Childhood Obesity
Cassie Smith
ENG. 122 English Composition II
April 16, 2010
Childhood Obesity
childhood obesity has become a national epidemic overnight. For the past thirty years the national percentage rate has raised three times more than it was twenty years ago. Due to this tremendous exploitation in childhood obesity our national has been pointing the finger at more than just one accuser. One of the main causes of childhood obesity in the United States today is based on the fact that children are not being provided with the right nutritional foods. Instead children are given the devastating alternative of eating fast food which results in obesity due to the extreme amount of chemicals and saturated fats that is produced in these processed foods.
Process foods from fast food industries are being proven time after again that the majority of childhood obesity is being caused by eating these types of foods. Fact to be known that there is an alternate to this national disaster. Studies have been shown that if an individual such as an obese child would switch their eating habits to organic foods there would be a lower rate of childhood obesity in the United States today. Organic foods have been also proven to help the body feel more energized also help reverse obesity in children and creating a more positive healthy outlook for the child’s future.
The Essay on Obesity Epidemic In Children And Youth
Obesity Epidemic in Children and Youth (1) Nowadays, there are many objective indications as to the fact that ever-increasing rate of obesity among Americas adolescents actually represent the very immediate threat to biological well-being of this nation. In his article Childhood Obesity Statistics and Facts, Jayashree Pakhare provides us with the insight on the sheer scope of this threat: 16 % ...
According to David Hirsch, MD (2010) parents can do many things to prevent obesity in their child, including: Respect the child’s appetite; children do not have to finish everything on their plate, or finish the entire bottle. Avoid pre-prepared and foods with extra sugar. Provide the child with a healthy diet, 30%, or fewer calories from fat. Provide enough fiber. Limit the amount of high-calorie foods kept in the home. Enjoy physical activities as a family (walking, playing outdoor games, etc.) Limit TV viewing. Do not reward completion of meals with sweet desserts. Replace whole milk with skim milk at about 2 years of age. Encourage the child to participate in active play. (Prevent Childhood Obesity, para.1)
Obesity in children is a growing concern and there are major harmful health risks that are involved. Children who are obese are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They could also be a high risk for type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, such as sleep apnea, and asthma. Childhood obesity could also lead to joint problems and musculoskeletal discomfort, fatty liver disease and in some rare cases can cause death. Obese children have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood. Children that are obese are more likely to become obese into adulthood.
In Childhood Obesity and Facts through Online the author states that obesity in children is a huge growing concern in our society today. As we know, there has been a rapid increase growth with children that are becoming or are already obese in the last few years. Even though our society is just starting to take notice of this intensifying issue there are still questions to be answered. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period. In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obesity. (Centers of disease control and Prevention, 2011)
The Essay on Child Obesity Food Eating Children
Obesity in children: management and prevention Childhood obesity (overweight) is a common problem. Children need to be taught to develop good eating habits to avoid gaining excess weight. Check with your child's doctor to confirm that his obesity isn't due to genetics or some other medical problem. Parents can help the child by being supportive of him. Never make fun of him. Explain why he has to ...
Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat .Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. (Centers of disease control and Prevention, 2011)
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012), over the last thirty years childhood obesity has shown to have a high increase in percentage. One of the main reasons children are objected to this high increase in obesity has shown in result of improper unhealthy eating patterns. Child have been introduced to thinking that fast food is the way to eat, but in other words it is just a fast outlook to a quick easy meal for parents on the go, also it has been shown that children are prone to eating what is shown for as in advertisement such as commercial use. There has been considerable debate over whether exposure to food advertising affects incidence rates of childhood obesity. While the positive correlation between the hours of television viewed, body mass index, and obesity incidence has been documented, the exact mechanisms through which this occurs are still being investigated. It has been estimated that the average child currently views more than 40,000 commercials on television each year, a sharp increase from 20,000 in 1970. (Childhood Obesity, para 2)
Moreover, an accumulated body of research reveals that more than 50 percent of television advertisements directed at children promote foods and beverages such as candy, convenience foods, snack foods, sugar sweetened beverages and sweetened breakfast cereals that are high in calories and fat and low in fiber and nutrient density. The statistics on food advertising to children indicate that annual sales of foods and beverages to young consumers exceeded $27 billion in 2002. Food and beverage advertisers collectively spend $10 to $12 billion annually to reach children and youth: more than $1 billion is spent on media advertising to children (primarily on television); more than $4.5 billion is spent on youth-targeted public relations; and $3 billion is spent on packaging designed for children. Fast food outlets spend $3 billion in television ads targeted to children.
