Childhood Obesity Among All Populations:

What Schools and Communities can do

By Lindsay Hall3-24-08

Health is important!

“Clearly, no knowledge is more crucial than knowledge about health. Without it, no other life goal can be successfully achieved.”

— Boyer, E.L., The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1983

Introduction

The purpose of this presentation is to open eyes to the problem of childhood obesity in the United States. Included are facts and

figures on minority populations. It will give information on what schools and

communities can do to lower the rates of obesity in all children.

Introduction (why this topic was chosen)

The state of Tennessee has one of the highest rates of child obesity, Type II diabetes, and

heart disease in the United States. According to the measurements of over 30,000 students

by Coordinated School Health and Tennessee Department of Health staff in 2006, 43% of all Tennessee children are either at-risk for overweight or overweight (TN Dept of Ed, 2006). In addition, obesity

occurs at higher rates among minority populations.

Following is a map of the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States from the University of Baltimore. The University gives each state a grade on their efforts to control child obesity. Notice Tennessee ranks third.

OverviewThis presentation will contain:

The importance of being healthy Negative effects of childhood obesity Why obesity is higher among minority

populations What communities can do to lower the rates

of childhood obesity What schools can do to lower the rates of

child obesity

Importance of being healthy

According to the American Dietetic Association (2002), a child who is healthy is more likely to be academically alert, motivated, and successful.

Healthy eating also plays a role in learning and cognitive development. Children who do not consume proper amounts of nutritious foods and beverages are at an increased risk for a variety of poor outcomes including growth retardation, iron deficiency anemia, poor academic performance, and an increased likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease or osteoporosis during adulthood (Bayerl and Stang, 2003).

Negative effects of childhood obesity

Obese children and adolescents are reported to be 12.6 times more likely than non-obese to have high fasting blood insulin levels, a risk factor for Type II diabetes (Fagot-Campagna, 2000).

A variety of orthopedic complications occur in children and adolescents with obesity. In young children, excess weight can lead to bowing and overgrowth of leg bones. Increased weight on the growth plate of the hip can cause pain and limit range of motion.

Sleep apnea, the absence of breathing during sleep, has also been shown to occur in about seven percent of children with obesity (AOA, 2002).

Obesity among minorities

Childhood obesity among minorities is especially a problem.

Obesity is more prevalent among African Americans and other racial groups, especially Hispanics, than among whites (AOA, 2006).

Weight status is embedded in the core social and cultural processes and environments of day-to-day life in these populations (Kumanyika, 2003).

Negative effects multiplied among minorities

Many obesity-related diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease are found in higher rates among various members of racial-ethnic minorities compared with whites (AOA, 2005).

The high prevalence of obesity is reported to be a contributing factor to the high prevalence of hypertension in minority populations, especially among African Americans who have an earlier onset and run a more severe course of hypertension (AOA, 2005).

Why the overweight status among minorities?

Cultural factors that influence dietary and exercise behaviors are reported to play a major role in the development of excess weight in minority groups.

Cultural factors related to dietary choices, physical activity, and acceptance of excess weight among African Americans and other racial-ethnic groups, appear to play a role in interfering with weight loss efforts.

African American women of all ages report participating in less regular exercise than white women. African American men, age 45 and older, report less regular exercise than white women.

What can communities do to lower rates of childhood obesity?

Communities can build an atmosphere that is encouraging and promotes citizens feeling respected, regardless of size or weight.

Communities can also make sure there is available space for playgrounds, walking tracks, bike paths, and usable sidewalks.

Health fairs at schools, community centers, and churches are useful venues for getting the word out to the community at large.

What can communities do?

Tailoring public education messages and other efforts to promote healthy eating to reach low-income communities as well as racial and ethnic minorities would effectively address the threat of increasing childhood obesity.

Communities can make sure that local supermarkets and stores make healthy foods available and promote healthy foods.

What can schools do?

Schools have a triple threat in the obesity battle.

Schools can….– Provide students with nutrition education.– Implement culturally appropriate physical

education programs.– Control foods sold in the cafeteria and on the

school campus in vending machines, a la carte lines, and in school fundraisers.

What schools can do

Perform health checks for early detection of obesity or obesity related problems.

Educate students on healthy choices Make healthy foods and recipes available for

taste tests. Make physical education a priority.

Print Resources

Following you will find useful print resources that were used in this presentation. They

would be great reads for anyone investing in our children.

Iron deficiency and cognitive achievement among school-aged children and adolescents in the United States.

This article from Pediatrics magazine provided great information on children who do not receive proper nutrition and their achievement scores. This would be a great read for parents, teachers, and health professionals.

Aligne C., Auinger, P., Halterman, J., Kaczorowski, J., & Szilagyi, P. (2001). Iron deficiency and cognitive achievement among school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics, 107, 1381-1386.

Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance

from the Institute of Medicine

In response to a request from Congress for a prevention-oriented action plan to tackle the alarming rise in childhood obesity, the

IOM Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth has developed a comprehensive national strategy that

recommends specific actions for families, schools, industry, communities, and government.  The committee's findings and

recommendations are described in the report Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. This is an excellent

report for anyone to read.

