Childhood Obesity

2 Pages 542 Words

Between 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are obese. As with
adults, the commonness of obesity in the young varies by ethnic group. It is estimated that
5-7 percent of White and Black children are obese, while 12 percent of Hispanic boys and
19 percent of Hispanic girls are obese. Clearly Proving the differences related to ethnic
groups.
Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat, and is present when
total body weight is more than 25 percent fat in boys and more than 32 percent fat in girls
(Lohman, 1987).Although childhood obesity is often defined as a weight-for-height in
excess of 120 percent of the ideal, skin fold measures are more accurate determinants of
fatness (Dietz, 1983; Lohman, 1987). Not all obese infants become obese children, and
not all obese children become obese adults. However, the commonness of obesity
increases with age among both males and females and there is a greater probability that
obesity beginning even in early childhood will persist through the life span.
Obesity presents numerous problems for the child. In addition to increasing the risk
of obesity in adulthood, childhood obesity is the leading cause of “pediatric hypertension,
is associated with Type II diabetes mellitus, increases the risk of coronary heart disease,
increases stress on the weight-bearing joints, lowers self-esteem, and affects relationships
with peers.” Some feel that social and psychological problems are the most significant
consequences of obesity in children.
As with adult obesity, childhood obesity has multiple causes centering around an
imbalance between calories obtained from food and calories “expended in the basal
metabolic rate and physical activity.” Childhood obesity probably results from a
combination/interaction of nutritional, psychological, familial, and physiological factors.
For example, The risk of becoming obese is greatest among childre...