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Obesity
- 2. What’s the big deal? Images were taken from Google Images under noncommercial reuse
- 3. What’s causing overweight problems in America?Images were taken from Google Images under noncommercial reuse
- 4. Why children? Images were taken from Google Images under noncommercial reuse Parents, 40% School, 10% Income, 20% Environment , 10% Other, 10% WHAT EFFECTS A CHILD'S WEIGHT
- 5. Determining factors – BMI for Children Images take from Center of Control and Disease Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi.html
- 7. Let’s do something about this! Images take from Center of Control and Disease Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/cdcgrandrounds/pdf/gr-062010.pdf
- 8. [Anonymous]. (2004). Position of the american dietetic association: Dietary guidance for healthy children ages 2 to 11 years. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 104(4), 660-677.
- 9. What should kids start eating? Images were taken from Google Images under noncommercial reuse
- 10. What’s in store for the future… Images were taken from Google Images under noncommercial reuse
Editor's Notes
- Hi everyone! My name is Roseanne Nguyen and I will be presenting on obesity problems for children in America.
- We see the hype about being healthy everywhere; from TV to the latest blog post, everyone is pushing to become healthier. Personally, I’ve been trying to change my food habits to improve my health long term wise. I did not want to be a part of the Freshmen 15 (myth where students will gain 15 pounds in college). But sometimes, eating fast foods and doughnuts is more appealing—to my budget that is. As a college I struggle trying to stay on a budget, and I can only imagine how hard it must be for parents who have five kids trying to feed them all their proper nutrients. But children are still growing and if they’re feed fast food, eventually they’ll be at risk of being overweight. America is renowned for being one of the fattest countries in the world. We are fueled from the thought of bacon and McDonalds. This is definitely not something you want to be proud of.
- As a I mention, many citizens buy food on their budget, especially kids. Fast food chains and gas stations have grown prominently the past decade. It’s easier to buy five cheese burgers than ONE salad (and this is without meat added to the salad too). This becomes an issue when low income families are surrounded by these cheap, trans/saturated fat foods. I remember growing up how easy it was to buy a bag of chips since there was a gas station right next to my high school. I would have to walk a mile before I even reached a food market place. Another issue causing overweight is technology. Many children are no longer physically active and play video games after school rather than outdoor activities. Growing up, I was always outside riding my bike or playing with the neighborhood kids. Now, it’s rare to see children outside of the house.
- We know when adults are overweight and obese that they often make they’re own decisions. But when a child is overweight and at risk for obesity, there are several factors that can effect children. I made a pie chart on what I believe effects a child’s weight. Since education is a requirement in the United States, school plays in a role in a child’s weight. Some children only get their meals and physical activity at school during recess which can lead to overweight and other severe problems. To go along with the kids who only get their meals at school, the family’s income plays a role in what the child can or can’t eat. Again, this brings up the topic that fast food meals are cheaper and more efficient than having to cook and buy the ingredients for some families. The parents have a major role in a child’s weight; children don’t make decisions for themselves and usually do what they’re told. If a parent let’s them only eat pizza and soda all the time, then the child will be affected by the foods quickly. Also, the environment where kids grow up in effect whether they’re getting enough physical activity. Many studies show if you’re in a higher income neighborhood, the kids are more likely to be outside and playing than those in a low income area. This is due to safety and availability of parks.
- So, how do you exactly determine if a child is overweight? Some kids could just be bigger and not be overweight. This graph was taken from the Center of Control and Disease Prevention demonstrating how they can gauge on a children’s BMI. Since children’s bodies are still growing, they’re BMI must be interpreted differently from a normal adult. BMI is still the mass divided by the mass squared. Once that is calculated, physicians can use that number and interpret it onto this graph. If the child is in the red region, they are in the obese category. Yellow is overweight. Green is healthy. Last but not least, the orange color is the underweight.
- But BMI isn’t the only tool used to diagnose is a child is overweight. It’s a nice tool to use, but it’s not the one and only determining factor. Doctors have to conduct many screenings to see if the child is healthy. The amount of physical activity a child is getting is crucial. We live in a time where it’s normal to sit around the T.V. and have dinner; then right after dinner, the kids will go play video games and call it a night. It’s a sedentary world we’re living in now. Doctors also account for ideal body weight, energy expenditure, and other anthropometric measurements.
- Looking at this graph, the trend is increasing every year. Almost 20% of the adolescents are obese and that’s not a positive sign. Being obese won’t only cause physical problems, but there are many emotional problems too. Many become insecure about they’re weight, especially if you’re next to someone who’s skinny and super fit. These problems don’t go away as you age too. Nutritional problems will get worse and they can end up developing cardiovascular problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and much more. We want to keep our kids healthy and live long!
- The government has been stepping in and trying to decrease overweight problem in children! Starting at the schools, many foods have been switch to something whole wheat and with less saturated fats. This image was taken from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showing the physical activity levels children should be having. Similar to the food pyramid, the things they want children to have little of is on top of the pyramid. I really like this image because it in cooperates activities you can do by yourself, with friends, and with a family. It’s hard for children to know what physical activity is when they’ve grown up around video games and technology.
- Along with physical activity, we can also start in the kitchen with healthy food choices. Limiting fast food and processed food is the first step towards keep our kids healthy. Fresh foods is cheaper nowadays if you buy it at the store and prepare it yourself! If you don’t have time during the week, prepare the food during the weekend! And by eating the rainbow, I mean eating all the colors of fruits, vegetables, and grains! Kids are still growing so don’t forget to feed them they’re protein, whether it be red meats or lean meats. Make children’s health a priority. They’re young and the increasing rate of obesity rates is alarming.
- The Obama administration has been pushing hard working on tools like MyPlate to help families understand what’s good and not. Many government programs have been stepping into school and implementing more programs to help children become more physically active! Michelle Obama even challenged citizens to part in the 96 oz water/per day challenge, which I think is awesome. Although there are programs out there, obesity rates are STILL increasing. We cannot control all the parents out there and what they choose to feed they’re children, but we can educated them and hope they make the better decision! I get sad when I see my younger cousins staying indoors playing video games and watching YouTube videos with bags on bags of Cheetos everywhere. As a nutrition student and aspiring physician assistant, I want to be able to guide children and parents the right way towards a healthier lifestyle. Let’s grow together and get rid of the stereotype that America is a country filled with obese people.