preview

Obesity And The Public Affairs Mission At Missouri State

Better Essays

Introduction Everyone has some link to someone overweight or obese, whether you have a parent, grandparent, or other relative, or just a close friend who struggles with weight. Or maybe you’ve struggled with your weight. Obesity impacts everyone in some shape or form. Today I will share with you the dangers of pediatric obesity and how it relates to the public affairs mission here at Missouri State. (Transition: Let’s begin by discussing obesity and what causes it.) Body I. Being overweight or obese is to have a higher than average amount of fat. A. Obesity is determined most frequently using Body Mass Index (BMI), a weight to height ratio that defines the ideal weight of a person. 1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the BMI of an overweight child is at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile. 2. Obesity is when a person’s BMI is at or above the 95th percentile (CDC, 2015). B. Obesity can be caused by any number of things including genetics, physical inactivity, and overeating. (Transition: Now that you know what defines obesity and what it is most commonly caused by, let’s look at its recent growth.) II. Childhood obesity rates have increased rapidly in recent times. A. According to Time Magazine, childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed. Since the 1960’s, the percentage of children ages 6 to 11 have tripled to 13% (Time, 2015). B. A PLoS ONE study also states that the amount of overweight and obese students are higher than

Get Access