Child obesity in Indiana: A growing public policy concern (original) (raw)

Education Policy Brief CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN THE UNITED STATES "Obesity" is defined as an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass (NRC, p. 114; Stunkard, p. 14). 1 The amount of body fat (or adiposity) includes concern for both the distribution of fat throughout the body and the size of the adipose tissue deposits. Another term that is also used widely within the context of school health is "overweight." This refers to increased body weight in relation to height (and, in children, age correlation) when compared to some standard of acceptable or desirable weight (NRC, p. 114; Stunkard, p. 14). Both terms are used in this report to describe weightrelated health issues pertaining to children. Recent increases in the levels of overweight and obese children in the United States are alarming. The percentage of overweight children has more than doubled in the past 20 years from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 15.3 percent in 2000 (see Figure 1). The percentage of overweight adolescents tripled from five percent in 1980 to 15.5 percent in 2000. 2 About 9 million American children over age six are considered obese. 3 The consequences of excess weight on children's health are significant. Obesity is a major contributor to Type 2 diabetes among children. Up to 85 percent of affected children are either overweight or obese at the time of diagnosis. 4 Recent estimates suggest that Type 2 diabetes may now account for as many as half of all new cases of diabetes in certain groups of children. Adolescents affected with Type 2 diabetes belong to all ethnic groups, but the condition is more commonly seen in non-White groups such as Native Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, and African Americans. Another health effect attributed to obesity is chronic kidney failure. Kidney failure more than doubled in the U.S. during the 1990s, and led to 400,000 deaths in all age groups in 2000. 5 Obesity itself can eventually be fatal if unaddressed. About 300,000 deaths in all age groups are attributed to obesity each year in the U.S. 6 Other, non-life threatening, health risks associated with obesity are tooth decay and depression. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, children who consume too much soda and not enough nutritional beverages are prone to tooth decay in addition to serious ailments later in life, such as diabetes and osteoporosis. 7 Obesity is also connected to social problems such as depression and low peer acceptance rates. One study shows that children who are substantially overweight throughout much of their childhood and adolescence have a higher incidence of depression than those who aren't. 8 Research has also shown a connection between obesity and both decreased academic performance and increased likelihood of being bullied in school. 9 One source notes that perhaps the most obvious reason for the decrease in academic achievement is the increase in absenteeism. It is probable that students with poor nutrition, inactivity, and weight problems have a higher prevalence of physical conditions and psychological/social problems that are frequent causes of absenteeism. 10 Obesity and its resulting health effects are extremely expensive. According to a report issued by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, the economic cost of obesity in the United States was approximately $117 billion CONTENTS Childhood Obesity in the United States... 1