UCHECHUKWU PROTASE NNAJI

Dr. Thron, Raymond

Walden University

Aspects of Environmental Health: Local to Global (PUBH - 6165 - 3) Summer Qtr.

August 11th, 2013

THE ROAD TO CURBING OBESITY AMONGST CHILDREN AND STEPS TO TAKE IN GOING ABOUT IT!!!

• Obesity is a dramatically increasing problem in

the United States. In fact, data collected in early

2010 showed that more than 23 million U.S.

children and teenagers in the age range of 2-19

years old were obese or overweight – a fourfold

increase in the last few year” (Moeller, 2011)

WHAT IS OBESITY

• Changes in environment

• Depression

• Genetic Makeup – Family Lineage – Background

• In some schools, removal of gym, recess, and,

recreation that keeps the body in motion

WHAT CAUSES OBESITY IN CHILDREN

• Lack of healthy foods to be obtained (Poor Diet) = Unhealthy eating lifestyle

• Lack of Physical Exercise at an Early Age

• Media

• Social Status

WHAT CAUSES OBESITY IN CHILDREN CONTINUATION

Check His or Her Body Mass Index (BMI)

through:

• Measurement Test

• Age

• Height

• Weight

HOW TO DETERMINE A CHILD IS OBESE

CREATING LAWS TO CURB OBESITY

• Laws against selling of junk foods

• Laws that would require more selling of healthy foods in

the schools, and eating of it in homes

• Laws that enforces restaurants, stores, in advertising the

dangers of eating unhealthy and promoting ways to eat

healthy

• Increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as

legumes, whole grains, and, nuts

• Limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption

away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats

• Limit the intake of sugars

• Be physically active - accumulate at least 60 minutes of

regular, moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity each day that

is developmentally appropriate. (WHO, 2013)

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIGHT THE CHILDHOOD OBESITY EPIDEMIC?

• Move more…. • Reduce ‘screen’-time to maximum 2 h a day • Stop the bad habit of eating in between • Financing preventive programs in at-risk

groups • Treating obese children is prevention of

later obesity • Having Intervention Programs

CURBING OBESITY: PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

• Increase the number of food retailers and restaurants with food options that are

health related

• Reducing the percentage of children who like to engage in no leisure-time

physical activity within the next 10 years

• Increase the percentage of children that engage in cardio also known as, aerobic

physical activity with the intensity being at least moderate

• Increase the Nation’s public and private elementary schools in making it, a daily

requirement for all their young ones – students to partake in daily physical

education

• Increase the percentage of elementary school districts that, allow school

recesses to be given on a regular basis

FIVE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AT

AN EARLY AGE OF A CHILD THAT WOULD HELP IN CURBING OBESITY

AMONGST THEM

Hive Health Media

• American Hospital Association

• American Medical Association

• Center for Disease Control

• Community Leaders

• Community centers such as YMCA

• Get America Fit Foundation

• Governor

STAKEHOLDERS

• Guardians of a Child

• Local Department of Health

• Mayor

• Media

• National Childhood Obesity Foundation

• Public

• State Department of Health

• Teachers

STAKEHOLDERS CONTINUATION

• Social Marketing: Preventing Childhood Obesity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-45V4TdkWw

• Seven Steps to Curbing Obesity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQx8CDtFRfI

• Curbing Childhood Obesity: Framework for Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSU-04QmP7c

• Childhood Obesity Rap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXfwJ11LbGo

VIDEOS ON CURBING OBESITY

• How to Prevent Childhood Obesity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDOXbbz-qbY

• Help Stop Childhood Obesity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyz-2DeqvXE

• CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION - FITNESS FOR KIDS: Get Fit Friday #36: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXbADt5dPDI

• Stop Childhood Obesity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbr6yCSd4hs

VIDEOS ON CURBING OBESITY CONTINUATION

• Obesity is an illness that is conflicting a lot of

people - young and old while it is steadily on the

rise. This illness is finally now being recognized

by the, American Heart Association (AMA) as a

disease. It is time now that actions and ideas

come together to find ways - solutions to curbing

this it - better yet, eradicating it in its entirety!!!!

CLOSING REMARK

• Moeller, D (2011). Environmental Health (Fourth Edition). FOOD: Food and

Health – Role of Obesity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. P. 113-114

• Tanner, L. (2012). Junk Food Laws May Help Curb Childhood Obesity: Study.

Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/13/study-junk-food-laws-may-_

n_1771352.html

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Obesity, Dietary Behavior, &

Physical Activity Fact Sheets. Retrieved from http://

www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/factsheets/obesity.htm

• Braet, C. and Winckel, MV. (2005). Curbing obesity: prevention and treatment.

European Journal of Public Health 15 (6): 561-563. doi:

10.1093/eurpub/cki216

REFERENCES:

• Marmitt, L. (2012). Adolescent Obesity. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.

Retrieved from

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1991/5/91.05.05.x.html

• Shape Up America (2006). Childhood Obesity Assessment Calculator.

Retrieved from http://www.shapeup.org/oap/entry.php

• Mathews, LB., Moodie, MM., Simmons, AM., Swinburn, BA. (2010). The

process evaluation of It's Your Move!, an Australian adolescent community-

based obesity prevention project. BMC Public Health;10: 448. doi:

10.1186/1471-2458-10-448

• Sharma, M. (2006). School-based interventions for childhood and adolescent

obesity. The International Association for the Study of Obesity. obesity reviews

7, 261–269. Retrieved from

http://www.children-on-the-move.ch/dateien/dokumentation/Sharma%2006%2

0school%20based%20review.pdf

REFERENCES CONTINUED: