POVERTY AND LIFESTYLE EFFECT ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Effect of Poverty and Lifestyle on Obesity in Childhood

Effect of Poverty and Lifestyle on Obesity in Childhood

Introduction

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (n.d.) data from two NHANES surveys show that among adults aged 20-74 years the prevalence of obesity increased from 15.0% (1976-1980 survey) to 32.9% (2003-2004 survey). Furthermore, the two surveys showed an increase in overweight among children and teens. For children aged 2-5 years, the prevalence of overweight increased from 5.0% to 13.9%; for those aged 6-11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5% to 18.8%; and for those aged 12-19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.4%. Overweight and obesity have been associated with many diseases and health conditions, which include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidemia, gallbladder disease, and hyptension (CDC, n.d.). The purpose of this paper is to bring awareness on the increasing problem of obesity. Areas that will be discussed will include: the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, demographic, economical, political, and ethical factors, as well as challenges concerning the fight against obesity.

Increasing obesity rates among Europeans is a serious issue in the UK, especially among younger populations. A growing body of research has investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status and obesity. However, most of this research focuses on adults. There has been very little nationally representative research, which specifically looks at the relationship between poverty and obesity in children and adolescents over time. This paper investigates the relationship between family poverty status and obesity status in adolescence over time and into young adulthood using three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and multinomial logistic regression. In addition, this paper models possible mediating mechanisms, stemming from economic, sociological and nutrition-based theories that help to explain the links between poverty and obesity. The argument of this article is that research that investigates the empirical relationship between obesity and poverty status must go beyond simply measuring poverty status but also include measures that capture the experience of poverty, which better explain what it is about poverty that causes obesity in the UK This analysis finds factors that describe family context for adolescents significantly affect their obesity status later in life (roughly six year later). Family poverty status, maternal full-time work status and neighborhood poverty have enduring effects on adolescents' obesity status as they move into young adulthood.

Poverty and Lifestyle on Obesity in Childhood in the United Kingdom

Coverage of obesity in the British press has doubled in the past year and threatens to become an 'epidemic' in its own right. It is almost impossible to pick up a daily or Sunday paper without being exposed to headlines featuring words such as 'time-bomb' and ill-founded assertions that the present generation of children will die before their parents. The sounds of wringing hands and admonishments to eat 'properly' have become almost deafening.

In the midst of this 'headless chicken' panic about growing girths — and especially the girths of children — ...