Course

PUBH-100: Global Issues in Public Health

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2018

Disciplines

Public Health

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

Childhood obesity, a noncommunicable disease usually caused by consuming more energy in meals than your body needs, is often due to hereditary causes and the structure of their communities. With the average weight of American children increasing in the past thirty years, parents should be more informed on how to improve their offspring’s development and reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases. The Body Mass Index is the scale used to determine whether or not the child is considered overweight for their height and age, based off of their extra body fat. After comparing the child to the CDC growth charts, being above the 85 percentile is considered a danger zone for healthy weight. Some signs that show the child is at risk for being obese includes shortness of breath during physical exercise and/or a dislocated hip. Children are becoming obese because of the lack of playgrounds and walking trails for physical activity, as well as the absence of education for food nutrition due to their low socioeconomic status. Solutions to these problems are currently in progress, varying from providing healthier food options for the children, to creating more parks in neighborhoods and communities. With never ending possible solutions towards childhood obesity, it is important to note that the risks of these children becoming obese can lead to further issues, such as developing asthma, type 2 diabetes, or even cardiovascular disease.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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