Obesity among school-aged Native American Children in New Research Paper

Obesity among school-aged Native American Children in New - Research Paper Example The essay describes the Native American community in New Mexico in terms of its similarities and diversity in the wider American society. The paper also provides a variety of causes and reasons for the obesity epidemic among Native American young children. Finally, the paper suggests several intervention measures that can be implemented to abate the current obesity problem. Different stakeholders, including community and public health practitioners, need to come together with other state agencies to provide early interventions and treatment measures. Obesity among children is a significant health challenge in the US. According to the National Center for Health statistics (2009), the number of children suffering from obesity has more than doubled since 1980.According to the healthy people 2020 report (2014), the focus of improving the quality of life should be towards eradicating chronic diseases such as obesity. This paper discusses several multifaceted causes and solutions to eradicate this pervasive health problem. Childhood obesity in the US has hit epidemic proportions, putting children at risk for preventable chronic and acute medical complications. Children depend on adults around them in order to recognize several health hazards in their environment and respond to their health needs appropriately. The children go through several changes physically and emotionally as they continue to grow and develop (Healthy Kids New Mexico, 2014). This makes them a very vulnerable group, which requires great attention in order to be able to access better treatment and preventive measures. The changes they go through can predispose children to various health problems as well as affecting their social relationships with people around them. Most of the health problems resulting from obesity are associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Obesity also has a tremendous impact on the psychological development of school-aged children since it affects their