Childhood Obesity Essay

Introduction

Childhood obesity is increasingly becoming a major problem of Public Health in developing countries, particularly in Canada and the United States. Lack of physical activity, poor nutritional choices, easily accessible fast foods and the built environment are all seen as factors that contribute greatly to childhood obesity. Individuals who are obese have increased risk of developing high blood pressure, impaired glucose function and may sometimes fall victims to physical and psychological abuse (Ludwig, Peterson & Gortmaker, 2001). In Canada, the prevalence rate of obesity has risen predominantly among children and adolescents (Roberts, Shields, De Groh, Aziz & Gilbert, 2012). An estimated 19.8% within the age groups of 5 to 17...show more content...

The first empirical evidence provides a snapshot of regulating food advertising to children and the second empirical evidence provides a detailed analysis of implementing nutrition base policies in schools.

Regulation of Food Advertisement to Children

The advertising of foods and beverages targeted at children in Canada is a major cost for concern and policy makers should be taking a critical look at it. Restricting the marketing of foods and beverages targeted at children is a cost efficient way of implementing a population base intervention to combat childhood obesity (Raine, Lobstein Landon, Kent, Pellerin, Caulfield, Finegood, Mongeau, Neary & Spence, 2013). The World Health Organization (WHO) and other International bodies such as the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) have set tough recommendations for countries to follow to restrict the advertising of food and beverages to children (Raine, Lobstein Landon, Kent, Pellerin, Caulfield, Finegood, Mongeau, Neary & Spence, 2013). These recommendations outline several empirical evidences which serve as the paradigm for policy makers to act on and protect children from being targeted by advertising companies. The empirical evidences suggest children lack the knack to cognitively understand the persuasive intent of advertising companies (Raine et al, 2013). Food advertising companies envision children as susceptible and therefore adopt means and ways to lure them into buying their wares. Popular cartoon and Get

Childhood obesity may not seem like a serious problem, but it is a serious medical condition that can have major effects on a child. Although genetics play a role in determining a child's weight, it is usually due to a child's amount of exercise and the consumption of healthy meals. Doctors are concerned with the issue, as we all should be, and they are creating new programs that are geared toward helping children learn how to follow a healthier lifestyle. There are some promising outlooks with these programs, and most doctors agree that parents should help their children create a more active and healthy lifestyle. They also agree that the government should provide more attention to the issue as well. Since the growing problem of childhood...show more content... Also, any families spend their time together by eating meals while watching television, which can cause children to overeat (Denney–Wilson). Often partnered with fast food, soft drinks have risen to popularity. Many parents are unaware that one 12 ounce can of soda is filled with 10 teaspoons of sugar. Just one additional serving of soda increases a child's odds of obesity by 60% ("1 Can of..."). If parents are made aware of what they are feeding their children, it might help reduce the percentage of obese children in the United States. Although most families would react to obesity by trying to feed their children healthier meals, some lower–income families are unable to afford the best quality food for their families. One study showed that children from households that are experiencing financial insecurity are more prone to health issues than those who are not experiencing these same issues (Yoo). The government should help these lower–income families by providing them with monetary support to purchase healthy food. Not only will the incorporation of a healthy diet help children overcome their weight problems, it can have an added benefit of helping them academically. Researchers have found that children who eat healthy meals will report better scores on standardized tests (Williams). By changing the diet of their children, parents can help their children to overcome their weight problems. The incorporation of a daily exercise routine can

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Informative Speech 1 Outline Childhood Obesity Planning Block General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform the audience of the importance of childhood obesity Central Idea: Childhood obesity is an epidemic that is sweeping across America and will continue to get worse unless the problem is faced head on. Introduction Hook: Introduce myself. Then start talking about the "Maury Povich" show when there are fat babies. Then talk about how they think it may be funny/cute, but then let them know that it's a big problem that happens all over America. Going to show pictures from the show during the hook and other different pictures throughout speech. Importance to Audience: Most members of the audience (class)...show more content...

