WEEK 3 Project. PICOT question

Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY

CHILDHOOD OBESITY 5

Childhood Obesity

Yordanka Milanes-Ruiz

South University

Introduction

Obesity is one of the growing problems within the United States and other developed countries. It has steadily increased over the years across all age groups. However, the most worrying is the increasing rate of children struggling with obesity. Currently, the rate of childhood obesity in the country has reached epidemic levels with the situation predicted to become even worse if no action is taken. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 3 school-age children in the United States is burdened with obesity problems. Moreover, the prevalence rate as reported by CDC is 18.5%, affecting approximately 13.7 million children and adolescents (CDC, 2019). With these figures, it is evident that the future of many children is in danger, considering the physical and psychological health problems associated with obesity. For this reason, it is high time to take all necessary measures and actions to save this population. The proposed solution for this issue is the introduction of more effective standard of care than the current ones.

Definition

Childhood obesity is a complex health issue that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height. It is considered troubling due to the physical and psychological health problems it exposes to children and adolescents. Studies have shown that obesity exposes children to health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol (Sanyaolu et al., 2019). It also causes psychological issues such as depression and poor self-esteem.

Epidemiology

Childhood obesity has increased dramatically across the continent, particularly in developing countries. This has been as a result of the rapidly changing dietary practices and sedimentary lifestyle adopted by most people. In the united states, this issue has not spared us either. In the last couple of years, the prevalence rate has more than tripled. According to the CDC, the prevalence rate of obesity standards at 18.5 %, affecting approximately 13.7 million children and adolescents. The current trends show that children between the age 12-to 19 years old have a prevalence rate of 20.6%, which is 2.2% higher than children under the age group of 6-to 11 years (18.4%) and 4.5% higher than children between the age of 2-to 5 years (13.9%) (CDC, 2019). Additionally, obesity prevalence in children has proved to increase with decreasing levels of household income with data showing a high prevalence in black and Hispanic children compared to the whites.

Clinical Presentation

Being obese has significant impact on both physical and psychological health. Obese children may present issues such as increased sweating, snoring, breathlessness, getting tired after doing a small task, stretch marks, heartburn, and poor body image. Additionally, obese children may present psychological issues such a low self -esteem, depression, and anxiety.

Complications

At the early stages, childhood obesity may cause fewer problems which may be unnoticeable. However, once the conditions progress and are left untreated, it may cause serious complications. The early complications may include dyspnea, skin problems such as stretch marks, heartburn, snoring, back and joint pains, increased sweating, body odor, and depression (Tylavsky et al., 2020). Some of the serious complications associated with childhood obesity include high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels that block the arteries. These two conditions increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. On the other hand, childhood obesity has been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (Kumar & Kelly, 2017). In fact, it is estimated that almost half of diabetes cases are as a result of obesity. This is because of the accumulation of too much body fat, which leads to increased insulin secretion. Notably, other chronic conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis have also been associated with obesity. Lastly, it is worth noting that children with obesity are more likely to become obese in their adulthood.

Diagnosis

Although the straightforwardness of an obese child can confirm a diagnosis, other health conditions should be ruled out possible. Currently, there is no specific laboratory test used to diagnose obesity both in children and adults. However, there are various routine exams that can be done to confirm the diagnosis. First, it is advisable to take a health history on issues such as weight history, physical activity, exercise habits, medications, and eating patterns. This information acts as the foundation of diagnosis and helps rule out other conditions. A general physical exam like checking for vital signs may also be used to make the right decision (Tylavsky et al., 2020). A diagnosis can also be made by calculating the BMI. According to the CDC, a BMI higher than the 95th percentile is considered obesity. Some of the tests that can be done include, plasma glucose level, lipid profile, urinalysis, and electrolyte levels (CDC, 2019).

Conclusion and PICOT Question

Overall, it is evident that childhood obesity is a common health issue affecting a significant number of children in our community. However, the question that arises is why the prevalence rate is increasing day by day despite having all the knowledge of risk factors and how to avoid them. Why do people keep repeating the same mistakes? As commonly said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.” For this reason, the need for change is inevitable hence PICOT question: In children between the age of 2-19 years seen at the pediatrician office, (P) do introduction of new standards of care related to obesity prevention and weight loss care (I) compared to retaining the current standard of care [no prevention or attempt at weight loss care] (C) reduce the prevalence rate (O) over a one-year period (T)?

References

Childhood Obesity Facts. (2019, June 24). Retrieved June 19, 2020, from

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html

Kumar, S., & Kelly, A. S. (2017, February). Review of childhood obesity: from epidemiology, etiology, and comorbidities to clinical assessment and treatment. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 92, No. 2, pp. 251-265). Elsevier.

Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Public Health Concern. Global Pediatric Health, 6, 2333794X19891305.

Tylavsky, F. A., Ferrara, A., Catellier, D. J., Oken, E., Li, X., Law, A., ... & Breton, C. V. (2020). Understanding childhood obesity in the US: the NIH environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) program. International Journal of Obesity, 44(3), 617-627.