Obesity in pediatric individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Obesity in pediatric individual - Essay Example Family history indicates that her father is obese and has Type 2 diabetes. The girl is alert and oriented, pleasant and cooperative and her vital signs indicate BP at 108/58, Heart Rate 64, RR 16, Temperature 98.4 and Body Mass Index (BMI) 32. The skin tone is dark pigmented neck, hands and underarms. The other conditions of the individual include: HEENT: Normocephalic, PERRLA, Visible fundus, without evident Micro vascular Damage. Exam otherwise unremarkable musculoskeletal – neck flexed, head down, poor posture d/t cervical dorsal hump Psychosocial – Poor self esteem, based on posture, body image. Lungs: good air entry, no adventitious breath  sound. Heart: S1 S2 present, no murmur, click, or rub. Obesity can be perceived as health hazard that primarily derives from the intake of more â€Å"calories than the body requires† and it can also occur due to the â€Å"interaction of genetic and environmental factors† (Thorleifsson et al, 2008, p.1). ... In the absence of any other obvious reasons identified in her case, the reportedly unusual weight gain of the girl seems to suggest an association with genetic or genomic causes. This becomes a specific concern since the subject’s father has a history of obesity with Type 2 diabetes. Evidence Supporting Genetic/Genomic Risk: Childhood and adolescent obesity is one of the major problems being faced by nations across the world in the modern day and this is especially so in the case of developed countries such as the United States. Though environmental changes play a key role in the prevalence of obesity across the world, evidence also suggests that â€Å"genetic component† also contributes to the risk (Bradfield et al, 2012, p.3). Recent studies based on genome-wide associations also indicate that â€Å"many genetic loci† are responsible for BMI/obesity in adults and the largest meta-analysis has brought to the fore â€Å"eighteen loci associated with BMI† ( p.4). This study further corroborates the existence of â€Å"two novel obesity loci† which are associated with â€Å"elevated adiposity in the first eighteen years of life† (p.6). Thus, it transpires that genetic and genomic elements are high risk factors for the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents, apart from environmental causes. Since the subject’s father happens to be diabetic, the apprehension of possible risk of inherited obesity is quite high in the instant case. Wardle et al, while agreeing to the notion that the high prevalence of obesity in the recent past can be attributed to environmental factors, contends that â€Å"inherited genetic differences†