V. Today I am going to inform you on the dangers of childhood obesity and ways to prevent it happening in your families. Body I. Childhood obesity has tripled within the last 30 years. 1 In 1980, 6.5% of children 6–11 years old were obese. In 2008, that percentage rose to nearly 20%. II. Being obese as a child, doesn't mean you be obese as an adult. A. Only 25% of obese adults were obese as children. III. Childhood obesity has both short and long term effects on someone's health. 2 Primary cause is calorie intake and calories expended. 3 Other reasons include behavioral, genetic, and environmental factors. 4 Physical effects are type II diabetes, high blood pressure, low metabolism, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. 5 Psychological effects are low self–esteem and social discrimination. (Go into more detail on C and D) IV. These effects can directly relate to problems as an adult. V. Ways to prevent childhood obesity. 6 Make your children eat properly. (List a few ways of eating properly) 7 Keep them active. Make them participate in sports, after school activities, exercise with them, or just make them go outside and play for a while, rather than stay inside and play video games. (Mention the "Play 60" program that the NFL talks about) (put in some pictures of activities and such) 8 Be involved as parents or whatever you relationship with them may be. Encouragement is a

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Within the past three years obesity among children has tripled. Childhood obesity is considered the number one health threat in America. Childhood obesity has become a major issue facing America. And today over "nine million" (Selicia 4, May) United States children are overweight and obese. Sadly "2 million" (Tanner 2005) of these children are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Obesity has become a burden to the United States economy and it is costing America "$147 billion" (Holden, 2010) a year. A child does not become overweight and obese overnight. America, Parents, society and the government are to blame for the obesity among American children. Obesity has been around for many years, but it has always been addressed has an adult...show more content...

According to Sandra G. Boodman (Jun 13, 1995) numerous researchers have found that "obesity runs in families: A child with two fat parents has an 80 percent chance of being fat as an adult; the risk is cut in half if only one parent is obese. By contrast a child of two normal–weight parents has a 14 percent chance of growing up to being fat". Children adopt the habits of their parents. A child who has an overweight parent who eats high–calorie foods and are inactive will likely become overweight too. However, if the family adopts healthy food and physical activity habits, the child's chance of being overweight or obese is reduced. Obese children are more prone to low–self–esteem and negative body image. In rare cases obesity is not necessarily due to the child being overfed or eating too much. Childhood obesity can also be caused by a genetic medical, psychological, genetics, lifestyle and environment". Hypothyroidism Cushing's disease, diabetes and certain medications, notably steroids, some antidepressants, and high blood pressure drugs, and seizure medications can all cause a person to become obese. These medicines can slow the rate at which your body burns calories, increase your appetite, or cause your body to hold on to extra water. All of these factors can lead to weight gain. It is without a doubt that many children tend to overeat when faced with stressful life circumstances in an effort to escape Get more content

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low– and middle–income families particularly in the United States. The socioeconomic status of these families contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic.

Summary of Article 1

The article, "Beliefs about the Role of Parenting in Feeding and Childhood Obesity among Mothers of Lower Socioeconomic Status" is a study that was conducted by Alison Kalinowski, Kylene Krause, Carla Berdejo, Kristina Harrell, Katherine Rosenblum, and Julie Lumeng. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior. The focus of the study was to examine beliefs about the role of parenting in feeding...show more content...

Summary of Article 4

The article, "Factors associated with obesity in Latino children: a review of the literature" is peer reviewed article that was conducted by Melanie L. Kornides, Panagiota Kitsantas, and Antonia Villarruel. The study was published in Hispanic Health Care International. The purpose of this article was to review the current literature on the factors associated with overweight and obesity in Latino children, provide nursing implications, and suggest direction for future research. The findings of this review indicated that factors related to activity, diet, genetics, the environment, and acculturation influence overweight and obesity in Latino children. The strengths of the studies reviewed included analyses by Latino subgroup, large Latino sample sizes, and inclusion of both English and Spanish speakers. Limitations included inadequate sample sizes in some studies and lack of data on potential confounding factors such as acculturation and immigration status. Future research is needed to determine how factors associated with obesity can be used in prevention efforts targeting Latino children.

