children from getting proper exercise,” says Skinner. Children watch television and play video games on a daily basis for hours at a time. Parents should limit the amount of time that kids watch television and play video games to one to two hours a day. That way kids can have more time for energy increasing activities. Also, if kids are not sitting in front of the television, they will view fewer commercials about all the new junk food that contains a high fat content. It is also a good idea to explain to children that commercials are designed to sell products, and all of them may not be healthy. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee even states that “it may be more beneficial for children to do nothing than to spend time watching television” (Cheung and Richmond 163).

Truly childhood obesity is a serious problem affecting the nation. Children are in danger due to the many health risks that are incredibly prevalent in overweight children. At a time when “10.4% of preschool children, 15.3% of school-age children, and 15.5% of adolescents are overweight”, the issue of childhood obesity needs to be clearly understood and properly dealt with (“Trends”). By enforcing the importance of good nutrition and regular physical activity, children will have a better chance of growing into lean, healthy individuals.

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Smith, Clinton J. Understanding Childhood Obesity. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1999.

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United States Dept. of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2005. 2 Nov. 2005 <http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/>.

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