Add more detail and elaborate more on each point instead of moving on to the next point so quickly.
Childhood Obesity in New Zealand
Activity Instructions
Task:
The Critical Examination
Part A
Critically examine the existence of childhood obesity and consider the extent that it is, as often reported by the media, simply a matter of nutrition and physical inactivity?
Part B
Examine in detail how issues around children’s health and physical activity impact on New Zealand society.
The following is a framework that you may find useful for your critical examination.
* An introduction that includes an outline of what you will be examining. It could also include any definitions or background information.
* Say exactly what you are talking about, give definitions-BMI etc. What is considered an obese child? Use the BMI to help you explain this. Give some NZ statistics which prove that there is a problem of childhood obesity in NZ.
* A section that outlines explains and examines the concept of childhood obesity, reasons (what are the reasons as to why we have fat kids-lack of exercise, poor food choices etc (often made by the parents as children don’t often have money), family background, socioeconomic status, genetics, nutrition, financial influences, media (targeting kids after school with ads on lollies, junk food etc), technology), influences, arguments, myths, consequences (what can happen or be a result of to children who are obese. Overweight children tend to have underlying health problems, poor social skills etc) and assumptions.
The Research paper on Childhood Obesity: Who Is At Fault?
“There are numerous causes of childhood obesity. However, the ultimate responsibility for the problems and costs associated with an obese child should be attributed to that child’s parents. Parents owe a duty of care to their child and, when their child is obese, have arguably breached that duty.” Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States which causes many health, social, ...
* A critical examination that includes; the identification of any assumptions that exist, a range of perspectives or points of view, a discussion on why these views might exist, influences on the views, any similarities or points of agreement, any differences, examination of who is advantaged or disadvantaged by any of the views.
* If you are fat, you are assumed that you are unfit. Being fat doesn’t mean that you are unfit and lazy. Being skinny doesn’t mean that you are fit. Find two different points of view- Do you think childhood obesity is a problem in New Zealand. Why?
* A section where you clearly state your position and make a judgment based on your critical examination, of childhood obesity.
* Give your personal opinion- I belive this, I believe that etc.
* A section that explains in detail issues around children’s health and physical activity and the impact or potential impact on New Zealand society.
* What does overweight children mean for NZ society? Overweight children tends to lead to overweight adults which means that more money will need to be spent on adult healthcare for overweight people. What has the governemtn done in order to address the issue? 5+ a day, 30 minutes a day, used celebrities as positive role models, SPARC, Push Play, Mission On, increased pricing of cigarettes and alcohol, changing what schools are able to sell at their canteens such as fizzy drink, pies etc.
Part A- 300 words
Look at childhood obesity and decide whether or not it is an issue. If yes, is it only because of bad food and no activity?
* Is the reason that we have so many obese children because they have poor nutrition and laziness?
* Influence of technology
* Not enough promotion of sport
* TV advertisements, media
* Family upbringing
Obesity among children in New Zealand because of unsatisfactory food choices and physical inactivity is an issue which needs to be addressed among New Zealand’s society because of the risk that those children have of developing more serious health related problems. The government is calling this an ‘obesity epidemic’ although no one really has much knowledge on the issue, despite the widespread media attention. The 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey on the Ministry of Health website produced statistics which said that 1 in 12 children aged 2 to 14 years, were obese. This is 8.3% of the population, with Pacific Island boys and girls being at least 2.5 times more likely to be obese than other boys and girls in the total population. On most health websites which I have listed in my bibliography, the majority of them touch on how different ethnicities and cultures have big influences on obese children in New Zealand and the level of physical activity which they participate in. In 2000/2001 New Zealand Sport Physical Activity Surveys (SPARC, 2005) generated results which support this statement by saying that Maori girls are more active than European and Pacific girls and girls from other ethnic groups (70%,64%, 52% and 55% respectively).
The Essay on Childs Author Obesity Children
Greg Critter in his article "Too much of a good thing" tries to bring a valid point of stigmatising overeating in children. The author strongly advocates parental advice in a childs diet. Obesity according to the author is an epidemic which is engulfing the youth of the nearly all the major countries. It is high time that this problem was taken care of. Researches have shown that majority of ...
European and Maori boys (76% and 72%) are more active than boys from other ethnic groups or Pacific boys (63%and 53%).
