Jessica Newfield
7056-30401
J50.610 – Ivory
Research Paper – Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is an important issue because of the staggering proportions that
this disease has reached in the past few years. Certain genetic factors paired with
changing lifestyles and culture has produced kids (and adults) who are generally not as
healthy as people were just a few decades ago. Widespread obesity has been the extreme
result of these changes.
I chose this topic because I have worked with children all of my life. I plan to
continue my work with children in the future, possibly in an academic administration
setting. Because schools are seen as an important player in the battle with childhood
obesity, it is important that educators are aware of the health risks and that they learn
what they can do to change the situation.
The Center for Disease Control Website distinguishes between the terms
overweight and obesity. The term overweight refers to a person with a weight that is
high compared to others his same height and technically has nothing to do with an
individual’s amount of body fat. For example someone could have a higher weight due
to having lots of muscle mass (Defining). In consideration of this, one source points out
that it is probably more accurate to say that someone is overfat when referring to a
condition of having too much body fat (Insel and Roth, 237).
Obesity on the other hand is defined as “an excessively high amount of body
fat…in relation to lean body mass” (Defining).
The prevalence of obesity in America rose 11 percentage points between 1991
and 2003, especially among African-Americans and young Mexican-Americans (James).
Another study was conducted comparing the time period of 1988-1994 to 1999-
2000. Between these two periods, the percentage of overweight children rose an average
of 4.1 percentage points for groups of kids between the ages of two and 19. The most
extreme cases were found among Mexican-Americans and African-Americans. (Ogden.)
Class 3 obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater
than 40 and is also known as morbid obesity. It is most prevalent among African-
American women and is also more common among short adults. (Freedman).
Three-quarters of adults with Class 3 obesity have another health problem
associated with being overweight, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure
(Freedman). There are three times as many Class 3 obese people in 2000 as there were in
1990 (Freedman).
The debate concerning the cause for obesity has been going on for decades. Thus
far there has been no consensus on the main cause, but experts agree that it is probably a
combination of factors, both scientific/genetic and cultural/environmental.
Recent research has begun to explain many of the scientific causes for childhood
obesity. Scientists are learning more about genetics, nutrition and how our bodies work
to better understand what is causing this problem.
Understanding nutrition is one way to understand the causes of obesity. Simple
carbohydrates have what is called a high “glycemic index.” To digest simple
carbohydrates the body must produce large amounts of insulin, lowering blood sugar and
making people “feel” hungry. Complex carbohydrates have low glycemic indexes and do
not require as much insulin to digest so blood sugar does not get lowered as much, and
people do not feel as hungry as soon after eating these foods (“Can ‘Low Carb’”).
An experiment was conducted showing that when children ate foods with a low
glycemic index for breakfast, they were not as hungry at lunch and ate less. But children
who ate the same amount of breakfast but substituted foods with high glycemic indexes
for foods with low ones, they felt hungrier come lunch time (“Can ‘Low Carb’”).
Genetics can also play a role in determining whether a child will become obese,
but these factors can also be aggravated by non-genetic factors. One source explains that
“obesity most probably results from the interaction of an individual's genetic makeup
with the environment in which the person lives” (Smith, 82). Behavior and metabolism
are two key factors that affect an individual’s weight. Both can be influenced by genetic
factors or by other factors (Smith, 65).
Behavior can be affected by genetics if a person is genetically “wired” to prefer
certain activities like reading or sitting at a desk or certain sugary or fatty foods (66). But
behavior can also be influenced by environmental factors or cultural factors. For
example, an individual’s culture may make fatty foods readily available or his
environment may not provide him with a good place to exercise (66).
Metabolism can also be affected by both genetic and non-genetic factors. For
example a recent study hypothesizes that the make up of African-American women is
different from that of Caucasian women, making them burn fewer calories when doing a
simple activity like sitting (66). This implies that two women with identical eating and
exercise habits might lose weight differently because of a genetic difference. On the
other hand, an individual’s metabolism can change based on the level of exercise they get
meaning that non-genetic factors also play a role in determining metabolism.
Some argue, however, that these “lifestyle factors” are bigger contributors to the
increase in obesity, not genetics or science (“U.S. Obesity”). Dr. Thomas Farley of
Tulane University said that Americans lifestyles are not oriented toward physical activity
and that it is easier for Americans to eat unhealthy foods than to prepare nutritional meals
(“Tulane”).
Cultural eating habits have changed in America in recent decades, and many
experts say this is the root cause of the problem. Some studies show that on average kids
now do not necessarily intake more calories than kids in past decades, but they are taking
in foods that are higher in fats and sugars (Smith, 83). In other words, the problem is not
necessarily quantity of food butt quality of it. More restaurant food, especially fast food,
is being consumed by the American family (83).
Another cause contributing to America’s obesity is the growth of portions (Insel
and Roth, 237). This is most clearly seen through the advent of the super-sized meal and
the king-sized candy bar. In the span of three decades (from the 1940s to the 1970s), the
number of sodas consumed in a year by a single person increased by 580%; this figure
has only continued to go up since that time (James).
