Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in the U.S.
There is a steady trend for an increase of children with weight problems that were noticed as early as the 1980s (Wang & Lim, 2012). Today, according to Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flegal (2014) the percentage of obese youth reaches 17 percent. The more detailed data states that for children aged from 2 to 19 years body mass index (BMI) has not changed significantly from 2003 (Ogden et al., 2014). By the age of 24 months, the normal weight of a child should constitute 28 pounds (Berger, 2016). Obese children weigh 20-40% more, which boosts the risk of being obese later in life. In comparison to European countries, obesity levels in children are higher by 5-10 percent. From the geographical point of view, the East South Central states such as Tennessee and Kentucky have the highest number of obese children whereas it was long believed that the south holds the leadership position by that criterion (Bakken, 2013).
Discussion
With such a serious prevalence of obesity among children, the younger generation of the U.S. could become less and less productive as compared to their parents and grandparents. Their poor health could prevent them from performing effectively at physically active jobs such as industrial climbing, cleaning, police service, and other places of employment where having a healthy body is advisable.
I firmly believe that there is a need for a policy that is aimed to combat obesity. However, the process of the introduction of such a policy could face some challenges. Among the most significant barriers are the enormously developed fast-food industry and the poor availability of healthy food. The U.S. Agriculture also needs a significant shift towards healthier production. Judging by the amount of attention from public health organizations and the media coverage the steady demand for healthy nutrition can be established. Provided there is support from the U.S. government headed by the president, such policy could pass and make the lives of small Americans healthier. Mass media attention towards healthy diets among youth could also help the cause.
References
Bakken, J. (2013). South not the fattest part of U.S. after all, study says.UAB News. Web.
Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the Life Span (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. JAMA, 311(8), 806-814.
Wang, Y., & Lim, H. (2012). The global childhood obesity epidemic and the association between socioeconomic status and childhood obesity. International Review of Psychiatry, 24(3), 176–188.