Childhood Obesity Prevention

In this research essay I will go on to look at childhood obesity on an international scale and look at the ways
different countries have dealt with this epidemic and how people from every part of the socioeconomic spectrum
have been affected. I plan to come across as an educated college student with my target audience being college
educated young adults. The paper will be cited in MLA format.

Childhood obesity has become such a major issue in the world today to the point that it
has grown to horrendous proportions over the last couple of decades. Although widely thought
to be a disease of affluence, thought as being a problem that only affects the United States of
America, research over the past decade has shown that childhood obesity is everyones
problem. Countries ignoring this epidemic and believing that it is only a problem in the United
States are doing so at their own risk. According to a report released by the United Nations
World Health Organization (United Nations World Health Organization) detailing proposed
steps to combat the childhood obesity epidemic, at least 170 million children worldwide
(classified as individuals under the age of 18) are reported to be overweight or obese.
What is the significance of curbing childhood obesity, one may ask. Well, Childhood
obesity can have a harmful effect on the body in a variety of ways. According to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure and
high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Obese children and
adolescents have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and
poor self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood. Obese children are more likely to become
obese adults. Adult obesity is associated with a number of serious health conditions including


heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. If children are overweight, obesity in adulthood is
likely to be more severe. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, pars 2-4)
Several factors have been pointed out by various governing bodies and officials as being
the major causes of childhood obesity. These are part of a rather large spectrum ranging from
bad eating habits and lack of physical activity, all the way to socioeconomic factors. To fully
comprehend the impact of childhood obesity and fully realize the most effective strategies to
take in combating this epidemic, it is essential find out exactly what the medical definition of
childhood obesity is and how a child is determined to be obese. According to the United
Nations World Health Organization,
Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and
obesity in adults. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters
(kg/m
2
).
The WHO definition is:
a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight
a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity. - (United Nations World Health Organization, pars 2-4)

This same system of calculating adult obesity is adjusted relatively for use with childhood
obesity meaning that it is essential to analyze BMI as it is the main determinant of whether a
child is obese or not. It is also essential to highlight the main factors that are responsible for the
rise in childhood obesity on a global scale and map out the consequences that result from
childhood obesity as this will enhance our understanding of the subject and highlight the
significance of the research and the dire need for action. Through my research I have come to
the realization that there are three fronts on which this war can be fought. These would be on a
household level, as a community and through government policies. Although surgery is a viable


option for combatting childhood obesity, due to the global nature of the problem and the
limitations of access to healthcare, I will be focusing on prevention strategies which are
applicable to most countries and are non-invasive as opposed to surgical correction.
Controversy about childhood obesity starts with its very definition and how it is
calculated. According to the Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), the national
public health institute of the United States,
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to determine childhood overweight and obesity. It is calculated
using a child's weight and height BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it is a reasonable indicator of body
fatness for most children and teens. - (Center For Disease Control And Prevention)
In this statement, the Centers for disease control and prevention admits that this form of
calculation has its limitations and is not without its faults. Due to the way BMI is calculated
coupled with the fact that it does not calculate or factor in body fat percentage, critics argue
that shorter children or those who are naturally more muscular than average can be mistakenly
placed in the overweight or obese category (Reilly, John). However it also happens to be the
most efficient method that we have at hand which has become popular due to its simplicity,
ease of use and versatility in the sense that it can be applied to both children and adults when
approximating the level of body fat ( Turcotte).
Even though the nature of determining childhood obesity is still questionable, it is
important to determine the causes in order to outline what steps can be taken to prevent the
childhood obesity epidemic which plagues the rich and poor alike. There have been a lot of
factors that have been identified as the leading causes of childhood obesity both in the


developed and developing countries but by outlining sectors which are most influential, it is
easier to point out a solution. The first of such causes would be socioeconomic status although
there is a slight variation in terms of its effects on developed and developing nations.
The poor and underprivileged people living in developed countries are usually the one
which are vulnerable to childhood obesity because of poor quality of their diets and limited
opportunity for physical activity. On the other hand, childhood obesity is most prevalent in the
upper socioeconomic spectrum of developing nations, where over nutrition and under nutrition
coexists, probably owing to adoption of an increasingly western type of lifestyle. (Ebbeling).
This phenomenon is further enhanced by a process called glocalization of services whereby a
company such as McDonalds would have its fast food menus to be adapted to the local tastes
and offered at attractively low prices.
However, this does not extend just to fast food alone. Watching the independent
documentary, Way beyond Weight, highlighted how price was a factor in the spread of
childhood obesity in Brazil. Candy is amazingly cheap in developing countries. One brand of
candy in Brazil ,which comprised of chocolate chip cookies containing 30g of fat and 50 grams
of sugar only cost an amazing 1 to 1.25 Brazilian Real. Eating a packet of these cookies is
reportedly the equivalent of eating astounding eight French rolls and a little girl was having it as
a snack! To put this into economical perspective, that pack of eight French rolls is only worth
46 United States cents. On the other hand, a similar development is taking place in the
developed world although the blame has been shifted from total lack of parental control to
negligence in the school system. In the United States, a developed world superpower, about 55


million school-aged children are reportedly enrolled in schools across the country (Center for
Disease Control and Prevention) and many have the luxury of school lunches that children in
developing countries do not. However, a substantial amount of U.S. middle and high schools
give their students access to sugary drinks and less healthy foods. These are available for
purchase at schools throughout the entire day from vending machines outside classrooms and
school canteens.
Furthermore, prevention of childhood obesity at a household level may be one of the most
effective ways to curb childhood obesity. These sentiments are echoed in Dr. Susan Okies book
Fed Up where she highlights key information about how parents can be the greatest asset in
the fight against the childhood obesity epidemic. Parents could help prevent childhood obesity
from grass root levels and nip it in the bud by enforcing certain rules and encouraging healthier
consumption attitudes. By encouraging their children to be more involved in sporting events at
school, parents can instill a healthy competitive attitude in their children as well as help them
burn any excess energy that may be left over from the foods that they consume. A lifestyle that
lacks physical activity and encourages excessive inactivity (particularly television viewing and
playing video games) might cause obesity in children. By regulating the amount of playtime
children spend in front of the television playing video games and encouraging them to go
outside and socialize, parents can dramatically reduce the chances of their children being obese
and simultaneously boost their self-confidence.
Communities could also have a major hand in the fight to curb childhood obesity. In the
both documentaries, the lack of facilities that encourage physical activity was outlined as one of


the major reasons as to why childhood obesity was rampant in both privileged and under
privileged communities. In the independent documentary Tipping the scales and another
called Children in Crisis, which is part of an HBO documentary series detailing the causes and
effects of childhood obesity communities are shown to have a relatively large impact on the
ability of children to engage in physical activity. This lack of physical activity is believed to be a
major factor in the increases of childhood obesity as children are eating more and have no
place to burn off this energy. This leads to that energy being converted to fat and possibly
leading to childhood obesity. In the documentary Tipping the scales a mother from a low
income household highlights that the environment surrounding her home is not safe for her
children to play in the area where she lives. The community and municipality have done
nothing to provide her children and others like hers with an area for physical activities e.g.
playgrounds and/or open environments. This has left her no option but to keep her children in
doors watching television or playing video games whenever they are not in school.( Tipping the
Scales- A Documentary on Childhood Obesity)
It is almost intuitive that the cost of a food item would have a major effect whether
people buy that food item or not. This happens on a macroeconomic level with international
college students. For example, when buying food at Wal-Mart for Thanksgiving break, such a
student would expect to spend up to eight American dollars on a packet of carrots and green
beans whereas for the same price, they can get ten packets of ramen noodles and four cups of
macaroni and cheese or a gallon of ice cream. Being frugal students, the ramen noodles and
macaroni and cheese seem like a tough bargain to pass up. This is an area where government
legislation can come in and makes changes in terms of price to influence the consumption


decisions of its citizens. Firstly through taxation to improve the health of its citizens by limiting
the level of appeal that unhealthy food has. This could then be reinforced by giving farmers
more incentives which could be in the form of subsidies to lower the prices of vegetables which
would in turn make them more accessible to those at the lower end of the socioeconomic
spectrum. This has been a widely adopted policy when it comes to nations trying to reduce the
number of people at risk from the effects of a certain substance, such as alcohol and tobacco.
This has shown to be an effective strategy especially with the purchasing of tobacco products
and alcohol, where pricing has been recognized as a powerful influence on purchasing behavior
(United Nations World Health Organization).
However, when it comes to dealing with childhood obesity, the effectiveness of food
pricing as a solution is an emerging area research as well we concern due to the fact that very
few countries have set up policies targeting to control the consumption patterns of children.
Laboratory-based behavior studies indicate that increasing the price of unhealthy foods can
decrease the purchases of those foods thereby leading to a reduced overall energy intake
(United Nations World Health Organization, Population-based approaches to childhood obesity
prevention, 33). A study in China comparing food prices and consumption behavior showed
that raising the prices of unhealthy foods are associated with decreased consumption of those
foods while in the United States, programs set up by legislation and government to reduce the
price of healthy foods led to a 78% increase in their consumption (United Nations World Health
Organization, Population-based approaches to childhood obesity prevention,30 ). Research
studies have also shown that a combination of tax reduction on healthy foods and tax increases
on unhealthy foods may result in an increase in the consumption of healthier food, particularly