The Essay on Fast Food And Obesity 2
People know that fast food is not good for them, but how bad is really and how much do people really know about the bad effects of fast food on their bodies? Most people have seen the “Super Size Me” documentary; yes Morgan Spurlock ate McDonalds for every meal for 30 days. Most people would gain weight from eating McDonalds for 30 days in a row, but even just eating McDonalds three times a week ...
A growing body of research suggests that there may be a link between exposure to food advertising and the increasing rates of obesity among youth. In the 1970s and 1980s a number of experimental studies were conducted that demonstrated young children (under age eight) were much more likely than older children to believe that television advertisements were telling the truth; and that exposure to television advertisements influenced the food choices among children (enticing them to choose more sugary foods instead of natural options) which increased requests to parents for high sugar foods they saw advertised.” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2012)
Children that become obese can find it hard to usually break the cycle once he or she is use to eating in an unhealthy pattern. To break that cycle and to reverse to a more healthy way of introducing more efficient foods they will need a support system to help them on the right track to a better way of life and a more healthy way to start eating.
In Weight Problems and Obesity in Children Helping your Child Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight teaches how a family is a great support system they can steps in and slowing introduces the right foods that their child should be eating and why it is important to eating healthy. The parents should also demonstrate by eating healthy themselves such as making a meal at home instead of takeout, eating at the table together as a family, introducing snacks as in an apple or grapes etc., as a good choice to eat.
Parents can help their child on the right track to eating right and reversing obesity in their child. Healthy habits start at home. The best way to fight or prevent childhood obesity and weight problems is to get the whole family on a healthier track. Making better food choices and becoming more active will benefit everyone, regardless of weight. And with the whole family involved, it will be much easier for their overweight child to make lasting changes.
The Essay on Healthy Eating 3
Maintaining healthy eating habits will help reduce the risks of chronic illnesses, promote weight loss, and increase your energy levels. Healthy eating is about making wise decisions regarding the foods that a person puts into their body. Part of practicing healthy eating is eating the right foods and the right portions of that food from all of the food groups in order to maintain high energy ...
The most effective way to influence your child is by your own healthy example. If your children see you eating your vegetables, being active, and limiting your TV time, there’s a good chance that they will do the same. These habits will also have the happy side effect of helping you maintain a healthy weight. What you eat: Tell your child about the healthy food you are eating, while you are eating it. You might say, “I’m eating broccoli with garlic sauce. Want a bite?” When you cook: Cook healthily in front of your children. Better yet, give them an age-appropriate job. Tell them about what you are making and why it’s good for your body. (Robinson & Smith, 2012)
Organic food has been proven to be a healthier choice when it comes to choosing a more efficient way to eat. There are no harmful chemicals in this type of food, on the other hand fast food places such as M.C. Donald’s or other take outs have been proven to have harm chemicals, also studies have been show with over time to cause major health risks.
In an online article called, Organic Food Fights Childhood Obesity the author states that recent reports show that eating natural and organic food can help prevent a child from becoming one of America’s health statistics. The prescription for change is relatively simple. Replace heavily processed supermarket brands with fresh produce and organic food, and adopt organic living strategies that encourage your children to get moving. Eating out is one of the major contributors to childhood obesity.
