Healthcare: Obesity and Children Essay

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DEMOGRAPHIC 1

Demographic

Brittany Lewis

University of Phoenix

HCS/490 HealthCare Consumer: Trends and Marketing

MU11BHA06A06HA

Gene Raltz

6-06-12

DEMOGRAPHIC 2

Demographic

Childhood obesity between the ages of 2 through 17 is a rising topic in the United States. According to Surgeon General childhood obesity in the last 30 years is an epidemic and statics state that obesity is tripling in the United States. Physicians and experts have identified inadequate exercise and unbalanced diets are the two primary factors of childhood obesity. A whole generation has been created by a sedentary lifestyle’s and fast-food diets, these causing children to develop health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. This document will cover the topic of child obesity and how it has an impact on the changing demographics in the health care market. It will also explain how obesity is on the rise and placing a major effect on the health care community. It is important to understand the different health care related challenges so that the issues can be treated with proper care and service.
According to CIGNA (2012), “The commonness of obesity among children aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%. When not enough calories are burned then consumed cause obesity, this caloric imbalance caused by environmental, behavioral and genetic factors” (Challenges Primary Care Physicians Face with Parents of Obese Children, para. 1-10). The of repetition obesity among children aged six to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The repetition of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%. The result of childhood obesity is both long-term and immediate health problems. Adolescents that are obese have a tendency to be at risk of obtaining cardiovascular diseases, like high-blood pressure and high-cholesterol. According to CIGNA (2012), “In a population-based
DEMOGRAPHIC 3 sample of five- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease” (Challenges Primary Care Physicians Face with Parents of Obese Children, para. 1-10). There are several health issues that are to be encountered when dealing with adolescents and children that are obese. They begin to have psychological and social problems, the risk of sleep apnea and future joint and bone problems are also greater. Children that are obese are more likely to become overweight as an adult; and develop health risks associated with adults, including heart disease, osteoarthritis, cancer, type two diabetes, and stroke.
Childhood obesity has placed a negative effect on the entire health care industry. One of the affects caused by obesity in children is through increase costs for direct health care services and patient medication, for the conditions of obesity and the issues associated with obesity diabetes and high blood pressure. A healthy weight child has 2 to 3 less of the chance of being hospitalized than a child that is considered overweight. Children that are obese are accompanied with joint and bone disorder while children and adolescents not obese are less likely to be diagnosed with these disorders.
A child that is overweight and is covered by private insure is more likely to visit a doctor rather than going to a hospital, the doctors are comparable to those that treat children insured by Medicaid. The Thomson Med stat Research Brief states, Children covered by Medicaid are nearly six times more likely to be treated for a diagnosis of obesity than children covered by

DEMOGRAPHIC 4 private insurance. Children treated for obesity are roughly three times more expensive for the health system than the average insured child. Medicaid in 2010 covered over $6,700 for children diagnosed and treated for obesity and the annual cost for the obese children covered by private insurance
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