Growing up, I’ve always assumed that America was the most overweight country in the world. Looking back on this assumption, I ask myself the million dollar question, why? Off the top of my head, I can think of a few obvious reasons why: we glorify the fast food industry through advertising, we take for granted our means of transportation (otherwise we would have to WALK), and we do not believe there is another life besides the one in the fast lane, because who has time for a home cooked meal? While some of these are true for the born and raised American citizen, what if it was true for other countries around the world? Does the issue of childhood obesity and over-advertising to young children prevail in not only the United States? In my post, I will be opening up my reader’s eyes to issues in surrounding communities outside of our country with the help of research based scholarly journals and online articles.
The first scholarly journal I read was titled, Childhood Obesity and its health consequences in China and it was researched and written by Y. Li, X. Yang, F. Zhai, J. Piao, W. Zhao, J. Zhang, and G. Ma in Beijing, China in 2002. Their research included 8,861 Chinese children from the ages of seven to seventeen. The researchers tested and estimated relative risks of dyslipidemia (cholesterol), hypertension (high blood-pressure), diabetes, and MetS in obese and overweight Chinese children. The journal continued to relay that “obesity-related morbidities” were more common in adults than adolescents and children, but some risks, mainly cardiovascular, can be found before adulthood. According to the researchers, the results are as follows: “There were 0.2% of children aged 7–12 years who were classified as having diabetes and this prevalence increased to 0.4% in children aged 12–18 years. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C was 61.9%, 0.3%, 18.2% and 56.1% respectively. Elevated blood pressure was found in 16.0% of the children aged 15–18 years, while the overall prevalence of the MetS was 3.3% with more than half of the children having at least one metabolic abnormality and 19.8% having at least two.” Cholesterol issues (pertaining to hypertriglyceridemia and HDL-C) had the highest percentages in Chinese children with elevated blood pressure (hypertension) coming in closely behind. The information does not surprise me, as it is very similar to children in the United States. The mass intakes of fats and sugars does not stop at American borders. It is seen throughout the world and studies, such as the one made in Beijing, China, make the issue of pediatric obesity prevalent to the whole world.
Another study done on the health risks of childhood obesity was conducted in Fars Province entitled Prevalence of Childhood Obesity and Hypertension in South of Iran, written and researched by Mitra Basiratnia, Dorna Derakhshan, Sara Ajdari, and Forough Saki in 2010. Two-thousand students were conducted in this study from eleven to seventeen years in age, very similar to the study conducted in Beijing. Although this study was concerned, more specifically, with high blood pressure in south Iranian children. According to the study, “80% of the children had normal BMI values, 13% were overweight and 7.0% were obese children.” After several medical exams and tests the results from the study are as follows: “Overall, 7% and 11.8% of the students were obese and hypertensive, respectively. Blood pressure was associated with body mass index.” Of the 20% of students that were either overweight or obese, 7% and 11.8% of the children also had high blood pressure issues. This issue is, again, seen not only in Fars province, but also in the US and also in Beijing, China. The information presented, again, does not surprise me knowing the prevalence of overweight children in the world.
The question is posed though: What are these countries doing differently, if they are trying at all, to be rid of the pediatric obesity epidemic? According to Dr. Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy in the Public Interest at the Center for Science, some countries are taking action in attempting to control advertising for young children. For example according to the article, Norway, Quebec, and Sweden have banned all advertisements during children’s television programming. Also, over thirty countries now have limits on advertising geared towards children including Europe, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and Korea. Lastly, “Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom have regulations that prohibit false advertising regarding the nutritional quality of foods, and French law requires that messages on the benefits of balanced diets accompany television and radio food ads.” Reading that other countries are taking action against advertising towards children, makes me upset and ashamed that the United States will not take the same action against advertising.
The welfare of their young is obviously a concern to other communities around the world, so why is it not concerning for America? Maybe our country needs some perspective in order to fix the pediatric obesity epidemic. An article named These 10 Countries Lead the World in Childhood Obesity, written by Liz Dwyer for The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development relays that the USA is the fifth most prevalent country for childhood obesity. While we are not the first country, we are very close to being the first country on that list, and that should offer some perspective to the leaders of America. This problem is not going away, if anything it is spreading to other countries and damaging our future creative thinkers, political leaders, business owners, and, most importantly, citizens. The whole world should take a moment to notice what our youth is watching on television and, also, how that affects their eating habits and ultimately their life long health.
Dwyer, Liz. "1. Greece." TakePart. N.p., 20 May 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Li, Y., X. Yang, F. Zhai, J. Piao, W. Zhao, J. Zhang, and G. Ma. "Childhood Obesity and Its Health Consequence in China." Obesity Reviews 9.S1 (2008): 82-86. Web.