Serving your family healthy food is good for their health makes a resolution to prepare home-cooked meals with organic ingredients. It’s not uncommon for parents to feel that they’re just too busy to prepare home-cooked meals, especially after a long, exhausting day at work. As a result, they often succumb to ‘takeout syndrome,’ ” says Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, a preventive health specialist, and author of Healthy Lunchbox: A Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim. She recently commissioned a national survey of 1,000 moms, which revealed that children are 25% less likely to be overweight if a parent participates in meal preparation.
Fast food is more convenient, but at this point we can’t afford to sacrifice our children’s health and well-being for the sake of convenience,” Dr. McAllister tells Organic Authority. Currently, roughly a third of American children are overweight or obese, and according to a recent report in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, approximately half of American children are expected to be overweight by 2010. In addition to lack of sufficient physical activity, consumption of fast food and junk food plays a significant role in promoting overweight and obesity in American children. In light of these facts, parents need to regain control of their kids’ eating habits and avoid the drive-through window as often as possible. (Organic Authority, LLC, 2010)
The Essay on Organic Food vs. Non Organic Food
In today’s society you walk into a grocery store and you always have the option of organic or non organic food. There are even grocery stores dedicated to organic foods like Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Whole Food market. I personally have gone organic and will never go back to eating or drinking non organic food. Organic food may be pricey but less hormones, less cow puss and blood in your milk, and ...
Child should not be suffering from this growing epidemic they face today. It is time for us to stand together and find a solution to the problem instead of pointing the finger at one another. It is also important to introduce a more efficient way for them to eat not only because it is healthier for you but it will help prevent lifelong harmful health risks to a child.
Overall trend data clearly indicate that obesity prevalence in U.S. children and youth has risen to distressing proportions, but many questions remain about the nature, extent, and consequences of this problem. How much do we really know about how this epidemic is unfolding? Which population groups are most affected? What does the available evidence tell us about how to address this problem? Finally, what are the potential consequences of inaction with respect to social, developmental, and health outcomes and the associated health-care system costs? This chapter’s discussion of these questions informs the recommendations throughout the remainder of this report.” (Kraak, Liverman & Koplan, 2005)
On the fact that children who eat fast food, grease, junk are more likely to have health risks of becoming obese than compared to a more promising alternative way to eating foods that are healthy for children and will provide more nutritional health factors for a child’s health and will help prevent childhood obesity. Concluding the statements and facts above will prove that organic foods are a more efficient way for an obesity child to obtain a balance weight, also confirming it’s a better way for a child to stay health and maintain a balance diet. This will also help prevent any major health risks in the future as well.
The Essay on Obesity Children Childhood Obese
Today, approximately 25 percent of children and teenagers are obese and the number is on the rise. Since the 1960's childhood obesity has increased by 54 percent in children ages six to eleven. In children twelve to seventeen it has increased by 39 percent. (Silverstein, 1) Childhood obesity is so prevalent among these age groups that it has reached epidemic proportions. One cause of childhood ...
“Replacing junk food with organic alternatives will ensure that kids get at least one nutritious meal per day.” (Rose, 2011)
References
Centers of disease control and Prevention. (2011, September 15).
Childhood obesity and facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm
David Hirsch, MD. (2010, February 25).
Prevent childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://children.webmd.com/preventing-childhood-obesity
Kraak, V. A., Liverman, C. T., & Koplan, J. P. (2005).
Preventing childhood obesity: Health in the balance. (p. 54).
Washington, DC, USA: National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10075881&ppg=74
OrganicAuthority, LLC (2010).
Organic food fights childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-food/organic-food-articles/organic-food-fights-childhood-obesity.html
Robinson, L., & Smith, M. (2012, February).
Weight problems and obesity in children helping your child reach and maintain a healthy weight. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/childhood_obesity.htm
Rose, T. (2011, January 24).
Reduce childhood obesity by replacing junk food with organic alternatives. Retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/031085_childhood_obesity_junk_food.html
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2012, March 14).
Childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/
