Factors Influencing Childhood Obesity:

A Critical Look at the Epidemic

By: Sarah Murphy and Elizabeth Torrence

"Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States - triple the rate from just one generation ago.”

"The percentage of children aged 6–11 years...who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008.”

"...80% of obese children are destined to become obese adults.”

(1)

The epidemic at a glance...

"Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few

calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by

various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors."

- Center for Disease Control and Prevention

(1)

The epidemic at a glance...

In considering factors contributing to childhood obesity, we will focus primarily on the social aspect of

the epidemic.

Our Cause for Research

• The nationwide effect

• Family demographics and lifestyle

• The extent to which nutrition and physical education are promoted in public schools

Social Causes for Childhood Obesity

• The fast-paced lifestyle and over consumption of fast food.

• The cost of food

• Technology and its effect

The Nationwide Epidemic

• Parents' consumption of fast food affects child's consumption.

• Societal attitude of "time convenience" and its effect on children

• The proportional relationship between unhappiness and obesity

(2)

The Fast-Paced Nation

• Positive correlation between childhood obesity and fast-food consumption

• Modifiable determinants of childhood eating behaviors: availability and convenience

• A price comparison of fast-food and fresh food

(3)

Fast-Food

Increasing prevalence of childhood obesity correlates to increasing health care costs

-- convenience?

Overall Costs of Childhood Obesity

(4)

• The genetic contribution of parental weight

• Child's technological exposure correlates to parental exposure.

• Children engaged in >/= 2 hrs. exposure are twice as likely to be overweight than those engaged in < 2 hrs.

(5)

Technological Influence on Obesity

• >32% of children with 2 overweight/obese parents were overweight.

• 13% of children who had 1 overweight/obese parent were overweight.

• 4% of children who had normal weight parents were overweight.

(5)

Parental Correlation to Lifestyle

• The combined influence of physical activity and television watching on weight status

• Television viewing hours and the direct correlation to lack of physical activity

The Results of the Environment

(6)

• Deficient Parenting Contributes to Obesity

• Care Neglect

• Supervisory Neglect

Parenting Style

(7)

• Single Parent Householdo Obesity more prevalent

41% single parenting vs. 31% dual parenting

o Role Balancing

o Unhealthy Eating Habits Caloric Intake ~1,920 kcal vs. ~1,860 kcal

Parenting Style

(8)

• Frequency of Family Dinnerso prevention and correction of childhood

overweight

o healthy eating habits

o improve family communication

Parenting Style

(9)

• Inverse relationship between income and obesity

• 1 out of 7 low income children are obese

• Obesity rates 70% higher for children in low income families

(10)

Income Disparities

• Lack of Resourceso lower quality

• Increased Prices of Healthy Foodso Maximize Calorie per dollar

Income Disparities

(11)

• Fewer Physical Activity Resources

• Unsafe Conditions

• Organized Sports

• Health Care

Income Disparities

(11)

• How it promotes physical education

• The extent to which it promotes nutrition education

School Environment

• NASPE recommendationso 150 minutes of physical education/instruction

time per week 1st Graders: 6.6% recommended P.E.

70.7% recommended recess 5th Graders: 12.4% recommended P.E.

54.2% recommended recess

• Healthy People 2010 recommendations

(12)

Physical Education

• Decreased P.E. in School Systems

• Beliefs of Physical Education Professionals

• Roots in Health Promotion

(13)

Physical Education

• P.E. Anxiety

• Different Approach to P.E.o maximum participationo success oriented

Physical Education

(14)

• Children obtain about 1/3 of their total energy requirement at school

• Children expend about 50% of their daily energy expenditure while at school

• NSLP Standards and the problem introduced with "competitive foods"

Nutrition Education

(15)

"In 2000, food and beverage items were sold to students from vending

machines, school stores, or snack bars in 98 %of secondary schools,

74 %of middle schools, and 43 % of elementary schools."

Nutrition Education

(15)

• Students' choices are influenced simply by the food environmento The necessity for AVAILABILITY

• Classroom curricula as a part of the initiative

• Promotional activities- fundraising through walk-a-thons rather than vendors

(15)

Nutrition Education

• The implications of economics

• Low-income more likely than higher income to regard the price of food as important (71% v. 36%)

• The importance of food resource management: in homes and in schools

(16)

Nutrition Education

Experimental Data

Kindergarten

Kindergarten 1s

t1st

1st

2nd

2nd 3rd 3rd 4th 4th 5th 5th

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90% 85%

53%65%

73%

24%

53%56%50%

0%

83%

60%

35%

62%

Grade Level vs. Percentage Who Eat Fast Food At Least Twice a Week

Elementary Grade Level% W

ho E

at F

ast F

ood

At L

east

Tw

ice

a W

eek

Experimental Data

Kindergarten

Kindergarten 1s

t1st

1st

2nd

2nd 3rd 3rd 4th 4th 5th 5th

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%100%

53%71% 73%

53% 47%

75%

43% 50%

72%60%

43%

19%

Grade vs. Percentage Who Watch TV After School (rather than physical activity)

Elementary GradePerc

enta

ge w

ho w

atch

TV

after

sch

ool

• The clear problem of childhood obesity

• The future of healthcare if the problem is not addressed

• The influence on everyone, not just obese citizens

Conclusions

• As a nation, we are failing at promoting nutrition education in all sectors of life

• Nutrition education and reversal of societal trends- the ways to remedy the disease

The inadequacy of attempted solutions...

• Exploring the psychology of what encourages sedentary behavior

• Examining the motivation for overeating

Further Research

• Encouraging education from the private sector to the public sector: discouraging popular behaviors

• Nutrition education requirements for food assistance programs

• Physical activity as part of daily living- making it fun!

The Call to Action

Be knowledgeable, spread the knowledge!

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Works Cited

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Continued…

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Continued…

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Continued…

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Continued…

"Childhood obesity isn't some simple, discrete issue. There's no

one cause we can pinpoint. There's no one program we can fund to make it go away. Rather,

it's an issue that touches on every aspect of how we live and how we

work." –Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Legislative Conference,