"Prevalence of Hypertension and Obesity in Iran." Atherosclerosis Supplements 3.2 (2002): 132. Web.
Wootan, Margo. "Nutrition Policy ~ CSPI." Nutrition Policy ~ CSPI. Center for Science in the Public Interest, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
The first scholarly journal I read was titled, Childhood Obesity and its health consequences in China and it was researched and written by Y. Li, X. Yang, F. Zhai, J. Piao, W. Zhao, J. Zhang, and G. Ma in Beijing, China in 2002. Their research included 8,861 Chinese children from the ages of seven to seventeen. The researchers tested and estimated relative risks of dyslipidemia (cholesterol), hypertension (high blood-pressure), diabetes, and MetS in obese and overweight Chinese children. The journal continued to relay that “obesity-related morbidities” were more common in adults than adolescents and children, but some risks, mainly cardiovascular, can be found before adulthood. According to the researchers, the results are as follows: “There were 0.2% of children aged 7–12 years who were classified as having diabetes and this prevalence increased to 0.4% in children aged 12–18 years. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C was 61.9%, 0.3%, 18.2% and 56.1% respectively. Elevated blood pressure was found in 16.0% of the children aged 15–18 years, while the overall prevalence of the MetS was 3.3% with more than half of the children having at least one metabolic abnormality and 19.8% having at least two.” Cholesterol issues (pertaining to hypertriglyceridemia and HDL-C) had the highest percentages in Chinese children with elevated blood pressure (hypertension) coming in closely behind. The information does not surprise me, as it is very similar to children in the United States. The mass intakes of fats and sugars does not stop at American borders. It is seen throughout the world and studies, such as the one made in Beijing, China, make the issue of pediatric obesity prevalent to the whole world.
Another study done on the health risks of childhood obesity was conducted in Fars Province entitled Prevalence of Childhood Obesity and Hypertension in South of Iran, written and researched by Mitra Basiratnia, Dorna Derakhshan, Sara Ajdari, and Forough Saki in 2010. Two-thousand students were conducted in this study from eleven to seventeen years in age, very similar to the study conducted in Beijing. Although this study was concerned, more specifically, with high blood pressure in south Iranian children. According to the study, “80% of the children had normal BMI values, 13% were overweight and 7.0% were obese children.” After several medical exams and tests the results from the study are as follows: “Overall, 7% and 11.8% of the students were obese and hypertensive, respectively. Blood pressure was associated with body mass index.” Of the 20% of students that were either overweight or obese, 7% and 11.8% of the children also had high blood pressure issues. This issue is, again, seen not only in Fars province, but also in the US and also in Beijing, China. The information presented, again, does not surprise me knowing the prevalence of overweight children in the world.
The question is posed though: What are these countries doing differently, if they are trying at all, to be rid of the pediatric obesity epidemic? According to Dr. Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy in the Public Interest at the Center for Science, some countries are taking action in attempting to control advertising for young children. For example according to the article, Norway, Quebec, and Sweden have banned all advertisements during children’s television programming. Also, over thirty countries now have limits on advertising geared towards children including Europe, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and Korea. Lastly, “Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom have regulations that prohibit false advertising regarding the nutritional quality of foods, and French law requires that messages on the benefits of balanced diets accompany television and radio food ads.” Reading that other countries are taking action against advertising towards children, makes me upset and ashamed that the United States will not take the same action against advertising.
The welfare of their young is obviously a concern to other communities around the world, so why is it not concerning for America? Maybe our country needs some perspective in order to fix the pediatric obesity epidemic. An article named These 10 Countries Lead the World in Childhood Obesity, written by Liz Dwyer for The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development relays that the USA is the fifth most prevalent country for childhood obesity. While we are not the first country, we are very close to being the first country on that list, and that should offer some perspective to the leaders of America. This problem is not going away, if anything it is spreading to other countries and damaging our future creative thinkers, political leaders, business owners, and, most importantly, citizens. The whole world should take a moment to notice what our youth is watching on television and, also, how that affects their eating habits and ultimately their life long health.
Dwyer, Liz. "1. Greece." TakePart. N.p., 20 May 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Li, Y., X. Yang, F. Zhai, J. Piao, W. Zhao, J. Zhang, and G. Ma. "Childhood Obesity and Its Health Consequence in China." Obesity Reviews 9.S1 (2008): 82-86. Web.
"Prevalence of Hypertension and Obesity in Iran." Atherosclerosis Supplements 3.2 (2002): 132. Web.
Wootan, Margo. "Nutrition Policy ~ CSPI." Nutrition Policy ~ CSPI. Center for Science in the Public Interest, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.