Other sources point to a decline in amounts of physical activity among young
people as the main cause. A recent study showed that third- and fourth-graders spend on
average 22-24 hours a week watching television (James). Other studies show that levels
of moderate and vigorous activity have dropped off among adolescents (James).
Children now are less likely to be required to participate in gym classes at school
or to engage in physical activity outside of school, and they are more likely to spend their
time watching television (Smith, 85). The deterioration of neighborhoods can also lead
to obesity because parents do not feel that it is safe for their children to play outside
(Smith, 87).
Schools are often charged with the task of helping children lose weight or
teaching them about nutrition, but there are many obstacles to this plan. Many schools
have been forced to cut physical education classes due to budgetary restraints (Smith,
86). When they do have programs, there is often to much focus on winning rather than
participating. This causes many children to associate physical activity with winning and
losing in sports, thus alienating them from all physical activity later in life (86).
Another source cites that the presence of a television is a child’s bedroom is “a
strong predictor of being overweight” because it illustrates that the child has access to
sedentary activity whenever he wants it and will therefore be less likely to seek forms of
physical activity (Bernard, 25).
Another lifestyle factor that contributes to childhood obesity is that more parents
are working late, leading to fewer family meals and more ordering from restaurants,
whose food is generally higher in fat content (Bernard, 25). Another environmental
factor is that in major cities, there is less room in which kids can play. Some families
might be able to send their children to after-school gyms or activities, but those cost
money and require transportation, two resources that not all parents have (Bernard, 25).
This leaves children stuck at home watching television.
The effects of this disease on individuals and the country as a whole are also
important to consider. The economic costs of supporting an increasingly overweight
population with more diseases is another concern (“U.S. Obesity”).
When someone has type 1 diabetes, his pancreas does not produce enough insulin
and it must be regulated in another way. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body has to
produce so much insulin to regulate all the sugar being taken in that the body’s cells
develop a resistance to it (“U.S. Obesity”).
Now obesity has also been linked to the increase of type 2 diabetes in children,
especially among minority children (Ogden). In the past children were not usually
screened for type 2 obesity because it was more common among adults in extreme cases.
Now extreme cases of obesity are being found in children as well (“U.S. Obesity”). Joint
problems and asthma are also associated with obesity in children (“U.S. Obesity”).
The target audience of my research project is parents and educators concerned
about childhood obesity. Many know that this is a problem that they should be
addressing, but many are not sure how best to approach the delicate yet serious situation.
Many do not realize that some of the small things that have become part of their daily
routines are contributing to their children’s health problems. My goal is to help them
understand all of the different causes of childhood obesity so that they can better combat
it in their homes and in the schools.
In conclusion, I plan to have a fact page and a tips page on my website concerning
childhood obesity, letting parents and school officials know more about the problem and
what they can do to solve it. I will show my web page to the education majors, teachers
and parents that I know and have them give feedback on the usefulness and effectiveness
of my research and presentation of it on the web.
Works Cited
Bernard, Sarah. “Baby Fat.” New York 23 Feb. 2004: 22-27.
“Can ‘Low Carb’ Breakfasts Help Children Control Their Weight?” Child Health Alert
21 (Dec. 2003). 22 Mar. 2004 11597548&db=hxh>.
Defining Overweight and Obesity Page. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 22
Mar. 2004 < http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm>.
Freedman, David S., et al. “Trends and Correlates of Class 3 Obesity in the United States
From 1990 Through 2000.” The Journal of the American Medical Association
288.14 (9 Oct. 2002). 22 Mar. 2004 full/288/14/1758>.
Insel, Paul M., and Walton T. Roth. Core Concepts in Health. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2004.
James, Kathy Shadle. “Healthy Families – Healthy Bodies Preventing Obesity.” Health
Source – Consumer Edition 25.5 (Oct./Nov. 2003). 22 Mar. 2004
136|REL=HSL|URL=http://www.nclive.org/cgi-bin/nclsm?rsrc=2>.
Ogdon, Cynthia L., et al. “Prevalence and Trends in Overweight Among US Children and
Adolescents, 1999-2000.” The Journal of the American Medical Association
288.14 (9 Oct. 2002). 22 Mar. 2004 full/288/14/1728>.
Smith, J. Clinton. Understanding Childhood Obesity. Jackson, Miss.: University Press
of Mississippi, 1999. 23 Mar. 2004 Details.aspx>.
“Tulane University Expert Available to Comment on U.S. Obesity Epidemic.” Ascribe &
Fitness News Service (12 Aug. 2002). 22 Mar. 2004 unc.edu/cgi-bin/external_database_auth?A=P|F=Y|ID=136|REL=HSL|URL=
http://www.nclive.org/cgi-bin/nclsm?rsrc=2>.
“U.S. Obesity Epidemic Converges With Rise in Adult-Onset Diabetes Among
Children, Says Pediatric Professor.” Ascribe Health & Fitness News Service (17
May 2001). 22 Mar. 2004 database_auth?A=P|F=Y|ID=136|REL=HSL|URL=http://www.nclive.org/cgi-bin/
nclsm?rsrc=2>.