Koplan, J., Kraak, V., & Liverman, C. (2004). Preventing childhood obesity: Health in the balance. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

Predicting Overweight and Obesity in Adulthood from Body Mass Index

Values in Childhood and Adolescence.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

This is an important article because it provides guidance in identifying children who may become overweight or obese as adults. It shows the lasting effects of being an overweight child.

A great read for anyone involved with children.

Chumlea, W., Guo, S., & Roche, A. (2002). Predicting overweight and obesity in adulthood from body mass index values in childhood and adolescence. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(3), 653-658.

Websites

You will find 5 websites following which provided a great amount of information and

facts for this assignment.

American Obesity Association Fact Sheet

American Obesity Association. (2007). AOA fact sheet. Retrieved September 5, 2007

from http://obesity1.tempdomainname.com/subs/fastfacts/obesity_youth.shtml

This website has great facts on obesity and its effects on American youth.

It also contains information on different ethnic groups.

Great for anyone to read including parents, teachers, or health professionals.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Division of Nutrition,

Physical Activity and Obesity

This website is an excellent resource for anyone of any age. It not only contains facts and figures of obesity and nutrition. It includes tips, healthy ideas, and recipes.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Retrieved October 2, 2007, from Division of Nutrition, Physical activity, and Nutrition Web site:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/index.htm

Population Reference Bureau“The Neglected Link Between the Food Market and Childhood Obesity in Poor

Neighborhoods”

This website provided some excellent facts and interesting figures on childhood obesity in poor neighborhoods. It is really eye opening. It includes facts on minorities as well as whites. A great read for anyone.

Lee, M. (2006). The neglected link between the food market and childhood obesity in p poor neighborhoods. Population Reference Bureau http://www.prb.org/Articles/2006/TheNeglectedLinkFoodMarketingandChildhoodObesityinPoorNeighborhoods.aspx?p=1

Action For Healthy Kids

Action for Healthy Kids periodically publishes special reports about children's health and ways to take action to foster health-promoting schools.

Action for Healthy Kids also facilitates and participates in special events like the national Healthy Schools Summit, which launched our nationwide initiative in 2002 and which Action for Healthy Kids convened again in September 2005.

Action for Healthy Kids (2004). The learning connection: The value of improving nutrition and physical activity in our schools. Retrieved October 8, 2007, from

www.actionforhealthykids.org

American Dietetic Association

This website if from the American Dietetic Association. The American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. ADA members are the nation's food and nutrition experts, translating the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living. The ADA takes positions on children’s health issues especially childhood obesity. A great website for anyone who has children or who works with children.

American Dietetic Association. (2002). Web site: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/index.html

Conclusion

Childhood obesity is a problem across the United States, not just in minorities.

Schools and communities are in a unique position to help with this growing need.

Conclusion

Obesity is a war our nation is fighting and our only weapon of

defense is education. Children must be healthy to be

educated and educated to be healthy.

References

Action for Healthy Kids (2004). The learning connection: The value of improving nutrition and physical activity in our schools. Retrieved October 8, 2007, from www.actionforhealthykids.org

Aligne C., Auinger, P., Halterman, J., Kaczorowski, J., & Szilagyi, P. (2001). Irondeficiency and cognitive achievement among school-aged children

and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics, 107, 1381-1386.

American Obesity Association. (2007). AOA fact sheet. Retrieved September 5, 2007 from http://obesity1.tempdomainname.com/subs/fastfacts/obesity_youth.shtml

American Dietetic Association. (2002). Web site: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/index.html

References

Arnett, D., Daniels, S., Eckel, R., Gidding, S., Hayman, L., Kumanyika, S., et al. (1999). Overweight in children and adolescents: pathophysiology, consequences, prevention, and treatment. Retrieved September 3, 2007, from http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/111/15/1999

Bayerl, C. & Stang, J. (2003). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Child and adolescent food and nutrition programs [Electronic version]. American Dietetic Association, 103, 887-893.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007). Retrieved November 10, 2007, from overweight and obesity. Web site:http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/

Chumlea, W., Guo, S., & Roche, A. (2002). Predicting overweight and obesity in adulthood from body mass index values in childhood and adolescence. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(3), 653-658.

References

Fagot-Campagna, A. (2000). Emergence of type 2 diabetes in children: The epidemiological evidence. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, 13, 1394-1402.

Koplan, J., Kraak, V., & Liverman, C. (2004). Preventing childhood obesity: Health in the balance. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

Lee, M. (2006). The neglected link between the food market and childhood obesity in p poor neighborhoods. Population Reference Bureau http://www.prb.org/Articles/2006/TheNeglectedLinkFoodMarketingandChildhoodObesityinPoorNeighborhoods.aspx?p=1

University of Baltimore Obesity Report Card. (2006). Retrieved November 10, 2007, Web site: http://www.ubalt.edu/experts/obesity/index.html