Health care Essay

Chapter 1 Scarcely a news report goes by that does not address the number one wellness concern in the United States, fleshiness. obesity has long been a concern of the healthc ar industry, and the focus on children is increasing. obesity is considered the number one health risk for children in the United States today. Research demonstrates it is not only a concern but one that is now attain epidemic proportions. The number of children who are over burthen has doubled in the last two to three decades currently, one child in five is overweight.Research that indicates that if a child is overweight at age 6, his or her likelihood of adult obesity is more than 50 part. Obesity presents numerous health worrys for children hypertension and Type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stress on weight-bearing joints, low self-esteem, and the risk for chronic health problems in adulthood. One of the most s incessantlye problems is quietness apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping), wh ich, in some cases, washbowl lead to problems with learning and memory. (Blasi, 2003) Problem Statement, Purpose and RationaleChildhood obesity has become an epidemic in recent years, with more than 9 million children labeled cogent, and the decrease in natural raising requirements whitethorn be affecting the health of children. Children bring to prolong a regular rate of strong-arm action mechanism to maintain optimum health and this activity should be present in the physical education program. The shoot for of this study is to ascertain if participating in a routine exercise program can help reduce excess weight and maintain optimal fitness, by designing and implementing a quotidian fitness program for students.Obesity is defined as frame weight, which is more than normal for a particular age, gender, and height. Obesity can be measured through BMI (Body Mass Index) calculations that are based on a mortals height and weight. Obesity is the end resolution of a person t aking in more calories than they expend in a day. Even a small imbalance between energy excitant and output can lead to significant weight gain over time. Most weighty children demonstrate a slow but consistent weight gain over several years. Eating too much and moving around too little are the main causes of obesity.Most experts agree that reflection excessive amounts of goggle box is a significant risk factor associated with obesity. Research has demonstrated that almost half of children ages 8-16 years watch three to five hours of television daily. Extreme cases of obesity are generally contributed to in dynamic children, eating too many snacks with a high fat content. (Blasi, 2003) Possible Causes The simple answer to the problem of childhood obesity is more calories are taken in than are expended in a day, which when accumulates results in obesity.However there are a vicissitude of factors that affect and may contribute to obesity and the solution may be as complex. Increa sing physical activity to meet or exceed daily dietary intake is something that people can control and therefore consider an impact. This study will focus on the increase in physical activity for students and monitor their progress throughout the duration of the study. There is no longer a question about whether or not childhood obesity exists. It does. environmental conditions, such as television, video games, and computers can perk up an influence if children dont take part in other physical activities.Certainly, the increase in fast food diets and the intake of sugar has an impact on a childs weight, particularly if not balanced with other foods and activities. Soft drinks have become a mainstay in the daily diet of American children. A recent long-term research study examined soda consumption and its picture on childrens body weight. The study found that for each(prenominal) additional daily servicing of a sugar-sweetened soft drink, the incidence of obesity was significant ly increased.Researchers in like manner discovered that the odds of go obese increased 1. 6 times for each additional glass of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed above the daily average. (Blasi, 2003) In 1998, The National Association for Sport and Physical Education issued guidelines stating that young children should strive for 60 minutes of physical activity each day to promote health and well-being. Clearly, this is a valuable goal for both children and adults, but may not be the only contributing factor for obesity.The factors that contributing to obesity are complex, and can include economic, friendly, cultural, behavioral, nutritional, psychological, and genetic factors. However, individual differences make it unclear the extent to which each of these factors contributes to obesity. An individuals genetic makeup combined with the environment in which the person lives may have an impact. Eating and activity patterns have been shown to be consistently related to obesity. T hese are also the two factors that we can most readily have an impact on. (Blasi, 2003)Most states require students to participate in some type of physical education program, the time spent in physical education declines with each subsequent grade. About one third (39. 7 percent) of elementary directs require physical education in kindergarten, one half (50 percent) of elementary educates require physical education in grades 1 through 5, one fourth (25 percent) in grade 8, and only 5 percent in grade 12. (Garbe & Hoote, 2004) This is in engagement with recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).The AAP recommends that K-12 students have daily opportunities for physical education. The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) backed this notion with the using of guidelines, stating that elementary school students should have at least 150 minutes per week of physical education and at least 225 minutes per week when they bring in middle/ juni or and senior high school. The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS), conducted in 2000, found that only 8 percent of elementary schools, 6. 