Child Obesity In America - Term Paper Example

Running Head: CHILD OBESITY IN AMERICA Child obesity in America Name Institution Date Child obesity in America Introduction Obesity is a condition where by one accumulates fat in his body to an extent that he is prone to diseases that can destroy his health and greatly reduce his life span. Diseases commonly experienced are diabetes and heart related ailments. According to Bouchard & Katzmarzyk, (2010), fat deposition may be concentrated on the stomach hips and thighs or equally distributed all over the body. A healthy range body is determined using the body max index (BMI) for the purpose of medical gain. Body mass index is used simply because it compares your height against your weight. If your body mass index fall between the ranges of 18.5 to 25 kilogrammes per metre squared, then you belong to the normal range. You are labelled as overweight if your body mass index fall between 25 to 30 kilogrammes per metre squared. A body mass index of 30 and above puts you in a category of obese people. And if your body mass index is 40 and more you are in a category known as morbity obese. In the United Kingdom one woman in three women and one man in four men is overweight. There are slightly more number of women who are obese than the number of men (Burniat, 2002). In America child obesity statistics reveal an astounding reality that approximately 60 per cent of children brought up in America are obese. The momentum at which overweight children in America is increasing is very rapid. In 2002 it was noted that 22 per cent of the children who had not reached the age of going to school were overweight. The problem has overblown out of proposition in the present time. Incidentally, more alarming facts show that 70 per cent of adolescents who are obese and 40 per cent of children diagnosed with obesity end up being obese adults. The chances of an obese child turning into an obese adult are 50 per cent when he attains the age of six years (Caterson & Kopelman, 2009). Up to date statistics of child obesity in America It is worryingly noted that children with the obesity problem or condition have 70 per cent possibility of being obese in their adulthood life. Moreover the rate of escalation of obesity in children has been found out to have tripled over a period of the last thirty years. Commonality of obesity affecting children in the age bracket of six to eleven years has grown from six point five per cent in 1980 to nineteen point six per cent in 2008. According to Rouse (2009), the prevalence of the problem affecting adolescent falling in the age bracket of twelve to nineteen year olds has increased from five per cent to slightly above eighteen per cent. Risk factors relating to child obesity in America include low self esteem, depression, bone and joint problem, sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart diseases, breast cancer and other associated mental ailments. It very alarming to learn that ailments which hitherto affect members of the community when they attain the age of thirty or forty are currently affecting young children. The least age that one diagnosed having depression has fallen as low as fourteen years. For obvious reasons teenager children having obesity are at a high risk of being diagnosed with depression. This is because teenagers are very keen about how they look and extra accumulation of fat and being weighty makes them uncomfortable in front of the mirror. Negative attitude and fatigue make these children to be prone to physical exhaustion and mental unsteadiness. They feel low as they surrender to huge peer pressure. These trends should be familiar to parents as they grabble with the challenges of bringing up an obese child (Rouse 2009). Obesity in a girl child Caterson & Kopelman (2009) argue that obesity should be controlled at a young age in a child’s life. This is compounded by the fact that many complications are brought to the fore during the teenage stage of life. Looks is a key issue of judgement among the teenagers. Young girls can slip into episodes of depression if they realize that they have accumulated excess body weight. Obesity creates higher chances of being affected with type two diabetes and heart diseases. Proven research indicates that there is a relation between wonton bad habits in America society and physical abnormalities such as being obese. Obesity in girls reaches its peak at the age of twelve years. It is an age that precedes commencement of teenage. Eating of junk foods using pocket money given to the by their parents increases the problem. Teenage girls should exercise at least for thirty minutes regularly. They should not be allowed to skip meals by their parents. Even if liberty is granted to the teenage girl in all aspects of life, before they reach the age of 18 their health should be the responsibility of the parents (Bouchard & Katzmarzyk, 2010). Causes of Childhood Obesity Improper Feeding Mothers motivate their children to eat more food than what they should. They absently feel that their children should accumulate alot weight that what is appropriate for their age. They wrongly think that being cute and healthy translates to looking plump after over accumulation of fat. I n the long run they end up ruining the health of their children Imbalance between Intake and Output The major instigator of obesity during childhood is not having a balance between what is taken out and what it is ingested by the children. Presently more children feast on junk food and have other food choices that are not health. More so they do not encourage the burning of the excessive calories by engaging in physical activities or taking part in games or sports. More often they are found watching television for the whole day. Heredity Heredity is a substantial cause of obesity that cannot be ruled out. It has been found out that parents with the obese condition give birth to children who are more prone to obesity as compared to