CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Over the past decade, the prevalence of obesity has increased considerably in

the world for children and teenagers. One of the most significant challenges in public

health lies in childhood obesity. Obesity is a chronic health condition characterized by

an excess of body fat. Moreover, obesity is associated with a sedentary lifestyle. The

Body Mass Index (BMI) is most commonly used to determine a person measurement of

body size. Typically, a BMI of ≥ 25 is considered overweight while a BMI ≥ 30 is

considered obese.

As with any other medical conditions, obesity is caused by genetic and

environmental factors. The major factor in the rise of the obesity epidemic has been the

increased energy intake which has to do with the affordable food supply, well marketed

and energy dense food, and reduced physical activity (Swinburn et al, 2011). Based on

the study, the cause of obesity and overweight are the imbalance amounts of calories

consumed and those expended (WHO, 2009). Overweight and obesity are the fifth

leading risk for global deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in the

year 2016, at least 1.9 billions of adults aged 18 years and older were overweight and

41 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight or obese. The prevalence

of overweight and obese among adolescents and children had risen dramatically both

men and women.

 Obesity and overweight have been connected to numerous serious morbidities

and also psychological condition. Obesity is related to increasing cause of mortality (Hu,

2008). One of the common diseases associated to obesity are cardiovascular disease,

osteoarthritis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic disorders.

Furthermore, its physical effects on health also shown relevant social, emotional and

psychological issues that are often missed. These include social stigma, bias, and

discrimination (Puhl et al. 2001) that lead to isolation and disadvantages in the

workplace, education or at school (Taras et al. 2005), and personal relationships (Chen

et al. 2005). Obesity has been linked to psychological, social effects, and personal

disorders such as narcissistic, depression and suicide (Carpenter, 2000). Nevertheless,

several community programs targeted at schools to reduce obesity in children. One

common approach is to ban vendors who sell sweets and sugary drinks while reducing

calories and physical activity for the children (Han JC et al. 2010). In the United

Kingdom public policies have placed compulsory screening in children's schools and

report results to parents on the body weight of their children.

Despite the fact that obesity has been a worldwide concern, the good news is

that it can be prevented and treated. One of the organizations that establish obesity and

overweight information is the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and

Obesity (PASOO) with the mission to pioneer in the prevention and control of obesity

and its complications through education, research and advocacy. However, the effects

of obesity at a secondary level of education which are the high school students are of

great interest since at these ages ranging from 12-20 years old, their knowledge of

understanding and curiosity are being developed. Hence, the general aim of this study
is to provide depth information and perception about the lived experiences of obese

students.

The Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study aims to investigate the lived experiences of overweight students of

Senior High School in Carmen National High School- Day Class. The researchers will

recruit from a diverse population without regard to race, gender, sexual identity, and

section.

In order for this study to address the research questions, several delimitations

will be established. The scope of this study will limit to a very specific population from

the Senior High students who will be considered overweight in their eyes but not

necessarily by any other measure. The researchers limited the study to 10 chosen

respective respondents. The selected students came from different sections to prevent

bias and get objective perceptions.

Definition of the Terms

The meaning of the words as used in this research is presented in order to easily

understand what is being done in the study.

Academic Performance- is the measurement of student achievement across

various academic subjects.

Experience- direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of

knowledge

Explore- to learn, to investigate, and to understand a certain subject

Impact- the overall outcome and the effect of a certain situation where lives were

changed

Nutritional Status- is a requirement of health of a person convinced by the diet,

the levels of nutrients containing in the body and this includes include obesity,

overweight, underweight, and short stature

Overweight- a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27.3% or more for women and 27.8%

or more for men.

Social Life- the part of a person's time spent doing enjoyable things with others

especially your school life.

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