What influences childhood obesity and how can we prevent it?

Health Programs by Tamar Yegenian 

When battling the topic of childhood obesity, the only way I feel there can be a stop put to it is trying our best to help those around us that are struggling with it. For those with the means to reach larger audiences, implementing some sort of health program would be the best way to approach this worldwide problem. According to Johnson (2012), planning a health program can take a very long time, and it is imperative that during this time, all challenges are addressed in order to be able to continue with implementing the next phase of carrying it out successfully. The next step is implementation, meaning to put the plan into action. During this time, many things can go wrong, and it is important to keep the “big picture” in mind of how the final outcome is intended to look so that things go smoothly during this phase. Possible barriers that may arise include lack of consensus, poor communication, and financial challenges. Lack of consensus can be a difficult barrier to overcome, but luckily, when a group of people is so strong-willed on their beliefs and perspectives on a particular issue, consensus does not pose a major threat. Once a program is planned and implemented, it is important to evaluate based on results to conclude the efficacy of the program. When new health programs are put in place, there is always a large goal to achieve at the end of it, which sets the bar extremely high on results and ensuring that the programs have made an impact. As long as there was a contributed effort, there is no need to waste time getting worked up over how much. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children in the last 30 years (Ogden, 2011-2012), and these numbers are not going to head in the opposite direction unless something is done about it.

Johnson, E. S., Bartman, B. A., Briesacher, B. A., Fleming, N. S., Gerhard, T., Kornegay, C. J., ... & West, S. L. (2012). Effective Health Care Program.

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Jama, 311(8), 806-814.

Socioeconomic Factors & Environment by Jasmine Lao

Socioeconomic factors and a child’s environment play an important role in childhood obesity. A study done by Gopal Singh, Mohammad Siahpush, and Micheal Kogan, focuses on childhood obesity due to socioeconomic conditions and the surrounding environments of the children. Their study concluded that 20-60% of students are likely to be overweight or obese if they live in an underdeveloped community with unsafe conditions (2010).  The reason why the rate is so high is because families who have low incomes have to result to affordable food, such as fast food, which in turn builds a poor diet for the children. The environment around the children also influence how much physical activity they get on a daily basis. The study conducted by Singh, Siahpush, and Kodan, show that because of the lack of parks, sidewalks, or recreational centers, and the unsafe living conditions in underdeveloped communities, the children usually live a sedentary lifestyle (2010). In order to lower the amount of children likely to be overweight or obese and increase their physical activity, implementing a health program for the children would help motivate them and give them the opportunity to exercise more in order to live a healthier lifestyle.

Singh, G. , Siahpush, M. , & Kogan, M. (2010). Neighborhood socioeconomic conditions, built environments, and childhood obesity. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 29(3), 503.

Obesity in Children and Negative Mental Effects by Yuly Flores 

Not only is obesity a disease that can affect the body with physiological impact, the risk of developing mental illnesses is also at stake. In children, the risk of low self-esteem is seemed to not be affected as drastically. Though as Nowicka and colleagues state “increasing prevalence of overweight in adolescents in the last two decades might be associated with a decreasing prevalence of feeling too fat”. This is alarming reasoning behind the responses of why children are feeling a sense of normality on obesity. Later through the study it is further explained that self-esteem in older teen girls aged 14-17 does have a negative impact on self-esteem due to obesity. This can be due to the hormonal changes but also on how they perceive their bodies as being unattractive and seen as a norm for a beautiful body.
Fox and Farrow look at another negative mental effect on children with obesity. Through different study researches, they have found that children who were obese were less confident and at times found a strong tie to anxiety and depression. This will probably be due to feelings of being different than their peers. One of the reasons the study explains would be the hard times these children have during physical education. Their obesity seems to make obese children to be less likely to be chosen when groups are picked out. Even during play obese children/students are bullied by being excluded by their peers.
Mental and physical health are equally as important for a child's healthy development.

Nowicka, P. , Höglund, P. , Birgerstam, P. , Lissau, I. , Pietrobelli, A. , et al. (2009). Self‐esteem in a clinical sample of morbidly obese children and adolescents. Acta Pædiatrica, 98(1), 153-158.

Fox, C. , & Farrow, C. (2009). Global and physical self-esteem and body dissatisfaction as mediators of the relationship between weight status and being a victim of bullying. Journal of Adolescence, 32(5), 1287-1301. 

A Change in Diet by Haley Loughney

Childhood obesity is an epidemic. Some may think that the solution is simple, while others think we are far from it. At this point it is more than a solution, it is about prevention. To prevent obesity you must be aware of the problem. Childhood obesity is preventable with the help of parents. As a parent it is your responsibility to provide your kids with the healthiest lifestyle possible. One way to start the prevention of childhood obesity is not letting your kids have sugary drinks. Yes, every now and then it is okay but for the most part water, milk and other things with nutrients should be offered. The calories and sugars in soda, lemonade, etc. have the ability to increase weight, blood sugar and potentially lead to diabetes. It's a simple fix. You can control what is provided in your home to help your children make the better choice. Another way to help prevent obesity is making simple changes that helps your body process foods better. For example, wheat instead of white breads, low-fat instead of full fat items or even fruit instead of candy. Little changes make a big difference in the health of a child. According to Lancet, obesity leads to increased chances of premature death, stroke and heart disease. Parents ned to recognize this and decided that this is not an option for their child. Exercising regularly is a good way to help prevent obesity. You do not need to do exercises that feel overwhelming or miserable. Simple activities outside or games can lead to exercise and fun. I know growing up I loved swimming and playing in the pool with my father. This was a fun way to exercise and enjoy myself. Another fun exercise for a child might be a scavenger hunt. You can make the distances between each point further so kids walk and run along the way. Simple changes lead to massive differences.

Lancet, T. (2015). Managing the tide of childhood obesity. The Lancet, 385(9986), 2434.