those children born to normal parents who are not obese. Parents’ Habits In many incidences it has been established that parents are direct causes of obesity in children. The parents resolve to consume unhealthy foods and they don’t engage in any physical activity. The same attitude is passed on to the children. America thirty-two per cent of 2-7 year old children and sixty-five per cent of 8-18 year old children have television sets in their bedrooms. Parents are the ones responsible for this since most choices are made by them and they act as role models to their own children. They do not encourage they children to engage in exercises such as cycling, running, jogging and walking. Many schools provide bad junky food to children and have improper exercising policies or the policies do not exist at all. Childhood research has indicated is a stage where many physical activity and eating habits are established. By the age of twelve, according to psychologists most of an individual’s traits and habits will have been established. Accumulation of excess body fat is initiated in childhood and becomes dominant in adulthood. An obese child is dull as compared to a normal child. In a study it was established that while walking, an obese child walks slower, asymmetrical, flatfooted and with turned toes. Body tissue damage and structural deformities is a result of physical inactivity and poor walking habits. If walking poses challenges to an obese child then other physical activities can be laborious (Holmes, 2004).. Ways of preventing obesity United States administration declared obesity as national epidemic in 2009. In many states in the United States the available statistics indicate an escalate in people with obesity at a spontaneous and unprecedented rate. Ignorance concerning the risk of obesity is a fundamental cause for alarm. The following ways could be credited for a decline in the number of obesity cases. They are the ways that we can use to prevent ourselves and our children from being affected with obesity . Change in Parental Behaviour The behaviour of parents greatly influences the attitude of their children concerning life. If both parents are fully absorbed in their careers and jobs the children are left on their own most of the time. Most parents who claim to be very busy have a high chance of providing take away hotel junk foods to their children. These children end up being used to beverages and packaged foods that they prefer to cook. These foods have chemical preservatives specifically added to lengthen their shelf life. The nutritive value of these foods is insignificant but they have substantial amount of calories that are responsible for the excess deposition of fat in the body. It follows that parents have to totally change their life style with an aim of improving the physical health of their children. Consequently parents have to allocate quality time to spent with their children. They should prepare nutritive food and balanced diet and eat at home. Parents copy what their parents do. Whatever the parents introduce to their children in terms of other activities and games is what the children grow up with and practice. Increase in physical activity Sidewalks and parks should be developed and neighbourhoods made safe for parents to release their children to engage in physical activities than keeping them at home. Other schools have no substantial playground while others do not have them completely. Students are confined succumbing to unhealthy sedentary life. Recreational adventures spiced up with physical instructors should be incorporated in the school curriculum. Physical education should be compulsory in all the schools. Schoolbooks and Recreational Facilities Children tend to be biased if new dishes were to be introduced. They are what is referred to as ‘neophobic’. Schools management boards should interpret the importance and science of both physical activity and nutrition. Information concerning diet should be represented in children’s books. This may prompt the children to be fairly interested in consuming nutritious food and it should also be made readily available in the market. Intake of Low Fat and High Fibre Food The flooding of market with junk food compounded with the fact of hanging a low income make many individuals to spend more time at their work stations. Children are wrongly made to believe that what their children offer is the best because they are enticed to eat one particular kind of food kind of food owing to the parent’s own formed habits or simply because they cannot afford healthy food. Nutrition related programs should be initiated for the members of the public. Change Dietary Pattern Children should not be allowed to often feast on snacks because in the long run they end up over-eating converse to the misconception that they are eating small amonts of foods. Diets should be scheduled with substantial time gap between subsequent meals to cultivate the culture of having children get used to eating food when and only when they have to eat and at a particular time. In the long term you will find that food is eaten in the necessary quantities. Don’t allow children to eat snacks frequently as children end up eating more contrary to the belief that eating small meals frequently are good for health. Schedule their diet with substantive time gap between the meals so that children get used to eating at a particular time only. This would also restrict them to eat the required quantity. Reduce Watching TV to Less Than Two Hours Watching television greatly one’s choices. Children spent most their time watching televisions. Leaving your children glued to the television for long hours is not healthy. The parents should ration and regulate the amount of time their children spent infront of a television set. Most of the advertisement are designed to draw children’s interest to packaged foods with is normally junk food. Greed can be regulated with limited exposure to advertisement (Bailey, 2006). Create Interest in Nature Children should be encouraged to appreciate the importance of nature and this will create interest concerning the natural vegetation. Courses relating to this should be developed in the schools learning curriculum. This will prompt the children to try and grow vegetables on their own. This arouses curiosity and a sense of ownership. If their children develop their own gardens it makes them explore extensively concerning nature and food products which are beneficial to the community health and their own health. Safe Neighbourhood Owing to the fact that nutrition is not the sole reason responsible for obesity, and lack of physical activity being the second reason for obese situations the neighbourhoods should sufficiently made safe. Some children and probably all we not waik a walking distance if there is a possibility of attack from molesters and other child predators. Pavements for cycling should be made available by the local administration (Ashworth, 2002). Spread of Nutrition Educational Programs through Community Centers According to Ashworth (2002), very few parents are informed about the right food, and moreover fascination in nutrition can be nurtured in the children and parents if programs are organized and centres owned by the community. Recreational facilities can be developed at these centers to be utilized by both children and parents and they can be effective. Restrict Fast Food Ensure that the intake of fast foods for example chips, hamburgers, milk shake and fried by the children is restricted. In case of addition by the child make sure you adequately elaborate to him the dangers posed by fast foods and discourage his to your best ability not to use the junk foods. Avoid Soft Drinks from the Diet Nutritionists and physicians encourage us to avoid availing carbonated drinks to our children as they are devoid of even the least nutritive value. Children should be given low-fat milk, water and juices obtained from natural fruits without having to go through industries. Effects of childhood obesity Low Stamina People’s attitude towards career and life are given the foundation by their parents and society shapes our belief. Certain habits are developed since childhood which includes habits concerning diet. Many parents divert their income to other thing at the expense of food. Higher Health Care Costs To be sick translates to more costs in healthcare programs. Obese adults are as a result of obese children who enter into the adulthood suffering all ailments related to obesity. The risks include osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, gall bladder disease, cardiovascular problems and cancer (Naik, 2010). Psychological and Social Effects of Obesity Emotional suffering for obese people in the American society is the painful trauma that they go through. Much importance is laid upon how one appears physically and more often than not slenderness in women is seen as being attractive. Ridicule is directed towards overweight kids by other pointing towards their chubby bodies. They are turned into a laughing stock or an object of ridicule. Obese kids would not want to interact with kids who are not obese during physical education lessons. The obese children fear being laughed at for having funny figures and being slow in movement. This result into alienation of the children with obese conditions and remain withdrawn and lead a sedentary life (Holmes, 2004). Not Ready for Change Obese people generally resist change. Obesity results in children because of the culture of these children eat same type of junk food from time to time. They regularly do the same thing over a long period of time. The child grows into an obese adult because the guardian has not introduced the minor to appreciate and equally embrace change. Children should be brought up in natural environments that will encourage them to embrace dynamism and not just being comfortable with the status quo. Parents should change to careers to enable the allocate more time to their children. Many parents will note what to change and thus making the child to be confined in the same environment that encourages them to be obese (Naik, 2010). Conclusion Reports available in the national library indicate that in the United States every two kids sampled out in the Louisiana community is overweight or obese. The common goal of the United State administration is to push down the rate of growth of childhood obesity by at least five per cent by the year 2010. Unfortunately the rate has remained at slightly above sixteen per cent. More so children in the rural of America are more prone to overweight and obesity. Obesity is often high in towns where accessibility to vegetables, fresh fruits and whole bread is minimal. All in all obesity is a cause of alarm in the American society and all efforts should be directed towards alleviating this problem. References Ashworth, C. D. (2002). Defeating the child obesity epidemic: a paediatrician (and mom) tells how to fight fat, save your children. Journal of Child care health. 2 (5) 23-29 Bailey, E. J. (2006). Food choice and obesity in Black America: creating a new cultural diet. American Journal of Child care. 122 (20) 78-112. Bouchard, C. Katzmarzyk, P. T. (2010). Physical Activity and Obesity. Child Obesity Journal. 3 (4) 78-110. Caterson, D. & Kopelman P. (2009). Clinical Obesity in Adults and Children, Review of what is expected of the victims of Obesity, 2 (1) 34-35. Burniat, W. (2002). Child and adolescent obesity: causes and consequences, prevention and management. American Journal of Child and Adult Obesity. 56 (4) 231-147. Naik, A. (2010). Childhood Obesity in America. Retrieved August 25, 2010 from Holmes, B. (2004). Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in America: What Parents do. Extension 4- Youth Specialist Journal. 45 (3) 263-276. Rouse J. (2009). Child Obesity in America: Taking Care of Our Children. Retrieved August 25, 2010 from Read More