Socioeconomic Status Report

One of the most pressing issues facing youths today is adolescent obesity. This is not just an American problem, as international population studies report similar rates of increase (Must & Strauss 1999). Lobstien et al. (2015) found that one third of the children in the United States are considered overweight or obese. These numbers are the result of years of targeted advertisements and socioeconomic disparities. Pediatric obesity is negatively affecting everyone around the globe, leading to greater healthcare costs and shorter lifespans. One reason contributing to this ongoing health crisis is the increasing socioeconomic disparity in today’s society. The socioeconomic status (SES) of a child plays one of the largest roles in determining the trajectory of their health journey. Low SES individuals often live in areas that do not facilitate a healthy lifestyle (Frederick, Snellman, & Putnam 2013). They often lack recreational centers, play fields, and sidewalks, which effectively discourages physical activity. High school athletic participation has also become more polarizing, with high SES adolescents increasing and low SES adolescents decreasing. When the parents of a child have received a college degree, their children have trended towards eating less calories and exercising more. Frederick (2013) also reported that the prevalence of obesity in …show more content…
Must (1999) found that among the short term health factors are orthopedic issues, including unfused growth plates and softer bones. There are also pulmonary problems, for example, asthma, which affects 30% obese children. Other short term risks included gallstones and insulin resistance. One of the most prominent long term factors is cardiovascular disease, with 20-30% of obese adolescents suffering from high blood pressure and they are 8.5 times more likely to develop hypertension as