Harvard Obesity Scientist Side With The State
In the most recent JAMA(Journal of the American Medical Association) a most provocative article desribes how leading Harvard scientist of obesity are siding with state intervention when it comes to chilhood obesity, particular severe forms. The debate has gone beyond the academic world and was discussed by ABC TV Nightly News and FOX TV. The scientist are stating that obesity is rising in the United States and that severe obesity is impacting childhood morbidity and mortality at such alarming rates that somebody has to be held accountable for it. That accountability will fall ultimately with the parents.It is that cut and that dry.
Currently 30 percent of children between 6 and 18 are obese or overweight with over 2 million being over the 99th percentile of weight. Overweight is mathematically described as having a BMI(body mass index of weight over height squared) of between 25-29.Obesity is a BMI greater than 30.
Children are overeating and lacking "leisurely" physical activity at home and many schools have no mandate for P.E. in elementary , middle or high schools.This is leading to "premature" diseses in children such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolism problems, liver disease and breathing compications leading to asthma. Most if not all of these could be preventable with education and leading a healthier lifestyle.
However, the more controversial and eyebrow lifter is what the academic world is publishing as an opinion that backs governmental agencies to intervene and punish parents on behalf of the child's health. In this instance the acclaimed academicians pose that "re-eduating" or even removal of a child from their current parents could be instituted if need be to prevent morbidty and mortality.
The claims are also backe up on the possibility of cutting down on the economic impact the rising costs Childhood morbidity and mortality childhood continues to have. The expense has come with a "pricey" price tag for medical and surgical therapy in the healthcae system. The article goes further to state several cases of severe(formally known as morbid) Childhood obesity.
It would be great if the proposed solution was just this simple. But, Childhood Obesity is a multi-lifestyle issue and requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Firstly, obesity is a community-cultural-societal and commercial(industry) matter that extends beyond mere family control especially after a child achieves autonomy. It is clear that if good parental roles are not given early that it is difficult to breakout from early bad learned behavioral patterns. But, you can not discount other "conditioning" factors in the culture that influence the situation including :After school and Saturday morning shows/cartoons, kids radio and television commercials especially associated with status with food products, the inexpensiveness of fast foods, the high fructose corn syrup in beverages, more access and time viewing TV, computers and hand held devices especially gaming and peer pressure.
Children typically begin to achieve autonomy by age 5 and their taste begins to develop at or even before this time where selections of food is based on personal choice as well as a family's budget. If the economy is any indicator of influencing the rise of obesity, we might anticipate a whole lot more overweight and obese children in America's future.
Community and Preventive health has to stop being only an isolated epidemilogical discipline of the healthcare system and a lifestyle and wellness culture has to be "invented" to take its place . This means that schools, advertisers,fast food and soft drink manufacturers, Saturday morning and after school shows as well as grocery stores will have to sign on board to a "wellness attitude", regardless of prices. Next the current "knee-jerk" approaches of only addressing acute and chronic medical problems as serious matters to be treated will have to change into including prevention as equally important to . The kind of prevention that needs to be established has to be beyond just once-a-year checks; but perhaps self, parental or home or school(community) screenings of BMI, cholesterol, glucose, percent body fat could regularly be done non-invasively more often.
That means a more supportive healthcare system that provides a means of intervening with regular physical activity, nutritional support, behavior modification/motivation, prevention and personal(parental) accountability becoming a part of a child's healthy lifestyle. This means a fitness and wellness culture has to be accessible and promoted from birth, through school age, and perhaps in later place of employment (blood studies are already done with many jobs). A points system that converts to savings for employees,and insurers as well as incentives for those who improve their health might be a method to reverse the fiscal and economic challenge of our current healthcare system has currently.
The Harvard opinion is a well noted suggestion on the other side of the spectrum for this multi-involved problem. Parents difintely have to be involved from the outset, but creating an atmosphere of punishment before prevention is putting the cart before the horse. Let's roll with that first by providing parents an option with a cultural outlet. If they can't get it right, then stiffer methods may have to be implemented.
States such as California, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas already give certain provisions for reporting on parents who "contribute" to their child's severe obesity. But, only 5 states have mandates for physical activity in public schools. There is a incongruency here. When several hours in a child's daily life is spent at school, with peers and in front of television or on computers, there are still gaps in our culture that need to be plugged with healthier options that includes parents but shares some of that cultural responsibility with the community so commercial influences improve their products that effect(public) health.
The JAMA article needs to further examine what the impact of separation of children will cause emotionally to families . There is still uncertainty that just being in foster care will be a definite answer for an obese child. This means many more foster care parents who are trained in nutrition, physical activity who have means with time and cost to provide this will need to be found and educated.
Academics have given their opinion, policy will no doubt soon follow; but parents and families still have the bottom line say...but for how long?