There are differing views which have formed about this apparent ‘obesity epidemic’ which power groups are labeling it as, which are a result of the information they continue to feed us. Information such as statistics, and the causes and effects of obesity among children often lead us to develop misguided assumptions around the subject of childhood obesity. Most people believe that fast food and low levels of physical activity are to blame but a quote from an article in the New Zealand Herald highlighted the fact that there were other contributing factors to overweight and obese children-“We cannot just point fingers at media advertisements, video games or junk food and soft drink companies for making childhood obesity rampant in the 21st century. It is us, as parents and a society, who should be the ones taking responsibilities in combating the growing number of childhood obesity in New Zealand and globally. Isn’t it about time we as a society should start taking action rather than blame the media, video games and food companies for making more kids become obese?”- Steffie Yin. From this we may begin to think that she has hit the nail right on the head when it comes to explaining the reasons and causes behind obese children, that are not just because of fast food, the media and video games, but in fact, the parents and society.
The Report on Childhood Overweight
... genetic link. In some cases, parental obesity is a stronger predictor of childhood overweight than the child’s weight status alone.5 Behavior. Weight ... fruit and vegetable consumption and decrease the amount of junk foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. * Visit USDA’s MyPyramid website ( ... growth rates of boys and girls, BMI for children is age and gender specific. BMI for age is determined using gender ...
PART B-
What does a whole mass of overweight children mean for NZ?
In this essay I will be discussing the issue of childhood obesity in New Zealand and what it means for New Zealand’s society and community. I will also look at the causes, reasons, influences, assumptions and consequences which surround this issue and critically examine why such assumptions are made and where they originate from in order to gain a better understanding about how this affects our society.
So what is an obese child? How do we classify them into this category? The answer is simple. Health professionals, sport coaches, parents etc are all able to use BMI as a way to determine a healthy weight range for their child. BMI is also known as Body Mass Index, which calculates a number using the child’s weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared-
Weight kg = BMI
Height x Height
After calculating this, you would then be able to place your child into one of these four categories:
1. Underweight: BMI below the 5th percentile
2. Normal weight: BMI at the 5th and less than the 85th percentile
3. Overweight: BMI at the 85th and below 95th percentiles
4. Obese: BMI at or above 95th percentile
The age and sex of the child are also important factors when it comes to calculating their BMI because the BMI alone does not determine whether a child is overweight or obese. As you grow, your body shape changes as does your weight and amount of body fat, therefore age is an important factor to take into consideration when you determine your BMI. Gender is important because girls and boys are built differently, therefore the amount of body fat also differs between sexes. From the ‘Girls Activity and Body Compostion’ 2005 Survey (also known as the ABC study) I found statistics which highlighted that Pacific Girls had the highest mean BMI, which was followed by NZ Maori, and European girls. 24% of participants (which were made up of 35.4% European, 11.6% NZ Maori, 21.7% Pacific Island, 16.1% Asian, 10.6% Indian and 4.6% of others) were classified as overweight and a further 13% were classified as obese. On the Ministry of Health website they provided statistics which showed that Pacific children’s levels of overweight/obesity were 62% compared to 41% of Maori and New Zealand European and 24% of others. This helps to show me that the group mostly affected by obesity is Pacific Islanders.
The Essay on Crister Food Obesity Parents
"At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese," notes Greg Crister in his article, "Too Much of a Good Thing." In the article, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times in July 2001, Crister proposes resolving this problem by teaching children not to overeat. This is a reasonable way to slightly improve the problem, but coupled with a parental example, it is a way to ...
* A section that outlines explains and examines the concept of childhood obesity, reasons, influences, arguments, myths, consequences and assumptions.
It is often difficult to grasp the concept of childhood obesity as there are many reasons, arguments, and assumptions which surround the issue. We often blame childhood obesity on their lack of exercise and the poor food choices that children often make because they are not well educated on what they should be eating. But we should look at the bigger picture, which involves the parents, and society, along with their peers and media influences. Firstly, children need a lot more nutrients and calories compared to adults because they are still growing but if they consume too many calories without combining them with regular physical activities, they are bound to gain weight. This is one of the main causes of why so many children are at an increased risk of obesity, and not to mention at risk of several serious diseases which they shouldn’t be experiencing until they reach adulthood such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Because children have little knowledge about the food that they should be eating, they often consume foods high in calories, like most fast food, snacks from vending machines, fizzy drinks, sweets and baked goods. Not only are these types of foods high in calories, but also in salt, sugar and fat which is why regular consumption of these items has a detrimental effect on the health of New Zealand children.
