Custom essays on A two pathway model of childhood obesity prevention

Speaking about the problems, connected with obesity, we should remember how dangerous it can be for health. Overweight and obesity lead to serious health consequences. Risk increases progressively as BMI increases. Raised body mass index is a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as:
• Cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), which are already the leading cause of death in the world, annually producing 17 million deaths.
• Diabetes, which is fast becoming a global epidemic. WHO projects that over the next 10 years, deaths from diabetes worldwide will increase by more than 50%.
• Musculoskeletal violations, especially osteoarthritis.
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon).
• Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of premature death and disability in adulthood. (Varness T., Allen D.B., Fost N.)
Losing weight is not easy, it requires help of specialists. First of all it a pediatrician, who can monitor child’s weight gain and loss, also a dietician, who can help to make a healthy diet plan for child and the whole family.
If being overweight influences child’s mood, his self-confidence and self-seen, then a Child Psychologist consultations are also important. As overweight children usually have a lot of psychological and emotional problems: it’s a depression in most cases, when children hate themselves and don’t want to live. They can’t be a normal part of the society, can’t have families and friend, good work. In future such emotional problems can lead to eating disorders and more problems with health and weight.(Harris K., Lee D.)
Obesity prevention
Overweight and obesity, as well as their related chronic diseases, are largely preventable.
At the individual level, people can:
• achieve energy balance and healthy nutrition;
• Limit total fat intake and replace saturated fats in diet to unsaturated fats;
• increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts;
• limit products with sugars;
• Increase physical activity – at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity every day. To low weight, person may require more intensive physical activity.
But the main point is: fighting with obesity is a long-time issue, it requires wish, efforts and help of the society!
Society, first of all parents and relatives, should help to reach the goal and go back to bad eating habits. Emotional help is very necessary, even the help of psychiatrist both with physician, because only doctors can make treatment plan.
So the two main ways to prevent the childhood obesity are:
1. Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits:
– provide children with a variety of foods to get all the nutrients, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products;
– control portions and calories;
– be a good role model for kids by eating together with family, eat home-made dishes;
– do not use food as a reward, and encourage eating healthy food
2. Promoting Physical Activity:
– Try to create a healthy lifestyle, encourage active playtime;
– Get the whole family involved into sport games, engage in activity with children;
– Limit time, spent near screen and television, for less than 2 hours per day.
Obesity is a social problem
In the development of obesity can not blame only the people themselves. Causes of pidemic are social in nature, and the solution to this problem requires a significant change in strategy. A more optimal balance between individual and population approaches, as well as between educational measures, governmental issues should be found. It is clear that obesity is a topical and rapidly growing threat, so Public Health, in response to which the Government and relevant
international organizations should immediately take appropriate action. Also, the childhood obesity epidemic is the common problem, that requires the collaboration of many specialists. Governments, medical institutions and organizations, international organizations, mass media play vital roles in solving the problem.
Appropriate actions are needed at different levels, corresponding to different levels of impact on individuals:
-regional and international mechanisms;
– social strategy and national legislation, institutional and commercial practices;
– tools for planning and regional development strategies, local and cultural traditions;
– organization of study and work, the influence of colleagues;
– family habits and traditions as well as personal actions.
The main places where there may be such a strategy are:
– School (health education, school meals, leisure activities),
– area of residence (food, transportation, outdoor recreation, sports),
– health services (maternal and child health).
Recently, global and regional levels has taken a number of obligations on public health, which may help to lay the groundwork for increased efforts, to solve the problem of obesity in the USA, the European region.
The World Health Organization has this question as a hot one. It is WHO’s objective to implement the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (DPAS). WHO supports the implementation, monitoring of actions, organizes conferences, publishes reports, making society know about this problem. Also The European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) endorses the WHO “Child Growth Standards from 0 to 5 years” on April 2006.
Conclusion
All said above allows to look at obesity as a disease of human evolution, or as a disease of modern lifestyle. Indeed, such a high prevalence of obesity in the population of economically developed countries can not be explained without taking into account some features of modern life, essential for the development of obesity.
This is an important issue, because obesity is the cause of many health problems later in life. This affects the person themselves, decreases the number of healthy people, working people, in that way effects the state’s economy. Obesity is easier to prevent than to treat, that’s why preventive programs are so important nowadays.

References
American academy of child and adolescent psychiatry.( 2008) “Obesity in children and teens”, N 79,
Diet, nutrition & the prevention of chronic diseases, World Health Organisation/FAO expert consultation, WHO, 2002.
Harris K.,Lee D. (2009)“Obesity in the transition to adulthood”. Archieves of pediatric and adolescent medicine.
Ward D.S., Vaughn A., McWilliams C. “Physical activity at child care settings: review and research recommendations”. American journal of lifestyle medicine. November, 2009
“Endorsement of the new WHO Growth standarts for infants and young children” .The European Childhood Obesity Group. www.ecog-obesity.eu
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight and Obesity. Consequences. (2009).
Varness T., Allen D.B., Fost N.( 2009) “ Childhood obesity and medical neglect”. Pediactrics journal. January , 2009
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2008) “High body mass index for age among US children and adolescents”. JAMA.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). www.aap.org
Ebbeling, C. B., Ludwig, D. S. (2008) “Tracking Pediatric Obesity: An Index of Uncertainty?”. JAMA .