Obesity A Global Problem - 3403 Words

Approximately 1.6 billion adults over the age of 15 were obese in 2005. At least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight. Obesity of children in the United States has recently skyrocketed in the last decade. Obesity and weight gain have become a global problem, according to the World Health Organization. Encouraging children to maintain a healthy diet and fitness routine will help prevent obesity now and later on in life (Department of Health). The definition of obesity is having an excessive amount of body fat, according to MayoClinic.com and is not a subjective measure. A measure called the Body Mass Index, or BMI, which is a height to weight ratio, determines if a person is obese, states Medlineplus. In addition to†¦show more content†¦Overweight or obese children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults. This places children at risk of developing chronic diseases such as, heart disease and diabetes later in life. Obese children a re also more prone to develop stress, sadness, and low self-esteem (Kids Health From Nemours). Recently, obesity in children of the United States has increased dramatically in the past years. Approximately 10 % of 4 and 5 year old children are either obese or overweight, double that of 20 ago. This increases more as children begin to get older. For ages 6 to 11, at least one in five children are overweight. Over the last two decades that number has increased by more than 50 % and continues to double (Department of Health). Children are at risk for numerous types of things, but the more seen diseases are: high cholesterol, hypertension, early heart disease, diabetes, bone problems, and skin conditions such as acne. High cholesterol is a high risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. As blood cholesterol rises from all the sodium in foods this increases the risk of these diseases. Coronary heart disease is a major risk to anyones life. If a person has diabete s and high blood pressure on top of that, then that person is at high risk for death. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates throughout the bloodstream, this can slowly build up the inner walls of