Obesity Education and Prevention in Rural Pediatric and Adult Populations in the U.S.
Keywords:
Obesity, Physical Activity, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, rural and urban population, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)Abstract
Background: With the ever-increasing incidence of obesity in pediatric and adult populations nationwide, the need to find impactful and long-term solutions to the epidemic is paramount. Urban and rural populations both show climbing rates of obesity, with significantly more children and adults being affected in rural areas. Many of the most prominent factors leading to obesity are related to socioeconomic status, behavior, lack of access to quality food resources, and lack of knowledge of healthy food groups. Obesity increases the risk of disease in nearly every organ system in the body.
Methods: The authors conducted a narrative review by searching for relevant articles written in English in electronic databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Semantic Scholar, and Google Scholar. A total of 88 articles were studied, and finally, 47 articles were included.
Results: Environmental factors such as low access to fresh produce and living in a rural areas increase the risk of adults and children developing obesity. Early intervention in pediatric obesity cases have shown promising effectiveness on obesity prevention and it is suggested that stepwise, realistic goal-setting can lead to greater success in weight loss and management.
Conclusion: With the rates of obesity amongst children and adults continuing to climb in rural areas, addressing the causes is paramount. Biological, behavioral and social factors all contribute to obesity rates in rural areas, often due to the challenges of accessing healthy food and fewer spaces for physical activity.
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