Dr. Wells has a medical degree from the University of Missouri and a Master's in Public Health form Emory University. Dr. Wells has served in the U.S. Health and Human Services(U.S.HHS), U.S. Public Health Service(U.S.PHS), and the National Instititues of Health(NIH/NHLBI).
Currently 30 percent of children between 6 and 18 are obese or overweight with over 2 million being over the 99th percentile of weight. Overweight is mathematically described as having a BMI(body mass index of weight over height squared) of between 25-29.Obesity is a BMI greater than 30.
Children are overeating and lacking "leisurely" physical activity at home and many schools have no mandate for P.E. in elementary , middle or high schools.This is leading to "premature" diseses in children such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolism problems, liver disease and breathing compications leading to asthma. Most if not all of these could be preventable with education and leading a healthier lifestyle.
However, the more controversial and eyebrow lifter is what the academic world is publishing as an opinion that backs governmental agencies to intervene and punish parents on behalf of the child's health. In this instance the acclaimed academicians pose that "re-eduating" or even removal of a child from their current parents could be instituted if need be to prevent morbidty and mortality.
The claims are also backe up on the possibility of cutting down on the economic impact the rising costs Childhood morbidity and mortality childhood continues to have. The expense has come with a "pricey" price tag for medical and surgical therapy in the healthcae system. The article goes further to state several cases of severe(formally known as morbid) Childhood obesity.
It would be great if the proposed solution was just this simple. But, Childhood Obesity is a multi-lifestyle issue and requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Firstly, obesity is a community-cultural-societal and commercial(industry) matter that extends beyond mere family control especially after a child achieves autonomy. It is clear that if good parental roles are not given early that it is difficult to breakout from early bad learned behavioral patterns. But, you can not discount other "conditioning" factors in the culture that influence the situation including :After school and Saturday morning shows/cartoons, kids radio and television commercials especially associated with status with food products, the inexpensiveness of fast foods, the high fructose corn syrup in beverages, more access and time viewing TV, computers and hand held devices especially gaming and peer pressure.
Children typically begin to achieve autonomy by age 5 and their taste begins to develop at or even before this time where selections of food is based on personal choice as well as a family's budget. If the economy is any indicator of influencing the rise of obesity, we might anticipate a whole lot more overweight and obese children in America's future.
Community and Preventive health has to stop being only an isolated epidemilogical discipline of the healthcare system and a lifestyle and wellness culture has to be "invented" to take its place . This means that schools, advertisers,fast food and soft drink manufacturers, Saturday morning and after school shows as well as grocery stores will have to sign on board to a "wellness attitude", regardless of prices. Next the current "knee-jerk" approaches of only addressing acute and chronic medical problems as serious matters to be treated will have to change into including prevention as equally important to . The kind of prevention that needs to be established has to be beyond just once-a-year checks; but perhaps self, parental or home or school(community) screenings of BMI, cholesterol, glucose, percent body fat could regularly be done non-invasively more often.
That means a more supportive healthcare system that provides a means of intervening with regular physical activity, nutritional support, behavior modification/motivation, prevention and personal(parental) accountability becoming a part of a child's healthy lifestyle. This means a fitness and wellness culture has to be accessible and promoted from birth, through school age, and perhaps in later place of employment (blood studies are already done with many jobs). A points system that converts to savings for employees,and insurers as well as incentives for those who improve their health might be a method to reverse the fiscal and economic challenge of our current healthcare system has currently.
The Harvard opinion is a well noted suggestion on the other side of the spectrum for this multi-involved problem. Parents difintely have to be involved from the outset, but creating an atmosphere of punishment before prevention is putting the cart before the horse. Let's roll with that first by providing parents an option with a cultural outlet. If they can't get it right, then stiffer methods may have to be implemented.
States such as California, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas already give certain provisions for reporting on parents who "contribute" to their child's severe obesity. But, only 5 states have mandates for physical activity in public schools. There is a incongruency here. When several hours in a child's daily life is spent at school, with peers and in front of television or on computers, there are still gaps in our culture that need to be plugged with healthier options that includes parents but shares some of that cultural responsibility with the community so commercial influences improve their products that effect(public) health.
The JAMA article needs to further examine what the impact of separation of children will cause emotionally to families . There is still uncertainty that just being in foster care will be a definite answer for an obese child. This means many more foster care parents who are trained in nutrition, physical activity who have means with time and cost to provide this will need to be found and educated.
Academics have given their opinion, policy will no doubt soon follow; but parents and families still have the bottom line say...but for how long?
Dr. Wells has a medical degree from the University of Missouri and a Master's in Public Health form Emory University. Dr. Wells has served in the U.S. Health and Human Services(U.S.HHS), U.S. Public Health Service(U.S.PHS), and the National Instititues of Health(NIH/NHLBI).
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