A Report on Childhood Obesity

Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1
A Report on Childhood Obesity
[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees]
[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

CHILDHOOD OBESITY 2
Table of Contents
A Report on Childhood Obesity......................................................................................................3
Discussion.......................................................................................................................................3
Health Consequences...................................................................................................................4
Other Influences...........................................................................................................................4
Public Health Initiative for NSW................................................................................................4
Program Evaluation.....................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7
Appendix..........................................................................................................................................8
Figure 1 Health Consequences of Childhood Obesity:....................................................................8

CHILDHOOD OBESITY 3
A Report on Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is one of the most prevailing health issues faced in Australia.
According to the National Health Survey, 25 percent of Australian children get above the healthy
weight by the age of four years. When weight gain starts early in age, it is difficult to reverse it.
It has major detrimental effects in childhood and later on in adult life. It poses a risk to life and is
increasing with time. Different efforts have been put forward to control it. The purpose of this
report is to investigate the prevalence of childhood obesity in NSW, Australia, and the measures
that have been taken to combat this issue.
Discussion
According to the World Health Organization (2006), obesity is defined as “abnormal or
excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.” Body mass index (BMI) is a criterion
used to diagnose overweight and obesity in both children and adults. It is calculated by dividing
weight in kilograms to the square of height in meters. For children, BMI is specific for age and
gender. To determine a child’s weight, BMI specific to age and sex is used related to the BMI
percentile. According to BMI, obesity is defined when a child’s BMI ratio falls at or above 95th
percentile as compared to other children of his age and sex.
Causes of childhood obesity
The main reason for obesity is an imbalance between the calories taken and the calorie
burnout. When too many calories are consumed and physical activity is little to expend those
calories, then it contributes majorly to childhood obesity. Besnard, Passilly-Degrace, and Khan
(2016) has stated that changes in hormones can also be a cause of obesity. Such as, digestive
hormones which signal that enough food is consumed may get disturbed. Due to which, a person
eats more than the required amount. Moreover, according to the Australian Health Survey