Childhood obesity is not a reference to pleasingly plump babies or cherub-shaped toddlers. Most children will start life with the fat we expect to see in babies. These children will grow taller and lose their “baby fat” as they begin to walk, run, and be more active.
Children who are considered obese are those who have a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 80% is considered obese. This means that a child who weighs more than eighty percent of their peers who are the same height, age, and gender is overweight.
Many people say that it is okay to be overweight before puberty because as a person reaches puberty, they will automatically begin to lose the extra pounds. This happens to some people, but it is not what happens to all people. A youth who is considered obese is 70% more likely to be obese as an adult.
The long-term effects of childhood obesity can be divided into physical and mental effects. The long-term effects of childhood obesity can physically shorten an individual’s life expectancy and can reduce the expected quality of life. Mentally obesity can cause great unhappiness in the life of the individual.
Physical effects caused by obesity include (but are not limited to):
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Type II diabetes
• Heart disease such as coronary artery disease
• Gallbladder problems such as gallstones
• Osteoarthritis (a deterioration of the cartilage and bone that make up the body’s joints)
• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• strokes
• High cholesterol
• Sleep apnea
• Difficulty breathing
• Early death
• Back pain
• Difficulty getting pregnant, menstrual problems
• Fungal infections
Mental health problems caused by excessive amounts of weight include (but are not limited to)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Mood disorders and suicidal thoughts
• shame
Being overweight not only affects a person’s physical and mental state, it also affects their quality of life. Some of the life-altering effects of this condition include (but are not limited to):
• Inability to walk without pain or discomfort. This pain and discomfort can include joint pain, back pain, or shortness of breath.
• Difficulty finding clothes that fit well
• The inability to sit on some chairs. Most chairs found in public places are designed to support someone who weighs 250 pounds or less. An obese person may not be able to fit in chairs in restaurants and waiting rooms.
• Vehicle seat belts may not fit properly on the obese person
• Obese people may have to pay for 2 seats on a plane or bus when traveling
• May have difficulty finding bathroom scales to weigh them
• They often feel alone due to their lack of self-esteem and social embarrassment.
All of the long-term effects of excess weight create increased medical costs in the United States and around the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control, $190.2 billion is spent each year in the United States alone to treat obesity-related diseases. That boils down to the fact that 21% of the money spent each year by the US on medical-related issues is money spent due to obesity. CDC.gov estimates that 14 billion of those dollars are spent on treating medical conditions suffered by obese children.
The only way to stop obesity is for it to never start. Everyone needs to care about this problem for things to change. Some of the things that could be done to stop this epidemic include (but are not limited to)
• Increased education for parents and guardians
• Changes in foods offered at popular restaurants where children often eat
• A campaign to promote youth physical activity and decrease the amount of time they spend watching television and playing video games.
• Insurance companies that offer reduced rates to families who fit the appropriate BMI chart for their age, gender, and height.
It will take a community effort to make the necessary changes to prevent this condition from killing so many people prematurely.