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The Effects of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity Miranda Becker INTRODUCTION Exercise and healthy eating habits may seem like simple facts of life, but they are a crucial part of a child and teenager's growth process. During a child's teenage years he or she picks up a lot of habits that are carried into adulthood. These habits can be either helpful or hurtful to their bodies. This is why there are many reasons to promote exercise and a healthy diet in teens and children to prepare their bodies for adulthood. Studies have been done to show that a teenager's brain and body are not fully developed until late in adolescence (Morgan and Hubner, n.d.). This means that whilst in adolescence, it is crucial that the child stays active to promote healthy growth and development. Not being actively involved can lead to obesity, which can lead to very severe problems in the future. It can also be accompanied by the many social issues that come with child/adolescent obesity. MEDICAL REASONING From a medical standpoint, exercise in childhood and adolescence is a vital part of development because of many reasons. According to the scholarly article, "Risks and Consequences of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity" by RS Strauss and A. Must, there are three different possible outcomes of childhood and adolescent obesity; immediate consequences, intermediate consequences, and long-term consequences. The article begins talking about the immediate, early problems that arise from obesity during this portion of a child's growth. According to this article, there are few organ systems in the body that are not affected by obesity. The pulmonary and cardiovascular systems are two that are significantly affected by this

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problem. About 30% of obese children suffer from asthma (Strauss and Must, n.d.). Other major immediate problems that arise with mostly childhood obesity are problems with growth plates that have yet to fuse. If a child has growth plates that have not fused together yet, and is obese, those plates are not going to grow together properly, and will cause early problems with the skeletal system such as pain sometimes even deformation. Along the lines of the pulmonary system, many problems with sleeping habits can arise such as sleep apnea. All of these problems are very severe and can lead to other problems down the road. This article, and another article, "Health Effects of Childhood Obesity," go on to talk about the intermediate and long-term consequences of obesity in children and adolescents. Children who are overweight are more likely to acquire high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease as an adult (RS Strauss, A. Must). Children who are obese have a particularly higher cholesterol than those of an acceptable weight. This is why these children are more prone to acquiring these diseases as an adult. According to "Health Effects of Childhood Obesity," in the long run, children who are obese can attain things like different forms of cancer and diabetes. Another prominent problem that arises later in life for obese children/adolescents is arthritis. Because of the constant strain that is put on their bones and joints as a child, these children can have severe arthritis pain as young adults, especially if this obesity continues into their adulthood. Another scholarly article, "Dietary Patterns and Changes in Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference in Adults," summarizes a study done on the effects of aging on healthy adults. The study was called the BLSA, and was initiated in 1963. The patients' diets were watched on a daily basis to keep track of their dietary intake. Each day, the patient's weight and height, along with their BMI, or Body Mass Index, and waist circumference were taken and evaluated. The

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patients were to take a survey showing their daily activities, and show exactly how active he or she was. This study concluded that age was not directly related to changes in BMI, but dietary habits and exercise routines were; however. The study also showed that higher fiber intake was included in the diets of the healthy patients. This study just shows that the only way to prevent the problems that come with childhood obesity is to make changes in that person's dietary habits, and exercise routines. Change does not come with age, it comes with how active a person is, and stays, throughout their life. SOCIAL REASONING Although medically, childhood and adolescent obesity can be very detrimental to adulthood, it can also be traumatic for that child. School age and high school children go through many mental and physical changes during these times, and obesity can have a huge impact on how the child deals and with these changes. According to the journal Health Consequences of Obesity in Youth: Childhood Predictors of Adult Disease, a child who is obese will tend to have a very low self-esteem, and have trouble interacting with other children due to factors such as bullying. The article talks about how, even though it does not seem like there could be prejudice on this kind of subject, it does exist. It talks about a situation where girls who were of an average weight got accepted into a certain college, but ones who were overweight did not, even though they all had the same academic achievements. If childhood and adolescent exercise is promoted all of these issues can be avoided though healthy diet and exercise habits. Bullying and other factors that come with obesity can lead to very severe problems, including eating disorders, especially in high school age children. The article, "Breakfast Eating and Weight Change in a 5-year Prospective Analysis of Adolescents: Project EAT (Eating Among Teens)," talks about a study that was done to show the relationship between skipping

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meals and BMI patterns. The study was called Eating Among Teens, or EAT, and it was done to show that skipping meals, which is very common among adolescents, is not the way to go. The study showed that people who eat breakfast have less of a chance of becoming obese because it both stimulates your metabolism, and curves your appetite and keeps you from getting hungry earlier. The results showed that, on average, those who ate breakfast had a lower BMI than those who did not. This problem is higher, particularly in girls because of a desire to have the "perfect body." Project EAT wanted to show younger girls that it is not how much they eat, or what meals that they skip, it is what they eat, and how much exercise is in their daily routine. CONCLUSION In conclusion, obesity in childhood and adolescence can not only effect that person's adulthood health, but it can also cause traumatic mental and social affects as a child. This is why exercise and a healthy diet during this point in a child's life is so important. The chances of all of these problems arising can be decreased significantly just by children getting involved and getting active. Remember, a body in motion stays in motion, and a body at rest stays at rest.