Summary of Article 5

The article, "Disparities in obesity and overweight prevalence among US immigrant children and adolescents by generational status" written by Singh and Kogan is a study that was published in the Journal Of Community Get

Childhood Obesity Essay

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. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of obese children ages 6–19 have tripled to 16% over the last twelve years. That is an alarming figure. One of the main causes is lack of physical activity. This may seem like an obvious cause, but it seems to be the one our youth have the most problems with. Physical education is being...show more content...

The age old saying, "You are what you eat" still rings true today. Fresh fruit and vegetables have been replaced by french–fries and hamburgers. Children today do not know how to eat healthy. We, as a nation, spend hours and hours bombarding children with fast food commercials, sugary cereal commercials and cavity causing drink commercials. We than spend a fraction of that time telling kids these things are healthy only in moderation. Our children's nutritional education is almost nonexistent. Ask a fifth grader what the food pyramid is and you're likely to receive the same blank stare as I did. Most children have no idea what a balanced meal is because they may have never received one. Schools provide nutritional meals at lunch, but there is no enforcement when it comes to eating your fruits and vegetables. Lets face it, children eat what's familiar. If they haven't had it at home they are probably not going to eat it at school. If there are no vegetables at home, they are not going to eat them at school. Home life definitely sets the tone for a child's eating and exercise routines. Children are like sponges and they will mimic anything a beloved adult will do. We, as the adult nation, are generally out of shape. We have become more reliant on convenience foods that hold little nutritional value. With the rising cost of produce and the recent FDA safety scares it might

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Childhood Obesity Introduction

The past several decades have seen an escalating trend in the rate of childhood obesity not only in the United States where 25%–30% of children are affected, but also in many of the industrialized nations. Childhood obesity has continued to be a major issue in the public health care system. The economic cost of the medical expenses as well as the lost income resulting from the complications of obesity both in children and adults has been estimated at almost $100 billion (Barnes, 2011). Overweight children are more predisposed to the danger of becoming overweight in their adulthood unless they ensure healthier eating habits and exercise. It is worth noting that the current lifestyle in which many children...show more content...

Greek physicians are credited for making the observation that infertility and infrequent menses in women was caused by obesity. About five centuries after Hippocrates, Galen who was a Roman physician made a distinction between immoderate and moderate forms of obesity. It is supposed that the immoderate form was an anticipation of what is currently classified as morbid obesity (Bray, 2009). Though clinical observations made in the ancient times had brought to light the risk of diabetes and sudden death associated with obesity, the significance of excess mortality and morbidity caused by obesity has only received full appreciation more recently. Data obtained as early as 1901 indicated that people with excess weight, particularly around the abdomen had a shortened life expectancy. Further systematic studies have confirmed this risk and these results led to the World Health Organization classifying obesity on the basis of increasing BMI (Bray, 2009). Epidemiology

According to the statistics gathered since the 1960s, the prevalence of childhood obesity has been on the rise with the years between the 1980s and 1990s indicating a three times increase from nearly 5% to almost 15% for both children and teens (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011, p. 42). The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) have been conducting studies on the prevalence

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According to a 2010 report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past thirty years. As well as having an impact on health, studies have cited a relationship between obesity and poor school performance as well as a child's readiness for learning and education. This can be correlated with studies finding "obese children have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self–esteem" (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, para. 2). It has also been documented that obese children miss more days from school than the general student population and "many will lack the energy to sustain the concentration needed to...show more content...

