Leszczuk 1

Lily Leszczuk

Dean Leonard

English 1202.507

23 June 2019

Annotated Bibliography

“Childhood Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html.

There are specific socioeconomic factors that can be determined about childhood obesity.

Obesity affects almost 14 million children in the United States. Hispanics have higher obesity

prevalence than non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic blacks have higher obesity prevalence than

non-Hispanic whites, and non-Hispanic whites have higher obesity prevalence than non-Hispanic

Asians. This information shows that race could play a role in childhood obesity. The CDC also

says that obesity prevalence is the highest in the middle income group, and the lowest in the high

income group. This could also potentially play a role in childhood obesity.

I plan to use this source to outline how race and class could also play a role in childhood

obesity. The CDC is a reliable source because it is part of the U.S. Department of Health &

Human Services. It is also Government funded and therefore, highly accurate.

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“Even Small Children Are Getting Fatter.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group,

www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/americans-kids-are-obese-it-s-getting-worse-

n851246.

As of 2018 Duke University, Wake Forest University, and several other places found that

over 40% of 16-19 year olds in the United States were obese. They also found that 15% of 2-5

year olds were obese and 26% were classified as overweight. It seems despite America’s efforts

to decrease the growing obesity rates in adolescence over the past two decades, we do not seem

to be improving. Michelle Obama attempted to do something about the growing obesity rates

with her “Let’s Move” campaign, which encouraged exercise and healthy eating. Her efforts may

have been futile because “It is not enough for a child to receive more healthful meals at school if

she encounters a gantlet of junk food after school and in the home.” The statistics show that kids

who grow up overweight will continue to be overweight in their adult life. A report published in

the journal Health Promotion Practice showed that after surveying parents in Arkansas, 53% did

not believe that their children were obese, despite reports warning them otherwise.

This source is reliable because it uses information from University research and health

articles. I will use this source to support my idea that parents are one of the main causes of

childhood obesity. It also has information that can be used to show how bad obesity is in

adolescence.

Moss, Michael. Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. Random House Trade

Paperbacks, 2014.
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Although this book mostly explains how the food industry got consumers to love salt

sugar and fat, it does also have useful information. This book also talks about how we as

consumers demand unhealthy products. One example is that a few years ago Campbell tried to

do something about the growing obesity rates in America and cut down on the amount of sodium

in their products. This resulted in many customer complaints saying their soup did not taste good

anymore. The Campbell soup sales went down significantly. Kraft tried to cut down on fat,

sugar, and salt in 2003 which was met with anger from consumers who demanded their old

unhealthy products.

I will use this information to support the idea that we as consumers are worried more

about taste than our own health and we are not willing to change. This book is a reliable source

because it uses research material and talks about real events with no bias.

Mumena, Walaa A.; Francis-Granderson, Isabella; Phillip, Leroy E.; Gray-Donald, Katherine.

“Rapid increase of overweight and obesity among primary school-aged children in the

Caribbean; high initial BMI is the most significant predictor” BMC Obesity. 1/30/2018,

Vol. 5, p1-N.PAG. 7p. DOI: 10.1186/s40608-018- 0182-8.

Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem that doesn’t just affect America. The obesity

problem affects children as much as it does adults. Children who are obese have a high chance of

becoming an obese adult. This can lead to many health issues like heart disease and diabetes.

Additionally, obese children have elevated blood pressure and increased insulin resistance. In the

Caribbean the number or overweight children is on the rise. In Dominica childhood obesity went

from 6.0% to 9.7% in the span of 9 years. In St. Kitts it went from 7.1% to 10.6%. These studies

were for children aged 6-10 in the Caribbeans. Obesity rates in children have climbed in many
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other places besides America. After meticulously studying the dietary intake of Caribbean

children, there were cases in which children weighed the same amount as other children and over

the course of 18 months ate the same amount as other children, but gained more weight. Even

though they ate the same amount, the only connection as to why they gained more weight is that

the children who gained less weight ate more fruit.

This is a reliable source because it has pages and pages of data and charts detailing all of

the exact research collected by teams of researchers who studied these children and why exactly

they were gaining weight. I plan to use this source to show how obesity is not just a problem in

America, but other countries as well.

“Obesity Facts | Healthy Schools | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm.

A study from 2015-2016 measuring obesity of children in the United States under the age

of 19 showed that almost 1 in 5 were affected. The number of obese children was almost three

times less in the 1970’s. Genetics is one factor that contributes to childhood obesity that cannot

change (at least not yet.) There are other factors that contribute to obesity that can be monitored

to stay healthy. Sleep, eating habits, and exercise are all contributing roles. Other factors include

metabolism and feelings of safety.

I will use this information to show what things contribute to childhood obesity and also

provide background information in my research paper. The CDC is a reliable source because it is

part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It is also Government funded and

therefore, highly accurate.

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“Our Supersized Kids.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/video/ksps-

documentaries-our-supersized-kids/.

Obesity is a rapidly increasing problem in America. This generation is likely to live

unhealthier and die younger than the generation before them. We are starting to see children with

more and more obesity related medical problems at younger and younger ages. Type-2 diabetes,

high cholesterol, and hypertension were all uncommon for people under the age of 20. That is no

longer the case Obesity is an epidemic in our country party caused by fast foods, greasy foods,

and sugary drinks. There is a little boy named Elijah who ate every meal and his Mom thought

“he was bigger” but she “didn’t really think it was a problem.” She thought he was big boned

and eating every meal was good. A doctor’s visit said otherwise, Elijah’s BMI showed his

weight increased faster than his height. He became borderline diabetic and his mom had no idea.

This is just one example of how most parents don’t realize their kids are overweight, or how

serious it is. Over half the people in America that we meet everyday are obese or overweight.

Two out of every three 10 year olds will grow up to be obese adults. If we can catch these weight

problems while the children are still growing, we have a chance to prevent more unhealthy

weight gain and weight associated problems. It is hard for parents to accept that their habits and

bad eating practices can negatively affect their children and cause them health problems. Out of

the children studied in this documentary 35% of African Americans, 40% of Latinos, and 29% of

white children were obese.

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I will use this source to support the idea that parents pay a huge contributing role in why

children are obese or overweight. This is a reliable source because a lot of the information came

from personal interviews of Pediatricians and adolescent medicine physicians.

Sahoo, Krushnapriya, et al. “Childhood Obesity: Causes and Consequences.” Journal of Family

Medicine and Primary Care, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, 2015,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408699/.

Obesity in children can affect emotional health and physical health. “Many co-morbid conditions

like metabolic, cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurological, hepatic, pulmonary, and renal disorders

are also seen in association with childhood obesity.” The highest obesity rates have been

observed in developed countries like America, but now there is a rise in obesity rates for

underdeveloped countries as well. Obesity is a worldwide problem mainly affecting low and

middle income countries. “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention defined overweight as

at or above the 95th percentile of body mass index (BMI) for age and “at risk for overweight” as

between 85thto 95th percentile of BMI for age.” Living a sedentary life stile and eating way more

calories than your body burns are also huge factors of weight gain in adolescence.

I will use this source to give background information on what obesity is and some of the

causes. It is reliable because it got most of it’s information from government funded or university

research.