In combination with these foods, they often don’t participate in a satisfactory amount of physical activity which means that they are more likely to gain weight and participate in other activities such as video games and watching television. The 2006/2007 New Zealand Health Survey found that two out of three (64.1%) children aged 5-14 years usually watched two or more hours of television a day. This equates to 368,700 children which only adds to the problem. The table below shows the amount of hours of television watched by children, both female and male, aged from 5 to 14 years of age which shows a steady increase over these years.
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 ...
Children have little knowledge about the food they should be consuming so it is often the parent (s) who decide on what food should be available in the household as they are responsible for the grocery shopping. Parents set examples for their children to follow, and just like behaviour, eating habits are also mimicked. They are responsible for making healthy food choices and giving their children a wide range of healthy snacks to choose from along with the implementation of healthy ways to cook such as steaming, rather than frying. Parents have the ability to control their children’s access to unhealthy foods, especially at home.
Another risk factor is family which includes things such as background, socioeconomic status and genetics. Genetics is probably one of the biggest influences on childhood obesity because if either parents, or both, are overweight, their children are 6 times more likely to become overweight from the age of 5 to 14 (new research paper from Brisbane).
This study suggests that the family environment, including dietary habits and the amount of exercise encouraged is a key factor in childhood obesity. Another reason genetics is a likely cause of obesity is that if a child comes from a family of overweight people, they will already be genetically predisposed to have larger amounts of excess weight. In a family like this, there are often large amounts of high calorie food with little encouragement to participate in physical activity. Socioeconomic class is another important factor which contributes to obesity in children and this is because families who have a low income are likely to have a small amount of healthy food because of the cost. It is much cheaper for parents to feed their family by buying a $20 meal deal from McDonalds, with little thought as to how that is going to affect their children in the long run. Low income backgrounds and obesity often go hand in hand because parents may lack the time and resources to make a healthy, nutritious meal and exercise a priority in the family. The environment that a child grows up in is a big deciding factor as to whether or not that child will develop obesity, especially if they grow up in an environment that is either from a low social class, in a single parent family, a single child family or where they have excessive periods of inactivity.
The Term Paper on Childhood Obesity: A Threat To Health
... that the World Health Organization has declared it an epidemic. Everyone is affected by the consequences of childhood obesity, the children, the parents and families, ... has been seen to be cause of obesity. In the contemporary world, the changing food-habits and sedentary lifestyle have become the ...
Another likely cause of obesity in children is the media and the influence it has on them. They often advertise junk food during the times where children are most likely to be watching TV in order to sell more of their product and make money. As children are unaware of what junk food actually contains, they don’t realize the effect it has on them if they continue to eat these types of food on a regular basis. When children see advertisements on T.V for a ‘Happy Meal’ at McDonalds for $5, they instantly think that it’s a great bargain, but are unaware of the nasty additives which are contained in the food they’d be eating, should they convince their parents to buy it for them. A 2003 Australian study showed that over 99% of food advertisements during children’s summer holiday TV programmes were for junk food which is only encouraging children to eat food which is high in salt, sugar and fat and with so many children watching more than 20 hours of TV over the course of a week, it’s no wonder as to why we have an increasing number of overweight children. When large companies like McDonalds spend so much money on advertising their range of unhealthy meals to unsuspecting children, it is difficult for the World Health Organization to promote a healthy lifestyle because for every $1 that WHO spends on trying to improve the nutrition of the world’s population, the food industry spends $500 on promoting processed foods (www.foe.org.nz).
Another reason behind the cause of childhood obesity is the advancements in technology which give children the access to a wide range of video games and gadgets which only increase the amount of hours spent watching TV. Other advancements include the availability of school buses and personal vehicles, which has reduced the necessity of walking to school, therefore adding to this so called ‘obesity epidemic’.
With all these reasons and influences behind childhood obesity, it is common for us to believe myths that have been formed due to the little knowledge some people have on this issue. One common myth is that childhood obesity is not a serious problem, but when you take a good look into what these influences are doing to the children of our society, people begin to see the seriousness of the situation. If children become overweight or obese at a young age, they are likely to still be obese as an adult, which gives them a greater risk of developing serious health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure which would need medical attention.