for lower-income households where fast food consumption is the biggest problem. Heavier
taxation of unhealthy foods has also shown to be extremely cost-effective measures for
governments ((United Nations World Health Organization, population-based approaches to
childhood obesity prevention,31). Several countries have explored fiscal measures, such as
increased taxation on foods that should be consumed in lower quantities and decreased
taxation, price subsidies or production incentives for foods that are encouraged (Childhood
Obesity: Public-health Crisis, Common Sense Cure, 473-82).
However, Europe has been in the forefront when it comes to pioneering taxation efforts
in the fight to curb childhood obesity. Denmark in 2011 introduced a tax on foods containing
more than 2.3% saturated fat (British Broadcasting Corporation News, pars 1-2). Britain and
France have since passed legislation that has raised the level the amount of money for a tax on
drinks containing sugar, with the resulting proceeds earmarked for programs to help fight the
childhood obesity epidemic. In implementing food-related taxes, care needs to be taken to
ensure that raising the prices of food does not increase financial disparity and socioeconomic
inequalities across the globe (United Nations World Health Organization Copenhagen Childhood
Obesity Summit). Although it may seem as if higher and tougher regulations on taxation could
be the golden egg when it comes to dealing with childhood obesity, one must not forget that an
increase in taxes are likely to cause a greater financial burden on low-income consumers
because they spend a larger share of the little income on food compared to consumers higher
up on the socioeconomic ladder. However, a solution to this may be subsidizing the prices of In
addition, the increased financial burden on low-income groups could be offset in the longer
term by relatively larger health gains, which are likely to be higher in low-income than high-


income groups ((United Nations World Health Organization, population-based approaches to
childhood obesity prevention,32).
it is clear that childhood obesity has escalated to epidemic proportions and not just in
developed countries as many would expect. It is now a global problem that does not
discriminate and affects people from every part of the economical spectrum. In order to
prevent this epidemic from becoming any worse than it already is, it is vital that households,
communities and governments work together to combat it.












Works Cited
A documentary on childhood obesity in the U.S:


Childhood Obesity Combating the Epidemic. [Silver Spring, Md.] : Discovery Health Channel, C2004.,
The website for the United Nations World Health Organization:
"Childhood Overweight and Obesity." WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013.

A government information website for disease control and prevention:
"Childhood Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 10 July 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.

A news article from the British Broadcasting Channel:
Denmark Introduces World's First Food Fat Tax." BBC News. BBC, 10 Jan. 2011. Web. 23 Oct.
2013.
An article from a scholarly journal:
Ebbeling, Cara B., Dorota B. Pawlak, and David S. Ludwig. "Childhood Obesity: Public-health Crisis,
Common Sense Cure." The Lancet 360.9331 (2002): 473-82. Science Direct. The Lancet, 10 Aug.
2002. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
The minutes of a summit held by the United Nations World Health Organisation :
Nikogosian, Haik, Tim Lobstein, and Francessco Branca. Proc. of The Challenge of Obesity in the WHO
European Region and the Strategies for Response, Copenhagen. World Health Organisation.
United Nations, Nov. 2006. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
A book on what childhood obesity is and how parents can help:


Okie, Susan. Fed Up!: Winning the War against Childhood Obesity. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry,
2005. Print.
PART 3: Children In Crisis Watch Now. HBO: The Weight of the Nation: Films: Crisis. Home Box Office Inc.,
n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.

An article from the UNITED NATIONS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION website:
Thow, Ann M., Stephen Jan, Stephen Leeder, and Boyd Swinburn. "The Effect of Fiscal Policy on Diet,
Obesity and Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review." WHO. United Nations World Health
Organization, 22 Feb. 2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
An independently produced documentary
Tipping the Scales- A Documentary on Childhood Obesity. Dir. Lisa Blanco. Tipping the Scales- A
Documentary on Childhood Obesity. N.p., July 2012. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
A fitness website
Turcotte, Michelle. "BODY MASS INDEX ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES." Livestrong.com. Livestrong
Foundation, 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
A independently produced documentary
Way Beyond Weight. Prod. Maria Farinha. Top Documentary Films RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
A scholarly journal from a science research website
Reilly, John J.Dr.PH.d. "Descriptive Epidemiology and Health Consequences of Childhood Obesity."Best
Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 19.3 (2005): 327-41. Science Direct.
Web. 8 Oct. 2013.