Childhood obesity Essay

Submitted By mooooonie
Words: 685
Pages: 3

Facts and figures of childhood obesity in New Zealand

Childhood obesity
Statistics from: http://www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/obesity-data-and-stats
Surveyed 2012/13 by the New Zealand Health Survey
1 in 9 children (aged 2-14) were obese (11%)
A further 1 in 5 children were overweight (22%)
19% of Māori children were obese
27% of Pacific children were obese
Children living in the most deprived areas were 3 times as likely to be obese as children living in the least deprived areas. This finding is not explained by differences in the sex, age or ethnic composition of the child population across areas of high and low deprivation
The childhood obesity rate has increased from 8% in 2006/07 to 11% in 2012/13.

Statistics from: http://www.foe.org.nz/obesity-the-facts/prevalence-and-trends/#definitions

For New Zealand children aged 2 to 14 years in 2006/07
One in five were overweight (20.9%)
A further one in twelve were obese (8.3%)
The health of three in ten children (29.2%) is at risk because of excessive weight.
Our child obesity rate has increased since 2006/07
The child obesity rate increased from 8% in 2006/07 to 10% in 2011/12 (in children aged 2–14 years).
In the 15–24 year age group, the obesity rate has increased from 14% to 20% in the past five years.
A further 21% of children were overweight (but not obese).
For New Zealand adults in 2006/07 the figures were worse
More than one third were overweight (36.3%)
More than quarter were obese (26.5%)
The health of nearly two thirds (62.8%) is at risk because of excessive weight.
Nearly twice as many New Zealand adults were overweight or obese compared to the world average.

http://www.nutritionfoundation.org.nz/nutrition-facts/maintaining-a-healthy-bodyweight/children

Around a third (36%) of New Zealand children are overweight or obese. This figure rises to 60% of Pacific Island children and 40% of Maori children.

Positives and Negatives of the issue- who is advantaged or disadvantaged? How and why? What is its impact on New Zealand Society?

http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/childhood_obesity_effects_physical_mental_health

Mental Health Effects:

The mental defects that a child will encounter in the case that they are obese is the effect of social discrimination. Social discrimination will cause low self-esteem among young children. A survey in the year 2003 studied 106 children between 5-18. Questions were centred on the ability to play sports, sleeping habits and their life. As a result many of these children were accustomed to teasing at school, fatigue, sleep apnea and other abuses