So with all these influential factors surrounding children in this society, there is no surprise about the increasing number of obesity among them. Obese children face an alarming number of consequences, especially at school where they are likely to be bullied because of their size. This would most likely cause them to have poor social skills which would carry on into secondary school if they are unable to find motivation to exercise and combat their weight problem. They may also become socially withdrawn or become disruptive in class because of the anxiety and high stress levels which they could have. Not only would they have poor social skills, but they may also find it hard to cope with their size which would cause them to overeat or indulge in snacks high in fat, salt and sugar which would only make them feel worse. Overweight children may also experience a low self esteem and bullying which could lead to depression if it continued on a regular basis.
* A critical examination that includes; the identification of any assumptions that exist, a range of perspectives or points of view, a discussion on why these views might exist, influences on the views, any similarities or points of agreement, any differences, examination of who is advantaged or disadvantaged by any of the views.
There are many assumptions and perspectives that surround the issue of childhood obesity but one assumption is that kids don’t like healthy food. The Guildford County schools in North Carolina have proved that assumption wrong. They proved it by changing the food in their cafeteria to healthy food, and found that sales were up 10% from the prior year. This shows that if you put healthy food in front of children, they are likely to eat it. Other assumptions include the fact that if you are fat, you are assumed that you are unfit. If you are skinny, you are assumed to be fit. But from a personal perspective, I can say that this is untrue. I’m skinny, but my levels of fitness are incredibly low. Being skinny doesn’t mean that you are fit, and being fat doesn’t mean that you are unfit and lazy. Annette King, who wrote an article called ‘Childhood Obesity Symposium’ on 2nd September, 2003, expressed her beliefs on the issue by saying “I am a strong believer in education and encouragement as the best approach, although I know there are others who have a personal belief in a more regulatory approach. We cannot change everyone’s attitudes to nutrition overnight, or over a week, a month or a year, but that is no excuse for not trying to create real awareness among New Zealanders”. She also believed that societal influences and changes in the past 20 years had contributed to this current obesity epidemic. Professor John Birkbeck, Institue of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Massey University believed that New Zealand has a serious cause for alarm at the increased rate of obese children. He also presented evidence at the same symposium Annette King attended, showing the likeliness that obese children will grow into obese adults. He also believed that “Type 2 diabetes, which used to be considered a rare form of childhood diabetes, is becoming increasingly common among youngsters who have been obese for even a few years. Hence the time frame for the development of complications of diabetes, including kidney failure, loss of vision and the like, will be moved forwards in the person’s life”. Professor Birkbeck thinks that the levels of childhood obesity in New Zealand are unacceptable in terms of public health, and that the reduced amount of physical activity and marketing are big factors which can lead to obesity among children. Another point of view I found was from my mother who I posed the question ‘Do you think childhood obesity is a problem in New Zealand? Why?’ to. She expressed her view by saying “Yes, because fast food is a cheaper option and parents are often too lazy to cook a balanced meal. There is also too much advertising for fast food, and soft drinks are a lot cheaper to buy than milk and juice, which are ideal for families on a low budget. Some parents are brought up in an environment where a balanced home-cooked meal is few and far between which is then passed on through generations, making obesity a real problem for children”. I also interviewed my father and posed the same question to him and he gave me his point of view which was “I think childhood obesity is a problem because fat children lead to fat adults and it is like a vicious cycle which cannot be broken without a lot of help and support. If knowledge is not passed on with the value of nutritious meals etc then it will be difficult for parents to change their habits which will impact negatively on the children of New Zealand”. I think these views exist because there have been large amounts of research conducted in order to be able to understand obesity and how it is caused. By understanding it, you are able to prevent it from happening. Often, views are formed based on the information that we know and understand so if we have little knowledge about what the reasons and causes behind childhood obesity then we are likely to form views that are probably incorrect. For people such as doctors, who know a lot of information about a range of things, they are likely to have a more informed point of view about childhood obesity which is likely to be very factual instead of fiction. Those with little information about the issue, such as parents, could influence their children in a negative way by caring little about what their children eat, therefore leading them to an increased risk of developing obesity. Doctors, who have a higher level of knowledge about the issue would influence children to make better choices when it comes to food and exercise, therefore affecting their lifestyle in a positive way. I think it’s safe to say that anyone, whether they have little or a profound amount of knowledge on the issue, both agree that childhood obesity is a real problem that needs serious addressing. I think that the children would be the ones who are advantaged/disadvantaged the most because they are the group whom all these views are generated about, especially if they are suffering from obesity. It would be hard for them if they were obese to understand how or why they are like that, especially if their parents have little knowledge also.
