Childhood Obesity in the UK (Ages 4-10): Analysis and Strategies

This essay examines childhood obesity in the United Kingdom, focusing on children aged 4 to 10. It discusses the concept of childhood obesity, its causes and risk factors including unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity, and genetic predispositions. The essay highlights the significant health consequences, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and mental health issues, along with the challenges faced by obese children. It also explores strategies to minimize the impact of childhood obesity, including healthy eating plans, regular physical exercise, and weight management programs. The analysis emphasizes the need for comprehensive approaches to address this growing health concern and promote healthier lifestyles among children in the UK. Desklib provides a platform to access similar solved assignments and study resources.

Childhood obesity

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
AIM AND OBJECTIVE..................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
Concept of childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10 years of age in the UK...........................5
Causes and the risk factor of childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10 years of age in the UK
.....................................................................................................................................................5
Impact and challenges faced during childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10 years of age in
the UK.........................................................................................................................................6
Ways or strategies used to minimize the impact of childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10
years of age in the UK.................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Childhood obesity refers to a serious medical condition that can affect children. This is
the one which can particularly affect due to intake of extra pounds which can create a risk of
health problem. It may include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Childhood
obesity can lead to poor self-esteem along with depression. There are a large number of children
who are getting obese and face the obesity issue created due to taking extra pounds. Within the
United Kingdom, there are a large number of children who are carrying an extra amount of body
fat which can lead to creating obesity within them. When children are overweight and take too
much fat then, it can lead to creating the risk of obesity within them. Children need a healthy and
balanced diet that can allow them to take enough energy for their proper development and
growth. When children do not take enough energy or calorie which they need, then it can lead to
creating health issue. But when children take more than needed calories that can lead to creating
overweight and over time it leads to obesity (Jago and et. al., 2020). In this, there is a need to
perform physical exercise but consequences of not performing can leads to increases the chance
of obesity within children. It can also lead to creating serious health problems like cancer,
diabetes and heart problem.
Children are having different shapes and sizes where they grow and developed at their
own pace. Children can be a healthy weight and can create a risk of being overweight when they
regularly eat the large size of food portions which can enhance the risk of obesity within them.
The United Kingdom has one of the biggest challenges that the country is facing is childhood
obesity. This is the one that contributes a long range of mental and physical health conditions
that can lead to creating a high impact on children's better growth and development. It also
creates restriction and their access to support and create risk factor that can lead to creating
childhood obesity. In 2019, it has been estimated that there are about 38.2 million children who
were under age of 5 years has been observed overweight or obese. This is the data of the United
Kingdom where it created a large number of overweight children under 5 years. Overweight and
obesity are prevalent among children has been dramatically observed more than 18% which is
one of the major concerns for the United Kingdom (Humphries and et. al., 2018).
According to World Health Organization, obesity is one of the major causes of degrading
children's better growth and development. Here, it is essential to take control over the diet which
can have high cholesterol levels and needed to ensure that children should consume a healthy

and nutritional diet that can enable them for better growth and development. It is essential to take
care about the concept of childhood obesity which can lead to creating high negative impact
among children at age of 4 to 10 years within the United Kingdom. It is also need to ensure the
causes and risk factors which can lead to enhancing the chances of childhood obesity. It is also
needed to get the impact and challenges which can be faced during managing childhood obesity
between 4 to 10 years children will in the United Kingdom.
AIM AND OBJECTIVE
There are a large number of children were facing obesity within the United Kingdom
which can also lead to creating high negative impact on their health. So, it is essential to
understand about the negative health impact of obesity among children of the United Kingdom
aged between 4 and 10 years (Patalay and et. al., 2019).
In order to understand childhood obesity, it is essential to analyze the concept of obesity
within childhood. This can help a to understand the various concept that is related with childhood
obesity within the United Kingdom children is between 4 to 10 years.
It is also essential to evaluate the risk factor and causes which can lead to creating
childhood obesity aged between 4 to 10 years in the United Kingdom. Evaluation and causes can
help to ensure the reason of the increased risk of childhood obesity that can enable the United
Kingdom government to take an appropriate major (Steene-Johannessen and et. al., 2020). This
can help to reduce those causes and ensure proper health and reduce cases of childhood obesity.
It is also need to determine the impact and challenges which are faced during childhood
obesity and have different problems in performing the activity. Here, challenges and impact can
help to understand the negative impact and influence every individual and children to maintain
their proper health through taking proper diet.
In order to reduce negative healthcare impact, it is needed to use some ways or strategies
which can be effective and can minimize the impact of childhood obesity. This can also help to
take measures which can improve children's health and reduce the risk of getting obese.. This is
also helpful in providing better health through reducing childhood obesity aged between 4 to 10
years within UK (Ziauddeen and et. al., 2019).

LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10 years of age in the UK
While taking the contrast of today's concept of obesity in the UK, it is well analyzed that it
is nearly about 1/3 of the children are age 2 to 15 are usually overweight or dealing with obesity,
and younger generations are becoming obese for the longer. In addition, the economic cost is
usually higher in the UK for the prevention of obesity. Obesity is usually defined as a higher
body mass index that shows the aspect that is associated with overweight or obesity in children
when children are overweight and have too much fat in their bodies. Children are usually
required healthy and balanced diet that is sufficient in order to provide the energy and order to
regulate they are day to day activity, but if they are usually consuming high calories in the term
of energy then they require physical exercises to burn the calorie or maintain the balance of the
diet. In addition, if they do not perform any physical exercises then the fat is usually accumulated
on the body and it is the major reason for having the issue of obesity or overweight (Bradfield
and et. al., 2019).
Childhood obesity can lead to creating a serious health issue for the various upcoming
disease such as diabetes are problems and cancer in later life. Children are usually associated
with the difference from girls and the child develops as per their piece of growth and activity. In
addition, the changes and variations are usually making the situation. In order to stabilize the
body of the children when they are having a heavy eating pattern that can respond to acquire
weight. Therefore, the child is usually associated with the pace that is being overweight. If they
are consistent towards the being habit of eating of large size of the food portion, wear clothes for
older children because they are fit better. In addition to this, they usually struggle in order to
keep their friends when they are playing at is school during the physical education. Overall, the
concept of obesity is usually created hindrance towards physical activity. Whereas, the children
usually become slow as a comparison to others children who are fine and taking proper diet
towards their health outcome (Dereń and et. al., 2019).
Causes and the risk factor of childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10 years of age in the UK
Obesity among children is usually a complex situation that is usually influenced by the
working habit of the children that they are sitting for long in the classroom and also do not
perform any physical exercises or activity due to the academic’s performances. In the simplest

form obesity is usually caused by consuming more calories that are directly proportional to the
burning of calories. Moreover, it is a complex situation that is caused by more than simply eating
too much and moving too little. There are some of the causes which are related to obesity
unhealthy food and poor activity, environment, genetics, health condition, and stress emotional
factors. These all are causes which are showing their responsibility towards the overweight and
obesity among the children. Therefore, the lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating patterns
are usually contributed towards obesity or overweight among children. The high risk of stress
can also enhance the pattern of overweight and obesity. Moreover, childhood obesity remains a
serious problem in the United Kingdom and some of the populations are more addressed for
childhood obesity than others. The major risk factor of childhood obesity is that they show their
preference and lead to cause the issue of cardiovascular disease type 2 diabetes and many other
diseases which are usually arising due to the cause of obesity or overweight (Liao and et. al.,
2019)(Rito and et. al., 2019).
Impact and challenges faced during childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10 years of age in the
UK
According to the World health organization, the health consequences of obesity are very
indicated that at least one in three of the world population is usually facing the issue of obesity or
overweight. Being overweight or obese are usually contributed to a serious impact on health.
Moreover, carrying some of the extra fats is usually creating usual or the childhood to lead a
serious health issue such as cardiovascular disease, mainly heart disease and stroke, type 2
diabetes, a musculoskeletal disorder like osteoarthritis and some different kind of cancer such as
colorectal cancer or colon cancer. This condition is usually causing the children for premature
death and substantial disability which may impact negatively on the child's development and
growth. In addition, it is also analyzed that there are several children with the problem of mental
illness due to the inequalities that they are facing within the school and during academics.
Moreover, they are usually facing the issues of harassment and bullying with their friends due to
their safety in size which impacts the psychological and psychosocial development of children
(Weihrauch-Blüher, Schwarz and Klusmann, 2019).

Ways or strategies used to minimize the impact of childhood obesity aged between 4 and 10
years of age in the UK
There are no adequate strategies or medications are used to prevent the rising issues of
obesity or overweight. In addition, to treat obesity, there are some of the managements which are
used as a functional way by the people or population itself to control their rising issues of obesity
or overweight. While taking the context of children, who are dealing with obesity then the use to
make a healthy eating plan and regular physical exercises that may lead to creating a contribution
towards the declining of obesity or overweight. Moreover, lifestyle changes are usually
necessary and add some physical exercises regularly that help to reduce the chances of obesity
and overweight among the children. Therefore, join weight management programs that help that
child to get aware of the complication and impact of obesity in their life.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bradfield and et. al., 2019. A trans-ancestral meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies
reveals loci associated with childhood obesity. Human molecular genetics, 28(19),
pp.3327-3338.
Dereń and et. al., 2019. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in paediatric age: a position
paper of the European Academy of Paediatrics and the European Childhood Obesity
Group. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 74(4), pp.296-302.
Humphries, S.E., Cooper, J., Dale, P., Ramaswami, U. and FH Paediatric Register Steering
Group, 2018. The UK Paediatric Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Register: Statin-related
safety and 1-year growth data. Journal of clinical lipidology, 12(1), pp.25-32.
Jago, R., Salway, R., Emm-Collison, L., Sebire, S.J., Thompson, J.L. and Lawlor, D.A., 2020.
Association of BMI category with change in children’s physical activity between ages 6
and 11 years: a longitudinal study. International journal of obesity, 44(1), pp.104-113.
Liao and et. al., 2019. Prenatal determinants of childhood obesity: a review of risk
factors. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 97(3), pp.147-154.
Patalay, P. and Gage, S.H., 2019. Changes in millennial adolescent mental health and health-
related behaviours over 10 years: a population cohort comparison study. International
journal of epidemiology, 48(5), pp.1650-1664.
Rito and et. al., 2019. Association between characteristics at birth, breastfeeding and obesity in
22 countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative–COSI
2015/2017. Obesity facts, 12(2), pp.226-243.
Steene-Johannessen, J., Hansen, B.H., Dalene, K.E., Kolle, E., Northstone, K., Møller, N.C.,
Grøntved, A., Wedderkopp, N., Kriemler, S., Page, A.S. and Puder, J.J., 2020. Variations
in accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time across Europe–
harmonized analyses of 47,497 children and adolescents. International Journal of
Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17(1), pp.1-14.
Weihrauch-Blüher, S., Schwarz, P. and Klusmann, J.H., 2019. Childhood obesity: increased risk
for cardiometabolic disease and cancer in adulthood. Metabolism, 92, pp.147-152.
Ziauddeen, N., Rosi, A., Del Rio, D., Amoutzopoulos, B., Nicholson, S., Page, P., Scazzina, F.,
Brighenti, F., Ray, S. and Mena, P., 2019. Dietary intake of (poly) phenols in children
and adults: Cross-sectional analysis of UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling
Programme (2008–2014). European Journal of Nutrition, 58(8), pp.3183-3198.
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