Childhood Obesity And Its Effects On The United States Today

Introduction With the recently documented increases in prevalence’s dating as late back as to 1980, pediatric obesity now represents one of the most pressing nutritional problems facing children in the United States today. International population studies report comparable rates of increase, so that if current trends remain unchecked, childhood obesity is likely to challenge worldwide public health. Substantial consequences to physical and mental health, both short and long term, must be anticipated. Unfortunately, there is no uniform definition of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has been variously described by absolute weight , triceps skinfolds , weight-for-height percentiles, percent of ideal body weight and, most recently, by body mass index (BMI weight in kg=height in meters squared). Although these measures reflect slightly different aspects of body composition or body size, they are moderately well correlated with body fat, even in growing children. In addition to the lack of consistency in the anthropometric measure , the degree of obesity varies from study to study; however, for the majority of studies, a BMI greater than either the 85th or 95th percentile, or a weight-for-height greater than 120% of ideal was considered obese. Although for most children, complications of childhood obesity do not become apparent for decades, the metabolic consequences of obesity may be already evident in young children. Even a young child, if severely obese, can suffer seriousShow MoreRelatedWhy has Childhood Obesity Become a Paramount Problem in the United States?1609 Words   |  7 Pages According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, â€Å"Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years,† (â€Å"Childhood Obesity Facts†). The monumental question that researchers seem to be asking is why the increase now? 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