Obesity and Adolescent Drug Abuse

Adolescent Obesity and Drug Abuse -- Literature Review

Discipline I

The work of Brownson, et al. (2010) states that childhood obesity "…is a serious public health problem." In fact, "obesity rates have increased threefold among U.S. children and adolescents. Approximately 16% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 29 years are obese." (Brownson, et al., 2010) Risk factors include hypertension and high cholesterol as well as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. (Brownson, et al., 2010, paraphrased) Health professionals identify overweight and obesity through use of the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by measuring the proportion of weight to height. (Eisenberg, Radunovich, and Brennan, 2007, paraphrased) The criteria used for categorizing BMI for children are both age and sex-specific and often referred to as BMI-for-age. BMI-for-age weight status categories and the corresponding percentiles are listed in Appendix 'A' following this study. There are three categories of obesity as follows:

Class I -- BMI score of 30-34.9

Class II -- BMI of 35-39.9

Class III -- BMI score of 40 or higher (morbid or severe obesity)

Rates of youth obesity is reported to vary among different groups with African-American, non-Hispanic girls and Mexican-American boys being the groups most likely to be obese. (Eisenberg, Radunovich, and Brennan, 2007, paraphrased) African-American females are reported to "remain at the highest risk, and have substantial rates of obesity-related diseases and causes of death." (Eisenberg, Radunovich, and Brennan, 2007) It is reported that there is "no assessment of body composition inherent in BMI" as "BMI identifies people who are at risk for having high levels of excessive body fat but it does not actually determine body fat. Anthropometric measurements, such as subscapular and triceps skinfolds and bioelectrical impendence are commonly used to assess body fatness in clinical settings." (Fleming and Towey, 2003) The causes of adolescent obesity are stated to include: (1) parental influence; (2) school influence; and (3) community influences. (Fleming and Towey, 2003)

Discipline II & Integration

Drug addiction among adolescents is a problem that requires the benefit of more research as new findings have shed light on the origins of addiction. The work of Nestler (2004) reports that one of the mechanisms that result from drug abuse and that serves to induce relatively long-lasting changes in the brain resulting in the addictive state is the mechanism of regulation of gene expression. In other words, addiction is in reality a disease directly related to the individual's genetics. The two transcription factors are stated by Nestler to be those as follows: (1) CREB (CAMP response element binding protein); and (3) ?FosB, which contributes to drug-induced changes in gene expression. (Nestler, 2004) Both of these are reported as of the nature that are activated "…in the nucleus accumbens, a major brain reward region, but mediate different aspects of the addicted state." (Nestler, 2004) CREB is stated to be the mediator of a type of tolerance and dependence of the nature that dulls the individual's sensitivity to "subsequent drug exposure) as well as contributing to an emotional state characterized by negativity during early withdrawal stages. FosB on the other hand is the mediator of "a state of relatively prolonged sensitization to drug exposure and may contribute to the increased drive and motivation for drug, which is a core symptom of addictive disorders. There is stated to be a need to better understand how CREB and ?FosB, acting together in other various drug-induced nucleus accumbens changes and other regions