4 percent of middle/junior high schools, and 5. percent of senior high schools provide daily physical education for the entire school year for all grades. (Garbe & Hoote, 2004) two the school environment and the family environment must absorb the responsibility for childhood obesity. While the school cafeteria provides food choices, the physical education program determines the time allocated to physical activity, and the school curriculum controls opportunities to learn about the relationship between personal behaviors and health. Away from school, the family environment strongly influences child health.Chapter Two Literature Review harmonize to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 percent of young people in the United States are overweight, defined as a body weight at or above the 95th percentile on Body Mass Index-f or-age percentiles. An additional 15 percent of children (those above the 85th percentile) are strainified as being at risk of overweight. The health risks of obese children cannot be overstated. The risks in terms of physical health include hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and increased risk of obesity in adulthood.The cumulative effects of obesity dont stop there. Obesity also exerts a heavy psychological toll on children the likelihood of impaired quality of life for obese children is 5. 5 times greater than for healthy children. (Anderson & Butcher) Increasing childhood obesity is related to increasing adult obesity. Although the obese share of the population is expected to increase with age, obesity today is increasing with age more quickly than it did thirty years ago. (Anderson & Butcher, 2006)Although a public school cafeteria has not traditionally provided the healthiest of meals, the problems continue to grow with the introduction of fast foods, such as McDonalds, Taco Belle and Pizza Hut, to the lunch offerings. In addition, hundreds of under-funded school districts have negotiated displace rights contracts to sell brands of soda and allow young people easy access to vending machines during recess breaks. Soda consumption among adolescents has nearly tripled between 1977-78 and 1994. A 12-ounce serving of carbonated soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.Soda consumption has been shown to be an independent risk factor for obesity in children. In addition to sodas becoming readily available during school time, vending machines are present in a majority of schools. (Staveren & Dale, 2004) Currently, there are minimal opportunities for children to be physically active during school time. Recent budget cuts have resulted in cuts to physical education. Physical Education is necessary if children are going to maintain a healthy body weight and good health.Children should receive at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours, of ag e-appropriate exercise on all or most days of the week. some schools offer any structured physical activity outside of the physical education classes. (Staveren & Dale, 2004) Simply adding physical education opportunities may not be complete to make significant impact or reduction in childhood obesity. Children who are obese are not comfortable in the physical education class. Not only is it physically challenging, but embarrassing as well.Obese children may feel more vulnerable in the physical education class than they do anywhere else in the school. Due to the number of overweight and obese children, it is obvious that physical education programming needs to be restructured and adapted to type this population. An obese child is not going to benefit from being made to run laps that they are not physically capable of doing. Physical Education may have to take more of an individual approach with students, helping them to identify goals, and then designing a fitness plan to meet th ose goals.More wellness information should be incorporated into the curriculum, benefiting all children. The competitive nature of physical education needs to be re-evaluated in order to meet the needs of obese children. Focus should be place on health. Physical education instructors will also need to motivate children, and finding activities that they enjoy and then building on those may provide the motivation necessary. (Irwin, et. Al. , 2003) Physical educators are confronting a growing need for developmentally appropriate movement education among very young children.Children are more sedentary and more obese, on average than their counterparts 20 years ago, and they need to develop. movement skills and habits for healthy, active lifestyles. (Helm & Boos, 1996) Researchers at the University of California at San Diego tried to determine how excess weight affects obese children and their ability to perform normal activities. The study, surveyed 106 obese children (57 boys and 49 gi rls average BMI of 34. 7) between the ages of 5 and 18 years.They were asked questions such as whether they ever experienced problems due to participating in physical activities, bathing themselves, other kids not wanting to be their friends, or being unable to pay assist during class. The interview also asked how often they felt depressed or worried and whether they ever missed school because they did not feel well. The results of each interview were range on a scale of 100 and then compared to the published data on healthy children and children with cancer who were receiving chemotherapy or had chemotherapy recently.The average score for obese children (67) was drastically lower than healthy children (83) and even slightly less than children with cancer (69). The biggest difference in the scores between the obese children and the other two groups was related to their social functioning20 points lower than the healthy group and 9 points lower than the children with cancer. One ma jor reason obese children had lower scores in this world is because they get picked on and teased at school, while children with cancer usually receive sympathy.More often than not, the obese children had a physical or turned on(p) problem 65 percent had at least one medical condition, 37 percent had high cholesterol or a similar condition, 13 percent had either depression or anxiety, and 4 percent had diabetes. It may be due to these complications that obese children are on average absent from school four days a month, while healthier children miss on average less than a day a month. (JOPERD, 2003) A growing need in physical education is to help young people enjoy the rewards of exercise through participation.This need could be addressed by teaching students the health benefits derived from maintaining active lifestyles. Additionally, physical educators could emphasize the results of exercise which appeal to young people, such as improved physical appearance. For example, improve d physical appearance can be included in a discussion of body fat reduction. This exercise benefit should not be the only focus of the discussion, but could certainly be a part of it. (Douthitt & Harvey, 1995)