Final Project Childhood Obesity Notes

Final Project: Childhood Obesity Obesity in kids is one of the foremost serious threats we tend to face within the world, and it should be treated as simply that. Preventing obesity before it becomes an even bigger issue is crucial to the health of today's kids, who will get older to be tomorrow's adults. This study aims to teach parents, guardians, school systems, the healthcare system, and overweight kids. Based on a study conducted between 1971 and 2000, childhood obesity doubled from 5% to 10.4% for the ages of 2-5 years old, dramatically increasing from 4% to 15.3% between the ages of 6-7 years old, and again 6.1% to 15.5% amongst 12-19 years old. A steady increase in the financial framework, expanding sugar costs because of import limitations, and government appropriations on corn and soy driving down the cost of fundamental components for calorically thick food sources are on the whole macroeconomic powers at work. The microeconomic powers at work are the ascent in purchaser interest for minimal effort, cheap food, food makers' utilization of lower-quality food varieties to reduce expenses, and how eating out can be more affordable than making homemade meals. Food prices, food manufacturing, and medical costs are all impacted by childhood obesity. The cost of healthy vs. unhealthy foods is a significant consideration. Fresh fruit and vegetable prices have increased by 20% in the last decade, while a fast-food cheeseburger's calorie and fat content has remained unchanged. Healthy foods are much more expensive than readily available processed foods. To produce more products at a lower cost, food manufacturers have switched to less healthy foods. Medical costs have increased steadily for both adults and children. Prescription medications, emergency room visits, and outpatient costs of over $14 billion and inpatient costs of over $237 million are among the direct costs of childhood obesity. Obese children are at risk for various illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and many others. When studying childhood obesity, there are numerous socioeconomic factors to consider. Disparities in diet, differences in obesity rates, and food production changes are just a few reasons. Healthy food choices, including school nutrition budgets, are less likely to be available in low-income communities. The most vital link between adolescent obesity and household income below the poverty line has been discovered. The lower one's socioeconomic status, the less likely one's child will become obese. Obesity rates are lower in schools that offer more access to healthier, fresher food choices and more physical activity for students. Nowadays, safe environments in which children can play outside and be active are few and far between. Because most kids would rather play video games than be outside in an unsafe neighborhood, video games have become a significant factor in obesity. Childhood obesity affects healthcare systems and providers such as hospitals, nurses, and therapists. According to a study on drug-related costs and medical care costs, overweight children incurred substantially higher costs in drug-related costs and medical care costs during the five-year period when they were aged 4–5 to 8–9 years. Obese children need more medical attention, putting a strain on healthcare providers and parents in low-income areas. Because many people do not have access to pediatric specialty hospitals, referrals must be made to more skilled facilities. Implementing many programs and policies to combat childhood obesity and the WIC program emphasizes developing healthy eating habits. Obesity was present in 13.9 percent of WIC participants aged 2 to 4 years in 2016. The figure was down from 15.5 percent in 2010; however, obesity had risen in this group between 2000 and 2010. Because children cannot cognitively provide the best care for themselves, controlling the childhood obesity epidemic should be one of the country's top priorities. Providing lower-income families with information and assistance in developing healthy lifestyles reduces the influence of healthcare systems. Making better eating choices does not happen overnight, and treatment is an excellent place to start if someone wants to change their habits. For obese children, a treatment program was developed that required them to attend different therapy classes in different settings. Obese children lost 15% of their overweight after attending a camp; children in outpatient groups lost 13%; children treated on an individual basis lost 10% of their overweight, and children in the advice-in-one-session reported a weight loss of 7%, according to posthoc studies. Obesity rates in children have reached unprecedented levels. From 13.9 percent in 1999 to 18.5 percent in 2015, the percentage had increased. This means that roughly 14 million children would be more likely to make bad health decisions. For the adults of tomorrow, things must improve. In today's culture, there is a tremendous need for support in expanding insurance coverage for preventative treatment, obesity prevention services, and proactive approaches to identify, treat, and reduce the causes of childhood obesity. Current policies on childhood obesity are doing a poor job of addressing the issue. Restaurants must now show nutritional information, schools must have healthier alternatives, and marketers must avoid promoting unhealthy products to children. But what are these doing to help children lose weight? They may delay the progression, but more needs to be done to relieve the healthcare system's strain as obese children grow into obese adults. Obesity complications in children are much more severe than obesity itself. Physical conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease are often followed by psychological and mental issues like depression and low self-esteem. Obesity costs the healthcare system about $150 billion a year, but the earlier it is addressed, the lower the costs would be. Obesity needs to be included in insurance coverage to a deeper degree. Obesity can disqualify a person from having healthcare benefits, and since obesity is the root cause of so many other severe health conditions, it should be taken seriously before that happens. Obesity in children may be treated from the first visit by healthcare professionals. Since most parents are unaware of the dangers of childhood obesity, education should begin at work. It would be helpful if the parent participates in online lessons (which WIC offers for its clients), reading material is readily accessible, and staff and parents communicate openly. When creating a recovery plan, physical exercise programs, nutrition counselors, and counseling (for the socialemotional component) should all be at the top of the list. In low-income communities, community centers may help provide healthy opportunities for children to engage in physical activity. Parents should learn about healthy behaviors, portion control, and screen time limits to better monitor their children at home, where they spend half of their time. Participating in the battle against childhood obesity is vital to our collective growth. We do this by making healthy lifestyles more than just a choice that may or may not is selected. When it comes to their children's wellbeing, parents should prefer normal-weight options. The upfront costs of providing such services will be justified until childhood obesity is treated and reversed, reducing costs for providers and patients. When weight gain over adulthood among average-weight children is accounted for, the incremental lifetime direct medical expense from the perspective of a 10-year-old obese child relative to a 10-year-old average weight child ranges from $12,660 to $19,630, and from $16,310 to $39,080 when this change is not made. Treating obesity in children at the root will prevent obese children from becoming obese adults, who will have more costly medical needs. Finally, childhood obesity must be treated and avoided at the earliest signs—the decisions we make about our children's health support society. Children who are happier grow up to be healthier people who positively impact the global economy. More minor health conditions mean fewer overcrowded hospitals and doctor's offices, fewer emergency services, and fewer unpaid medical bills. There are no drawbacks to supporting a cause like combating childhood obesity and any help is greatly appreciated, as this is such a worthwhile cause.