Fighting Childhood Obesity Essay examples

Childhood obesity is a widespread concern that is very manageable, reversible, and absolutely avoidable if the correct steps are put in place. Adequate teaching and sufficient knowledge by parents and health care providers alike can attribute immeasurable results in the defense against obesity in children. “Poor dietary habits and insufficient physical activity are among the most important modifiable lifestyle factors causing a substantial chronic disease burden worldwide including obesity” (Nyberg et al., 2015).

Do you get enough exercise? Are you sure about that? Or how about this, are you overweight, do you even know? Today’s adolescents don’t. In fact today’s adolescents face serious risk from their lack of activity. Today’s children are obese because they have developed some very bad habits related to healthy living and as result can suffer serious physical and psychological damage.

For example, eating healthy and exercising regularly. However parents should also monitor their children daily nutrition intake; as well as visiting their primary care physician annually. If parents had their children and family on a consistent routine with eating healthier such as limiting food portion for the entire family and getting everyone physically active; these steps will create a life styling change in getting entire family healthier. Moreover, a major factor for parents dealing with overweight children, is managing their diets. Mainly, because the enormous influence that fast food industries have on America children. Statics have shown that three out of four children eat a fast-food meal once or multiple times a day. If it's a prove fact that' children are growing up thinking that massive amounts of fat, sugar, and sodium equal normal serving portion. Than obviously parents should limit the amount of fast-food intake of their children, and give them portions sizes of veggies, fruits, whole grains, and protein; which will most likely decrease childhood obesity in America alone. Many children don’t have opportunities to exercise. Communities have few athletic programs in place, which leave kids spending large amounts of time in their homes. A lot of kids around America are influenced by electronic entertainment such as cable TV, Facebook, YouTube, and videos games. In addition, parents need to

viii. Fast foods are high in calories, provide less fruits and vegetables, and are packed with sugar, fat, and sodium

Childhood obesity is a major problem in the United States. There are multiple reasons for this problem including the child’s school system, the access to technology in young children and the child’s genes. It is sometimes inevitable for a child to be obese due to their genes. There are some precautions being made to help this problem. Some might work but others might fail. Childhood obesity is a major problem and needs to be fixed because it causes major health issues for the child in the future.

Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. Studies show that overweight kids are likely to become overweight and obese adults. This is a significant issue in the U.S. and needs to be monitored closely. Some parents are in denial that their children are obese and do not do anything to help or prevent it. When obesity is a problem at a young age it is very easy to have, it become a habit all throughout their life.

In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than tripled. The pervasiveness of obesity has increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 20% in 2014 among children aged 6 to 11. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 increased from 5.0% to 18.1% during the same 30-year period. With that said, America is experiencing a very serious health issue concerning its youth. Obesity results from an imbalance involving excessive calorie consumption and/or inadequate physical activity. In addition, obesity is mediated by genetic, behavioral, cultural, and environmental factors. The health impact from childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects, negative consequences that include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and

“At present approximately 9 million children over 6 years of age are considered obese” (Mahshid Dehghan). Childhood obesity continues to increase every year. Childhood obesity has a lot of causes centering on an imbalance of energy taken in and the amount of energy used. Factors of childhood obesity include children having obese parents; low energy expenditure which is a low amount of physical activity is a factor and too much television which is a cause for low physical activity time. Another factor that influences childhood obesity is heredity. Infants born to overweight mothers are found to be less active than other infants. Parents are the primary contributors of childhood obesity based on statistics, obesity risks, and government

The problem of childhood obesity has been increasing for the past 30 years, many children do not eat family home made meals anymore, like it used to be decades ago, in this new generation children do not have the support they need or the motivation to believe that they can be on shape. According to the Alliance for healthier Generation. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. This is a big issue that needs our critical attention. Consequently, the increasing epidemic of childhood obesity has been on the rise, some contributing factors are the lack of physical activity, the technology and marketing unhealthy foods. Our children are the heart of this wonderful planet.

With the rise of cardiovascular diseases, it is the time that we create ways to incorporate more daily physical activity each day and emphasize health and nutrition with students. One approach I would take would be to warn the families of the importance’s of physical activity and good eating habits. A way to do that would be to set up a meeting where all health educators can come together to introduce fun and exciting activities that their children can participate in and present them with hard evidence of the rise of childhood obesity. Having this meeting will hopefully open parent’s eyes so they can start enforcing their child to eat better and be more active rather than having them sit behind a gaming system all day long. The goal is to hopefully make these students participate in physical activity for the rest of their lives.

Schools are seen at the forefront of this issue because they viewed at the educational factor for these issues (Child nutrition reauthorization healthy, hunger-free kids act of 2010). Food insecurity and obesity may co-exisit, therefor they are subject to similar causes. One of the causes can simply be the lifestyles that Americans live, and also due to the fact they each individual may face unique challenges in adopting and maintaining healthful behaviors. Low-income communitites may be more susesptible to having limited resources and a lack of access to healthy, affordable foods (FRAC). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century” (Sinnott, C., 2011). It inadvertently has become a public health issue that has come to affect a large portion of its citizens. Not only can this crisis has severe health consequences, but a financial burden to its

Childhood obesity is increasing in different ethnic groups in both gender and all across the world. Let me start off by saying that childhood obesity has become a deadly disease in united state it important thing that should know firstly over other thing in life. Many parents are getting worried about their children being obese. First of all, combining poor eating habits with low physical activity double a child risk of becoming obese. Children are spending an increasing amount of time in front of a screen: TV, computer, and video games. Excessive eating-out contributes to obesity in a number of

Forty years ago in America childhood obesity was rarely a topic of conversation. A survey done in the early 1970s showed that 6.1% of children between the ages 12 and 19 were overweight. Eight years later the same survey was done and 17.4% were considered overweight (Iannelli). “Childhood obesity epidemic in America is now a confirmed fact since the number of overweight or obese children has more than tripled during the last 30 years” (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). “Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in children aged 6 to 11 years has tripled from 6.5% to 19.6%” (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). As a nation statistics should be alarming. Why are American children today so obese?

There was a time when chubby children were considered cute. It was assumed that their baby fat would melt away and a healthy adult would emerge. We now know that childhood obesity can be very harmful for our nations children. Not only can obesity cause health problems but also psychological problems. In observing the causes of childhood obesity, hopefully we can slow down the epidemic.

The fast-paced lifestyle of Americans today results in unhealthy frozen T.V. dinners and take-out meals. In present day society, the role of woman and men are virtually equal. With this making both the mother and father of families busy, there is little time for home cooked meals. A hardy breakfast is replaced with sugary pop-tarts, hand packed lunches is replaced with money for fast food, and frozen T.V. trays take the place of a healthy dinner. These foods may all taste good, but they are not healthy. By giving children lunch money, the children are having the choice to buy whatever foods they please. It could be easily assumed that a child would choose a candy bar, chips, and a soda over a school lunch. Again, the children are not the only ones to be blamed here. The parents need to take time to guide their children towards what food is healthy and what food is unhealthy. By taking a little more time out of the day and making healthier food choices, the rate of childhood obesity could slow down, if not stop altogether.