Childhood Obesity Essay

presentmentObesity is one of the important contributing factors to diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, depression and several forms of cancer Williams, 2006. Obesity is much established in adolescence, Williams, 2006 examined the effect of child and adolescence high eubstance cumulus Index (BMI) on the prospect of being gruelling at 21 and reported that 40% of those who were over weight down at 21 could be identify by age of 7, a nonher 25% were identifiable by the metre they were 15.Genetic, familial, socioeconomic, psychological, behavioral and environmental factors nonplus been identified as contributors to increasing prevalence of overweight in the population. Of these, genetics is the only factor, which for the time being is not possible to alter a known genetic disposition towards overweight however provides more reason to try to control the factors that fall to a lower place human control.P bents have an important intent in ensuring that their children adopt faithful eating and physical activity habits from the very set-back to prevent fleshiness in their children. Parents have to provide the critical development phase championship, beginning before birth and continuing through adolescence. They are the key in ensuring that their children do not develop habits contributing to overweight and obesity. Family meals, balanced diet, support in getting adequate physical work and exercise and a watchful eye to ensure that their children do not acquire sedentary habits will outlet in reduced risk of overweight in children and adolescents.Unfortunately economic pressures, working parents, broken families and other social fusss federal agency that parents cannot exercise the configuration of control required to ensure control of the bother through parental control and guidance. Another problem is that children and adolescents spend roughly of their time away from home, in schools. The role school-based approaches can play in preventing and controlling obesity, therefore, acquires immense importance. Social scientists, physicians, schoolteachers, administrators, and parents have long recognized this role.The role schools have played in contributing to the overweight and obesity problem in school age children and adolescents has been the subject of considerable research. Many researchers have developed new school-based approaches and analyzed the effectiveness of the approaches for the prevention and control of obesity.Body Mass Index (BMI)In estimating the overweight and obesity problem, we ideally choose to measure the percentage carcass fat of the subject however this is an aery measure. A much more convenient measure of Body potbelly Index (BMI) is widely used for determining if the person meets the desirable body/ bunch ratio. The body mass index (BMI) is defined asBMI= (weight/height2)Where weight is measured in kg and height is specified in meters.For pornographic popul ation, the cut off point for overweight is taken as 25 kg/m2 while people with BMI of 30kg/m2 or over are considered obese. The body mass index among children and adolescents varies significantly with age. Cole et al, 2000 report the result of their research based on international selective information consisting of 97,876 males and 94,851 females from birth to 25years of age from 6 countries including United States. They used this statistical data to tabulate boundary values for children up to 18 years of age. foreign cut off points for body mass index for overweight and obesity by sex between 2and 18years Cole, 2000 suppurate (years)Body mass index 25kg/m2Body mass index 30kg/m2MalesFemalesMalesFemales218.418.020.120.1417.617.319.319.1617.617.319.819.7818.418.321.621.61019.819.924.024.11221.221.726.026.71422.623.327.628.61623.924.428.929.41825253030Sub chemical groups at Increased Risk of OverweightSherwood et al, 2004 investigated the children at increased risk of obesity and rep orted that while childhood obesity is present across all demographic and social classes however, African American girls were at a higher risk. The data analyses showed that African-American girls of age group 6-11 years of age were almost twice more likely to be overweight. In this age group 22.2% of African- American girls were over weight compared 11.6 % snow-covered Americans. Among the adolescents (11-19 years age group), 26.6% African-American girls were overweight while 12.4% white girls were considered overweight.Sherwood et al, 2004 guess that AfricanAmerican girls do not face the same kind of social pressure about their weight as their white counterparts. blackness American girls face less negative attitudes about overweight and are therefore less likely to be concerned about watching their weight Kumanyika et al, 1993.Correct Age for Overweight Intervention in SchoolsA 5-year British schools-based research project carried out by Wardle et al, 2006 highlighted the need to take aim obesity prevention measures to