A serious public health concern, childhood obesity has reached staggering levels and has been classified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as an epidemic. As a leading precursor to multiple other health issues such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes, childhood obesity poses significant health and financial risks to the well-being of, not only the United States, but of the world as a whole (Bariatric Nursing and Surgical Patient Care, 2010). Several factors influence the development of obesity which makes it difficult to determine appropriate strategies to address this problem. Additionally, pediatricians and health care professionals often identify communication, or lack of, as a frustrating barrier to success.
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Without often being conscious of it, parents can impart bad habits and poor dietary or lifestyle choices onto their children. As an example, if parents don’t see activity or exercise as a priority, children often don’t either. Additionally, with eating patterns primarily established in childhood, and children generally fed by their parents, poor habits can often be attributed to what they are given to eat starting at a very early age. Correspondingly, genetic link statistics indicate a strong familial disposition to development, with some odds statistical data suggesting that the odds ratio “if one parent is obese is approximately 3 for obesity in adulthood, but if both parents are obese, the odds ratio increases to greater than 10 compared to children with two non-obese parents “ (Krebs, Primak & Haemer, 2011, chapter 10). Studies by researchers conducted on families, twins and adoptees have uncovered specific genes they determine to be partially responsible for the development of obesity. However, they also go on to explain that “genes involved in weight gain generally increase the susceptibility to fat gain in individuals who are exposed to a high-risk environment rather than directly causing obesity” (Seal, …show more content…
The earliest of preventative measures can be seen immediately after birth with the establishment of breastfeeding. Many hospitals have developed programs to support exclusive breastfeeding, with education being provided before, during and after hospitalization. An article in Contemporary Pediatrics states the, “odds of future overweight are reduced by 4% for every month of breastfeeding” (Dolinsky, Siega-Riz, Perrin, & Armstrong, 2011). Unfortunately, while “80% of women in the United States indicate before delivery that they intend to breastfeed, and 75% initiate breastfeeding, at 1 week half of women have already given their infant formula, and only 31% are breastfeeding to any extent at 9 months” (Perrine, Shealy, Scanlon, Grummer-Strawn, Galuska, Dee & Cohen,
Without often being conscious of it, parents can impart bad habits and poor dietary or lifestyle choices onto their children. As an example, if parents don’t see activity or exercise as a priority, children often don’t either. Additionally, with eating patterns primarily established in childhood, and children generally fed by their parents, poor habits can often be attributed to what they are given to eat starting at a very early age. Correspondingly, genetic link statistics indicate a strong familial disposition to development, with some odds statistical data suggesting that the odds ratio “if one parent is obese is approximately 3 for obesity in adulthood, but if both parents are obese, the odds ratio increases to greater than 10 compared to children with two non-obese parents “ (Krebs, Primak & Haemer, 2011, chapter 10). Studies by researchers conducted on families, twins and adoptees have uncovered specific genes they determine to be partially responsible for the development of obesity. However, they also go on to explain that “genes involved in weight gain generally increase the susceptibility to fat gain in individuals who are exposed to a high-risk environment rather than directly causing obesity” (Seal, …show more content…
The earliest of preventative measures can be seen immediately after birth with the establishment of breastfeeding. Many hospitals have developed programs to support exclusive breastfeeding, with education being provided before, during and after hospitalization. An article in Contemporary Pediatrics states the, “odds of future overweight are reduced by 4% for every month of breastfeeding” (Dolinsky, Siega-Riz, Perrin, & Armstrong, 2011). Unfortunately, while “80% of women in the United States indicate before delivery that they intend to breastfeed, and 75% initiate breastfeeding, at 1 week half of women have already given their infant formula, and only 31% are breastfeeding to any extent at 9 months” (Perrine, Shealy, Scanlon, Grummer-Strawn, Galuska, Dee & Cohen,