A number of health conditions related to obesity that were once believed applicable to adults only have recently been seen in children with increasing frequency, including hypertension, early signs of hardening of the arteries, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, disordered breathing during sleep and polycystic ovary disorder (Daniels, 2006). Parents typically try to promote healthy eating habits among preschoolers by providing them with the recommended portions of vegetables and fruit each day and ensuring they eat breakfast (Cariun, Taut & Baban, 2012)
Moreover, preschool children from low-income families also have a higher prevalence of obesity compared to their middle-class counterparts, which has been attributed to higher consumption levels of high-fat content foods such as fast and junk foods (Doong & Shariff, 2008). A number of health conditions related to obesity that were once believed applicable to adults only have recently been seen in children with increasing frequency, including hypertension, early signs of hardening of the arteries, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, disordered breathing during sleep and polycystic ovary disorder (Daniels, 2006)
Department of Agriculture's "Choose My Plate" recommendations for 3- and 4-year-old children for various food groups are set forth in Table 1 below. Recommended Daily Servings for 3- and 4-Year-old Children 3-Year-old Children 4-Year-old Children Fruits cup of fruits to 1-1/2 cups of fruit Vegetables cup of vegetables 1-1/2 cups of vegetables Grains ounce equivalents of grains ounce equivalents of grains Protein ounce equivalents of protein ounce equivalents of protein Dairy cups of dairy 2-1/2 cups of dairy Oils teaspoons teaspoons Source: Adapted from Wittman, 2013 Studies have confirmed that preschool children from low-income families suffer more nutritional deficiencies compared to their counterparts from middle-class families (Doong & Shariff, 2008)
Implications of Overeating/Poor Eating Habits Overeating and poor eating habits have lifelong implications, and young children are especially at risk of developing weight-related problems later in life when they are obese or exercise poor eating habits. Indeed, over the past 25 years or so, the United States alone has experienced a staggering increase in childhood obesity levels (Benavides and David 292)
Despite high energy needs, dieting and maintaining a low body weight are emphasized in dance classes" (42). Certainly, each discipline demands a commitment to excellence, but when these demands translate into poor eating habits, the very real danger exists that even the most otherwise physically fit individuals can suffer from poor nutrition (Griner et al
As many as 70 to 80% of overweight teens become overweight adults; and, 3. Poor eating habits and inactivity are directly related to conditions of overweight and obesity (Kyles and Lounsbery 38)
These authors suggest that the high representation of Asian cultures in Hawaii reflects cultural preferences for foods as well as physical body image (Maeta and Murata 42). Moreover, consumer health behavior is highly influenced in other ways, including aggressive marketing efforts by the food, beverage, and restaurant industries (Lee, Choi and Quilliam 130)
These authors suggest that the high representation of Asian cultures in Hawaii reflects cultural preferences for foods as well as physical body image (Maeta and Murata 42). Moreover, consumer health behavior is highly influenced in other ways, including aggressive marketing efforts by the food, beverage, and restaurant industries (Lee, Choi and Quilliam 130)
The child with Autism will likely lose interest in the pursuit of eating within a few minutes and they fail to respond "to positive eating behaviors modeled by others." (Feucht, 2001, p
2) Stated to be another variable implicated in ASD is "urinary peptide levels (UPLs)." (Mulloy, et al
. According to statistics released by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately half a million Americans die each year from coronary heart disease (Adams & Jennings, 1993)
Hypercholesterolemia. This term refers to an elevation of cholesterol in blood plasma (Albertine, 2001)
¶ … Eating Habits and Developing High Cholesterol Levels Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading single cause of death in the United States today, and elevated serum cholesterol is widely recognized as being the risk factor responsible for myocardial infarction and CHD death; furthermore, a growing body of research supports the acceptance of hypercholesterolemia being as a causal and treatable agent in coronary artery arthersclerosis (Baum, Jennings, Manuck & Rabin, 2001)
Further exacerbating the already high rate of obesity and related conditions among African-Americans is the widespread problem of poor nutrition and inactivity. Although national figures suggest that 23% of the adult population has a sedentary lifestyle, a disproportionate number of African-Americans seem to have such, with 55-75% of African-American women rarely exercising, and 30 to 66% of men not exercising (Bronner, 2001)
Description of the Research Paradigm. Regular medical exams are regarded as being critical to the early detection of many potentially fatal diseases; however, American men routinely visit physicians less frequently than women, and they use significantly fewer healthcare services when they do seek treatment (Courtenay, 2000)
306). The goal of the intervention program was to reduce those risk factors commonly associated with obesity and related health problems such as diabetes and hypertension in the sample population (Dennis-Shipp et al
While coronary heart disease (CHD) is a complex, multifaceted health problem, there has been increased attention focused on dietary cholesterol and saturated fats as factors that also contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels; in this regard, elevated blood cholesterol, specifically LDL (low density lipoprotein, the so-called "bad cholesterol") cholesterol, can lead to arteriosclerosis (a narrowing of the arteries that slows or blocks the flow of blood) and greatly increases the risk of heart attack (Adams & Jennings, 1993; Ulrich, 2002). High blood pressure and elevated lipids represent a lethal combination; in fact, it has been estimated that fully 80% of those with hypertension also have high cholesterol levels (or hypercholesterolemia) and that 50% of these individuals will require some type of medication in order to lower their cholesterol to safe levels (Griffith & Wood, 1997)
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Overview. As noted above, there are two types of lipoproteins in the blood; their relative quantities in the blood are main factors in heart disease risk (Henkel, 1999)
These authors report that, "Many were overweight and had low cardiovascular endurance and high cholesterol levels. In this Los Angeles sample, 38% of the Asian and Latino children had above-normal cholesterol levels for children, and 13% had cholesterol levels above normal for adults" (Kagawa-Singer et al
26). Despite these findings, though, many people remain convinced that screening and treatment for high cholesterol is the most appropriate approach and the American Heart Association continues to promote a cholesterol-lowering diet for both men and women (Malm, 1999)