Prevention of Childhood Obesity: Pamphlet

This pamphlet provides information on the prevention of childhood obesity. It discusses the increasing number of childhood obesity cases, the development of good food habits and active lifestyles, opportunities in the communities, and the role of the church and local government. It also suggests utilizing available resources from non-profit organizations in the DC region. References are provided for further reading.

Running head: PAMPHLET
PAMPHLET
Name of the student:
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PAMPHLET
PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY:
Childhood obesity:
 Number of childhood obesity cases has increased in United States with 10% of 4 to 5
year old being obese or overweight which is double the number 20 years ago
 Overweight is seen more in girls than boys and higher in preschoolers of age 4 to 5
than children aged 2 to 3 (Ogden et al., 2015).
 From age 6 to 11, about one in every five children are obese
 Over the last two decades, the number had increased to 50% and number of obese
children had nearly doubled.

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PAMPHLET
Development of good food habits and active lifestyles:
 Parents should try to include more green vegetables and fruits with fibres in the diet
of the children
 Parents should avoid buying snacks, fast foods and take-away foods as they are high
on calories and lack important nutrients
 Limiting watching the television as well as non-school reacted media during the time
of eating
 Include children during shopping of foods and also make them participate in
preparation of foods (Hales et al., 2017)
 Children should be encouraged to take part in physical activities and sports in schools
as well as in the communities
 Sedentary lifestyle should be discouraged like watching television for long time or
playing games of computers, using of social media for long time and others

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PAMPHLET
Developing opportunities in the communities
 The community healthcare professionals should work with the community leaders and
the local government to develop parks and green fields where children can be
encouraged to play, run, cycle and exercise
 Swimming classes and dance classes can also be initiated in the community halls for
every evenings of the weekdays so that children can burn calories through extra-
curricular activities
Church continuing to address families and communities
 Regular health promotion sessions would be arranged every weekends in the church
community halls where parents can attend to gain more information on the ways to
prevent childhood obesity
 Church may initiate a social media group within the community where community
members can interact with others when they have any queries, confusions or issues
regarding their knowledge of preventing obesity (Flegal et al., 2016)
 Get references of healthcare agencies where professionals can provide personal
governance to parents and families by making them learn about family centred
approach in treating the disorder of childhood obesity

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PAMPHLET
 Parents can be motivated about how their alterations of health behaviour would
positively affect the children in developing good food habits through motivational
interviewing by counsellors or psychotherapists
Active efforts from the local or grass root in developing healthy lifestyles
 The broadcasting departments should be restricted from advertising and marketing of
unhealthy foods
 The local government should develop small clips and documentaries about healthy
eating and active living and publish them on television, radio, social ,media to be
watched both by parents and children (Johnson et al., 2015)
 Levy taxes on take-away and fast foods which are unhealthy and reduce the price of
organic foods which are high on nutrients
 Work in association with schools to develop curriculum that contain chapters on
healthy eating and active living and prevention of obesity
 School canteens should be monitored to ensure nutritious food are served

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Utilisation of available resources from various non-profit organizations in DC region
 Professionals would be making children and youth and their parents aware of the
helpful resources that are available from the healthcare agencies, primary healthcare
centres, school libraries, community libraries as well from the various nonprofit
organizations in DC region, this would help to develop their health literacy and enable
them to chose better lifestyle choices for preventing obesity

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References:
Flegal, K. M., Kruszon-Moran, D., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2016).
Trends in obesity among adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. Jama, 315(21),
2284-2291.
Hales, C. M., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2017). Prevalence of obesity
among adults and youth: United States, 2015–2016.
Johnson Iii, J. A., & Johnson, A. M. (2015). Urban-rural differences in childhood and
adolescent obesity in the United States: a systematic review and meta-
analysis. Childhood obesity, 11(3), 233-241.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2015). Prevalence of obesity
among adults and youth: United States, 2011–2014.