* A section where you clearly state your position and make a judgment based on your critical examination, of childhood obesity.
While writing this essay and finding out new information about childhood obesity, I can make a clear judgment based on this. I believe that childhood obesity is a real problem in New Zealand, due to the percentage of children with the risk of developing it as an adult, and those children who have already developed it. With 1 in every 5 children (20.9%) classified as overweight and 1 in every 12 children aged from 2-14 (8.3%) classified as obese (2006/2007 New Zealand Health Survey) there is no wonder that experts are calling this an ‘obesity epidemic’. Another cause for alarm is the fact that many serious and life threatening conditions such as diabetes, and a range of cancers, which are a result of obesity, can have catastrophic effects on these children at a later stage. Obesity also takes a toll on the government’s resources and tax payer’s money as they are stretched to the limit in order to allow surgeries to take place to help combat the problem of obesity, especially in adulthood. I also believe that it is wrong to make assumptions related to obese children which are often misguided and influenced by other fictional sources. I think that fast food companies should have a limit on the amount of advertising they are able to do for their unhealthy products, and the government should invest on spending money on advertising healthy eating habits which will encourage children to make better decisions when it comes to having a snack. I also believe that we need to focus more on educating children about the risks involved when eating food high in salt, sugar and fat, so that the next time they reach for that bag of chips for a quick after school snack they’ll think twice about what’s really going in their bodies. They need to be aware of the implications it would have on their health in the future and ways in which they can exercise at least 30 minutes a day. As a society need to understand that children have several influences acting upon them which are key factors in the development of obesity and take care when making comments. I believe that in order to change the percentage of obese children in New Zealand, we need to work together as a society and come up with new schemes and ideas that will help young people make positive choices when it comes to their lifestyle, and making informed decisions about exercise, video games, food and the media.
* A section that explains in detail issues around children’s health and physical activity and the impact or potential impact on New Zealand society.
There are many issues which surround the health and physical activity of children in New Zealand and also the impact that this has on society. When there are a large percentage of overweight children (One in five children were overweight (20.9%) according to the results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey), this tends to lead to overweight adults which means that more money will have to be spent on maintaining positive health for adults, which is a point I touched on in the previous paragraph. With one in 12 adults (8.4%) currently taking medication for high blood cholesterol, you can see the effects that this is going to have on the future health of New Zealand. There is also going to be a negative impact upon the society due to the money that the government and tax payers are going to have to fork out for health related issues that overweight people are at risk of getting. In order to address the issue of overweight children becoming overweight adults, the government has implemented a variety of strategies such as 5+ a day of fruit and vegetables, and at least 30 minutes a day of exercise. But are we even bothering to listen to these messages? They are there to benefit us and help to improve our health yet if our parents bad habits around food and physical activity are passed through generations, we are unlikely to change our ways, therefore adding to this current ‘obesity epidemic’. Other organizations like SPARC, Push Play and Mission On have all implemented strategies in order to get children to become more physically active by visiting schools and sponsoring events such as Stage Challenge (Mission On) to promote good health and a smoke free environment. The government has also increased the price of cigarettes and alcohol in order to discourage parents from buying them. Children are more likely to take up smoking if they see that their parents are doing it, so by increasing the price of them, the numbers of children smoking are likely to decrease. They have also made it compulsory that every cigarette packet contains a picture and information about the diseases and infections which can result from smoking, hoping to decrease the amount of smokers in New Zealand.
I believe that the issues surrounding childhood obesity and inactivity issues in New Zealand will become quite a big problem once everyone realizes that there are several health issues which can become a result of childhood obesity. Because the environment is one of the biggest factors contributing to this problem, I think we need to focus on parents implementing healthy habits around their children so that they are more likely to develop healthy attitudes towards food and physical activity, resulting in a healthier New Zealand society.
One of the best strategies to combat excess weight in your children is to improve the diet and exercise levels of your entire family. This helps protect the health of your children now and in the future.
Bibliography:
(Part A)
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/children/nzs-children.aspx
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/obesity-key-facts
https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/120-1260/2689/
http://tvnz.co.nz/content/1448684/2527732.html
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411307/776687
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/obesity/news/article.cfm?c_id=271&objectid=10433848
(Part B)
http://www.fastandquickweightloss.com/child-obesity/child-obesity-in-new-zealand.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/understanding-childhood-obesity-helps-to-prevent-it-3151944.html
http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwpubafs/2003/press_releases/02_09_03b.html
