Nursing 3110: Child Obesity

Running head: Child Obesity
Child Obesity
(Name)
(University) Running head: Child Obesity
Nursing 3110: Epidemiology Paper
Asha Bali
Student #: 300111811
Douglas College
Author Note
Asha Bali, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, Douglas College
This paper is submitted May 11, 2011 to Susan Hammond in partial fulfillment of
Nursing 3110: Health III Teaching & Learning, Section #002.
Introduction
Obesity is a health problem that has reached international proportions. In fact, this condition has raised awareness among different health organizations, health personnel and even the public. Obese people have more than normal Body Mass Index (BMI) and fat distributions. In the social context, obese people become subject to social seclusions. More seriously though, obese people are subject to higher risks of deadly diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and even cancers (Pischon, Nothlings & Boeing, 2008).
An escalating problem in many countries around the world today is the incidence of child obesity. The increase in child obesity cases has caused alarm to different health organizations. Obesity in childhood entails a potential for the condition to persist until adulthood (Watson-Jarvis et al., 2011). Child obesity therefore increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adolescents and further, in adulthood.
This paper will compare the prevalence of child obesity in the United States and Canada. The factors that contribute to this condition will also be presented. Community nursing actions will also be recommended. In the end, obesity rates were found to be higher in the United States than in Canada.
Prevalence of Child Obesity in the United States and Canada
Child obesity has been observed in epidemic proportions most especially in developed countries Mendeley Citation{7bbe8da1-1d89-4fba-bbbe-d650b0c8e957} Prev:{(Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005)}(Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005). Thus, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are in the forefronts of countries with the highest prevalence of child obesity. Comparisons between prevalence rates in the United States and Canada revealed that there is a higher prevalence of obesity in American children (Phipps et al., 2005).
Certain studies have compared the difference in childhood obesity prevalence rates in different countries around the world. Studies revealed that the United States has a higher prevalence rate for obesity compared to Canada (Phipps et al., 2005). The prevalence rate of obesity in Canada was 16.1% while in the United States, the prevalence rate was 20.7% (Phipps et al., 2005).
Phipps et al. (2005) also correlated the prevalence of child obesity to poverty. The results of poverty patterns were also the same, with Canada gaining a lower rank than the United States. In the study, the authors concluded that poor children in Canada and the United States have a greater extent of becoming obese, as compared to non-poor children (Phipps et al., 2005). This is due to the belief that poor children have better access to energy-dense foods, which have greater sugar and fat content, because these are more affordable. Poor children and their families may not be able to afford adequate amounts of healthier foods such as fruits, fish, vegetables (Phipps et al., 2005) and lean meats. The findings of Phipps et al.`s (2005) study can be correlated with a most recent report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on March 2011. The report revealed that adult obesity prevalence in Canada is lower than in the United States by 10 percentage points (Shields, Carroll & Ogden, 2011).
One prevalence study also reported that 4% or 2.7 million children in the United States are severely obese (Skelton et al., 2009). Whereas another study on Canadian children revealed that out of the 801 children studied, 97 of them were obese (Haque, 2006). However, these two separate studies cannot be used for comparison due to the differences in the methods used. There is also an extremely large difference in the number of respondents utilized and the extent of estimation done.
Obesity is largely attributed to higher risks for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and diabetes. Solomon & Manson (1997) state that, "cardiovascular mortality and morbidity are particular risks in persons obese as children or adolescents". Thus, child obesity does not present immediate detrimental effects to affected children. However, it increases the risk for mortality and morbidity once the child grows old. According to Carmona (2003), almost two in three Americans are obese or overweight.
In 2004, it was estimated that obesity is responsible for more than 8,000 deaths every year in Canada (Luo et al., 2007). In comparison, it was reported that annual deaths due to obesity in the United States ranged from 280,000 to 325,000 (Thompson, 2001). On the other hand, with regards to mortality, one in every eight deaths in America is due to diseases that are directly related to obesity (Carmona, 2003) whereas one in every ten deaths in Canada can be attributed to obesity (Katzmarzyk & Ardern, 2004). These statistics undoubtedly present higher mortality rates in the United States with regards to obesity.
Factors That Contribute to Obesity
With regards to the factors that contribute to obesity, several studies have revealed the same findings Mendeley Edited Citation{7bbe8da1-1d89-4fba-bbbe-d650b0c8e957}(Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005; Mendeley Citation{7131d0dc-2de9-4cb8-a568-de6690471857} Prev:{(Tucker, van Zandvoort, Burke, & Irwin, 2011)}Tucker, van Zandvoort, Burke, & Irwin, 2011). It was found that the compounding effects of feeding behavior, limited physical activity, dietary intake, and familial conditions result to obese children Mendeley Edited Citation{3612c6f5-8b13-4f16-ab84-f8e1ff601a7d}(Watson-Jarvis et al., 2011).
Figure 1 below presents a web of causation associated with child obesity. It is very evident that the role of the family is crucial in developing the health and nutrition of a child Mendeley Citation{3612c6f5-8b13-4f16-ab84-f8e1ff601a7d} Prev:{(Watson-Jarvis et al., 2011)}(Watson-Jarvis et al., 2011). The family is responsible for ensuring that the child`s feeding behaviour is appropriate for his growth. Watching television is perhaps the most common activity children do while eating. Watson-Jarvis et al. (2011) stated that children eat fewer servings of vegetables and fruits when they watch TV while eating. Furthermore, children lose the feeling of satiety, making them consume more energy (Watson-Jarvis et al., 2011). This results to children overeating or consuming more unhealthy foods.
On the other hand, the family is also responsible for guiding or encouraging children to engage in physical activities that will promote their health (Tucker et al., 2011). When children are left in front of the TV or the computer for hours, they will have no activities that 1143001143000Child`s Feeding BehaviourWatching TV while eating decreases satietyLimited Physical ActivityFamily Conditions Mother`s Mental HealthSkewed Parental Guidance over Food IntakeSpending hours in front of the TV or computer; No exerciseExcess food provided by parentUnaware or under-concerned parentsObese ChildUnhealthy dietary intakeChild`s Feeding BehaviourWatching TV while eating decreases satietyLimited Physical ActivityFamily Conditions Mother`s Mental HealthSkewed Parental Guidance over Food IntakeSpending hour...