21 NCGP Rough Draft - SUCCESS PDF

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Julio Ramirez Mrs. Bullock Special Interest English 7 September 2020 Obesity/Overweight Hook Everyone at some point in their lives have experienced joy when it comes to eating their favorite foods. Most of these favorite foods are usually unhealthy and have a range of factors, mainly being sugars and fats. It is when these foods are digested is when one does not think and forget about their health for a few minutes. Most can end with craving these satisfactions and want more. Some are able to resist and some are going to give in. It has always been easy to do just that and give in to these cravings as there have never been any restrictions on foods, other than being aware of their limits. The more that is given in daily, the more it creeps in and becomes a part of one's lifestyle . That being said, overweight and obesity have become a popular health issue and ongoing epidemic that America has yet to deal with seriously today. There needs to be a greater focus on youth development in Hoke County, it will long term help put NC at a lower prevalence when it comes to obesity. This epidemic is steadily increasing and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. According to the State of Childhood Obesity rates of 2019, North Carolina currently ranks at 19 out of the 50 states for adult obesity with a confidence level of 1.4%.

In Hoke County, the rates of obesity in children continue to rise. This data comes from Hoke County Community Health Assessment of 2018, in regards to childhood obesity, 1 in 3

children are obese. These children are likely to stay obese as 33% of adults in North Carolina are obese currently. These rates continue to rise due to how fast the population is growing as it is the second fastest growing county in North Carolina. In Cumberland County, adult obesity is at a 22% with only 12.3% in children ranging 2-18 being obese. The latest data on obesity in the United States has reached the highest it has ever been. Childhood obesity continues to reach new limits. According to CDC, “Obesity prevalence was 13.9% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 18.4% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 20.6% among 12- to 19-year-olds. Childhood obesity is also more common among certain populations” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2019). This goes to show that regardless of progression of economic advances in the states, youth development is still struggling. If these statistics aren’t taken seriously then these children will likely be obese into adulthood, which will affect statistics amongst adults with an increase in adulthood obesity. Among adults, “From 1999–2000 through 2017–2018, the prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%.” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2019). As a result, this goes to show that there is lack in control due to how much these statistics are increasing by the years. Some percentage of this can come from childhood obesity. This only reinforces the need for more focus on obesity. There is a difference between communities such as Cumberland and Hoke because of the lack of resources in Hoke County. Though it is growing rapidly and there are economic advances, these resources aren’t as available in Hoke County because of the many people living in rural areas. The people that live in these rural areas are prevented from choosing healthy choices because of financial boundaries. Kids living in these rural areas are more likely to be obese since they do not have access to healthy foods and physical activities. These resources

aren’t being implemented enough for these children. When it comes to this data, a lot of it can be organized and measured by race and ethnicity. According to CDC, other races such as Hispanics and African Americans are at higher risk than white Americans by 4.8-7.2% (CDC 2020). As a result, there is a division between these races and needs are reinforced in order to progress these economic advances and provide these children living in rural areas with easier access to making healthier choices. There are many economic advances that can be made to decrease these statistics in rural areas. These advances include installing a YMCA in rural areas. There are currently six gyms in Hoke County but none of them are directed for children or do a sufficient job at supporting children. Many children who don’t live in rural areas usually don’t deal with financial issues and are usually supported with options such as neighborhood gyms. With a YMCA installed, there will be a greater focus on youth development and social responsibility in Hoke County. Children will be able to explore healthy and physical activities, finding ones suitable for them. They will also be able to learn and at the end be more aware of their own health. Hoke County schools are doing the bare minimum and covering health at a surface level that isn’t impactful. With this YMCA, children will not only better themselves in a physical way but in also a mental way. This option will allow them to exercise any frustration or emotions that they deal with. Mental health is an important factor to consider when it comes to obesity because psychological issues can stand as a root for eating disorders. The focus on mental health is increasing and the awareness of it is probably the biggest it has ever been. How is this related to the Obesity epidemic? Epidemiologic data has concluded outcomes from depression include obesity. According to NCBI, they had 9125 participants provide date on their psychological history and concluded that, “Obesity (defined as Body Mass

Index of 30 or more) was associated with significant increases in lifetime diagnosis of major depression (Odds Ratio (OR)=1.21, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.09 to 1.35), bipolar disorder (OR=1.47, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.93), and panic disorder or agoraphobia (OR=1.27, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.60).” This statistic is covered amongst adults and it reinforces that mental illness can stand as the root issue/cause for obesity. It can be implied from these statistics that this could’ve been a condition developed from childhood and a condition that has only worsened causing them to be at more risk for a shorter lifetime. What can also be implied is that there isn’t enough focus on where obesity comes from and that children need to at least be taught the results of mental illnesses more thoroughly while they still have time. According to Mental Health America, this analysis is shown in North Carolina as their youth ranking has a higher prevalence when it comes to mental health, ranking at 44. This covers children who have experienced depressive episodes, could afford treatment but didn’t improve, did not receive any treatment, substance use of disorder, and have experienced emotional disturbance. This goes to show that North Carolina contributes to the lack of mental health treatment in America. It also implies that these statistics are likely not going to get any better if they can’t get the quality treatment that they need and it can definitely branch out into several results into adulthood. Another great factor of obesity, especially within the youth community is the great amount of use of social media and technology. Through social media, many celebrities and influencers promote unhealthy eating habits. For example, the new Travis Scott burger at McDonald’s. Travis Scott being the successful rapper that he is, has always had a great influence on the youth in general. Being that he influences our youth greatly, his promotion of a meal at McDonald’s can truly affect the health of the youth community. Also, when it comes to the great amount of time that teenagers spend on social media apps, it can show a decrease in physical

activity. For example, the average time spent on the app TikTok is 52 minutes per day. Around 41% of these users are aged between 16 and 24 (Mohsin, 2020). Those 52 minutes per day could be used for physical activity instead of in the sedentary position of watching TikTok videos. In order to see progress, schools need to show the importance of utilizing time and the long term effects of social media. To relate to these kinds of audiences, social media can be implemented in health class/organizations to relate to physical health. There are many options that stand to treat obesity and to overall improve physical and mental health in Hoke County. Though, not much has improved in spite of all these economic advances that are being made right now. There can be change if there’s more focus on children’s health as it is usually not taken seriously unless it is terminal. These statistics are continuing to worsen by the year, which means these children are at higher risk for diseases such as diabetes and many other illnesses. Progress cannot be made if these factors aren’t considered sooner and if long term effects aren’t considered.

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