Obesity as a Serious Threat to Adolescent Longevity (W8P2)

 Obesity is a serious threat to the health and longevity of American adolescents. More children are being diagnosed with obesity and as the years go one the percentage of children with adolescents builds on itself by about two percent. By the year 2030, a projected 25% of the population will be obese. And little changes are being made by way of preventative methods. The threat of obesity and its morbidity risk is generally only discussed when addressing patients in adulthood. However, the risk of death starts as early as two. Recent research has been done to begin the practice of childhood bariatric surgeries which come equipped with lifelong follow-up and little insurance of reaching non obesity and/or maintaining that state. Currently, the United States has seven different methods of adolescent bariatric surgery. Our current method of preventing childhood obesity is a scarcely practiced CDC recommendation. In a study done in Sweden, Plos Medicine concluded that childhood obesity is an severe epidemic with an associated risk of morbidity and premature mortality. In the study, roughly 42,000 Swedes between the ages of 3-17 were identified from the Sweden Childhood Obesity Treatment Register and a comparison group modeled from these children with regards to sex, group, Nordic origin, and socioeconomic status. Once these children turned 18, the research center began to track their health and the death toll. After 3.6 years after the children turned 18, there were 104 deaths which were at the average age of 22. Of the obese children, 0.55% died during the follow up period compared to 0.13% of the control group. Not only were endogenous cases of death higher in the obesity group, but death by suicide was as well. Obesity is not only a threat to our physical health, but also contributes massive damage to a person's psyche. Seeing as the study was done in Sweden, it is important to analyze steps the country has already taken to combat this epidemic. Obesity affects 16% of the Swedish population, far from the United States 42.4% adult obesity prevalence. Since the year 2018, Sweden has "reoriented" the basic requirements for post graduate medical education to respond to the growing demand for treatment and management of chronic illnesses. This change originated in the government but has required massive collaboration with universities, healthcare providers, and professional organizations. The projects aims to create a multidisciplinary approach to solving the crisis. The country reports that one of the greatest changes they have made has been requiring medical students to complete some residency in primary care facilities, once perceives as small and underdeveloped. With the goal of achieving people-centered care, the medical system has experienced a major shift in creating dialogue with patients, hence, ensuring they are not a passive recipient of care. The World Health Organization praises Sweden for reforming its medical system and  "put(ing) people and communities – not diseases – at the centre of health care".

The island country of Nauru has the highest prevalence of obesity, with 61% of its population affected. It is followed by Samoa and a few other island countries (Taiwan has the least obesity with only 2.1% affected). All of this to say that, no, America is not the worst. However, it is possibly the country most equipped to combat this epidemic. The simple changes that Sweden has made have not showed up in the numbers yet, but it must be considered that these changes began in 2018, and most of the residents learning the information, have yet to graduate from medical school. Theoretically, once these students graduate, the country will see a major shift in obesity prevalence. The two greatest barriers to America achieving good health are lack of medical school education and absence of comprehensive school health curriculum. Should a study of this data be performed in the states, the results may be terrifying  Again, this type of research is not funded in America due to the business of obesity and treatment.Observing the actions of other countries in response to obesity may be the best way to devise a plan as to curriculum and reform in America.