Childhood obesity, in Europe and the United States of America, is constantly on the rise and there is broad concern over the issue. It has become an extremely common health problem in children across the globe. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) "despite the slight decline in obesity in children of preschool age, obesity levels are still extremely high." The survey concluded that "in 2011 to 2012 approximately 12.7 million (or 17%) of children and youths aged 5 to 19 years are overweight or obese." Since 1980, obesity has greatly increased. In 1990, there were 32 million infants aged 0 to 5 years old who were obese or overweight. Currently, there are 42 million children around the globe who overweight.
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Without any interventions being put into place, it is likely this trend will continue. If obesity in children continues to rise at this level then by 2025 over 70 million children will be overweight or obese. Furthermore, children will develop a wide range of severe illnesses and health complications as a result of being overweight. Obesity leads to immediate and long-term effects on their health. Consequences of being overweight or obese can be divided into three sections, social, psychological and physical. In early childhood, obese children are at risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and numerous other cardiovascular diseases. According to the Centre of Disease Control (CDC), 70% of overweight or obese children were at risk for a cardiovascular disease. This was based on a population-based sample of young children and adolescence. Children are also at risk of …show more content…
computers, game consoles, phones and other technological devices). Numerous research studies conducted from all over the globe have concluded that there is a relationship between childhood obesity and screen time. An Australian study conducted in 2012 found that children who had over two hours of screen time had significantly increased the risk of the child becoming overweight or obese. This study was published in "Acta Paediatrica" and included children aged from 9 to 16 years old. An earlier study ("International Journal of Obesity") conducted in May of 2005 concluded that watching television and using a computer contributed towards obesity in teenage girls. However, in boys, only a raise in viewing television correlated with obesity. This study was a randomised study conducted with 6,515 pupils from various schools. Data gathered from NHANES suggests from 1994 to 2010 the rise in physical inactivity has increased by 40% in only 21 years. This study does not suggest technology is purely to blame, however, in the past two decades internet users has gone up immensely, and thousands more people use some form of technology on a day to day basis. The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation had conducted a report in January 2010 and found that children who lived in the United States of America, aged eight to eight-teen, had accessed more than around eight hours of screen time alone. This increased use of technology has led
Without any interventions being put into place, it is likely this trend will continue. If obesity in children continues to rise at this level then by 2025 over 70 million children will be overweight or obese. Furthermore, children will develop a wide range of severe illnesses and health complications as a result of being overweight. Obesity leads to immediate and long-term effects on their health. Consequences of being overweight or obese can be divided into three sections, social, psychological and physical. In early childhood, obese children are at risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and numerous other cardiovascular diseases. According to the Centre of Disease Control (CDC), 70% of overweight or obese children were at risk for a cardiovascular disease. This was based on a population-based sample of young children and adolescence. Children are also at risk of …show more content…
computers, game consoles, phones and other technological devices). Numerous research studies conducted from all over the globe have concluded that there is a relationship between childhood obesity and screen time. An Australian study conducted in 2012 found that children who had over two hours of screen time had significantly increased the risk of the child becoming overweight or obese. This study was published in "Acta Paediatrica" and included children aged from 9 to 16 years old. An earlier study ("International Journal of Obesity") conducted in May of 2005 concluded that watching television and using a computer contributed towards obesity in teenage girls. However, in boys, only a raise in viewing television correlated with obesity. This study was a randomised study conducted with 6,515 pupils from various schools. Data gathered from NHANES suggests from 1994 to 2010 the rise in physical inactivity has increased by 40% in only 21 years. This study does not suggest technology is purely to blame, however, in the past two decades internet users has gone up immensely, and thousands more people use some form of technology on a day to day basis. The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation had conducted a report in January 2010 and found that children who lived in the United States of America, aged eight to eight-teen, had accessed more than around eight hours of screen time alone. This increased use of technology has led