Computer programs and instruction give most students twenty–four hour access and allow for the assimilation of

3 knowledge at their own pace. They are multi–taskers who stay connected socially via networking sites. Twenty–first century learners want to be engaged in the content and see the relevance. Thus the teachers of these 21st century learners must adapt the skills, already possessed by the students, and use technology to their advantage by integrating technology into the classroom curriculum and lesson plans. It is important that the instruction is interactive and tailored to the needs and learning styles of today's youth. While Net Gen students enjoy working in groups, computer–based education should have the ability to be individualized to meet a particular student's specific need without fear of embarrassment or stigma by the rest of the class. (Casazza & Ciccazzo, 2006). A study by Skinner, Biscope, Poland, and Goldberg (2003) noted that health was not an important issue for most youth and that to be effective in health education "one needs to go where they are." Casazza & Ciccazzo (2006) found that the use of technology such as web sites and computer based programs had a greater impact on motivating participants of all ages to change their diets and behavior. (p. 46).

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY WITHNUTRITION EDUCATION

A best practice in technology education to enhance the traditional method of

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Introduction Obesity is on the rise in America. News articles and scientific reports unanimously agree that America is becoming the most overweight country in the world, and other developing countries are not far behind. In addition, these countries' children are now becoming as overweight as their parents and other adults. Unlike these adults, children seldom have the knowledge and control over their lifestyle to contribute to either health or obesity. Prominent researchers in the field exemplify the need for quick action. They state, "The effects of childhood obesity on morbidity and mortality indicate that effective prevention and therapy for childhood obesity are likely to have a significant impact on adult disease" ...show more content...

Being overweight can have both psychological and physical ramifications. Obesity is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, total mortality and certain cancers in adulthood (Harlan 2). Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that "obesity present in young women was associated with an adverse impact associated with an adverse impact on household income, education, and rates of marriage, poverty, and college completion" (Gortmaker 1008). Reducing the incidence of obesity will benefit these parts of society as well. Furthermore, according to research by Price, "Overweight children are especially vulnerable to stigmatization because of the importance given to physical skills and appearance during the developmental years" (95). Additional research has looked at children's views toward other children who show a disability. Results showed that "depictions of obese children were consistently rated less positively than most of the other depictions of children, including children in wheelchairs, on crutches, with limbs missing, and with facial deformity" (95). With research showing these serious effects, ways to effectively reduce and prevent childhood adiposity (body fat) must be offered. Changes in diet, exercise, and the implementation of social programs are three presented here. Effect of Diet The first argument states that diet is the problem and should be addressed to control

Reducing Childhood Obesity Essay

Lisa has been suffering with obesity since she was 12 now at 17 she weighs approximately 440 pounds. She was known as the freak of every school she attended. Due to depression, anxiety and agoraphobia (The fear of wide open spaces, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.), caused by the rest of her classmates she was forced to drop out of school. Children like these are all across America. Food industries are provoking them to eat more with their tasty, one–dollar menus. One of the areas that need to be given more importance in the fight against obesity is physical education: from elementary throughout high school. Obesity is a disease that is common in America; it usually starts in the elementary age. Physical education not only helps...show more content...

Excess body fat will be stored in the fat cells, causing obesity. Obesity alone may not be life threatening, but research has proven that an obese person is more likely to develop a life threatening disease than a person of normal weight. Added to this, the indoor activities so common in our western society generally do not burn as much energy as outdoor activities resulting in more energy being retained as fat cells. (Kiess 112)

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, statistics show that 66% of Americans are obese. Obesity is differentiated from overweight in that the former is an abnormally high proportion of body fat and the latter "excess of body weight compared to set standards... [Which may] come from muscle, bone, fat or body water (Statistics related 1, 3). Obesity and overweight are a growing problem. "Over the last two decades, the rates for overweight children have doubled, so that today one–third of children in the United States are overweight." This means that out of every 15 kids in an average elementary class, 5 will be diagnosed with overweight. Possible explanations for the increase in obese persons are: more fast–food availability and advertisement and more sedentary diversions. This is why the American Heart Association (AHS) in every state and at federal level requires that

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