Obesity and Its Effects
Obesity refers to health condition where fat in the body is excess. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is extensively utilized as the screening procedure to determine the existence of the disease. Moreover, childhood obesity is long-term and immediate effects on emotional, social, and physical health (Sahoo et al. 187). For instance, children having this condition are more likely to suffer from other diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, depression and different forms of cancers. The proportion of children suffering from obesity in the United States has increased by threefold since the 1970s from 5.2 percent to 16.9 percent in 2012. Statistics from 2015-2016 indicated that about 20 percent of school going children aged between 6 to 19 years are affected by the disease (Baidal et al. 761). Children in the age group 12-19 years have the highest risk of obesity while those between 2 and 5 years have the lowest risks (Ogden et al. 806). For this reason, childhood obesity is a serious public health issue in the country.
Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity
A wide range of risk factors is associated with childhood obesity. Some of these include the degree of physical activity, lifestyle and parent BMI and nighttime sleep duration. Research has indicated that such factors are linked to overweight. For instance, poor diet having huge levels of sugar and fat, and less amount of nutrients contributes to children overweight which subsequently develops to obesity (Baidal et al. 761). Soft drinks, candy, and fast food are major dietary risk factors for childhood obesity. Similarly, convenience foods including canned pasta, salty snacks, and frozen dinners can also lead to harmful gaining of weight. On the other hand, parents whose BMI is high are more likely to have children who are overweight or obese. However, the key reason for childhood obesity is a permutation of the low degree of exercise and high-energy food intake (Brownell and Timothy eds. 13). Reports have also underlined that psychological issues may be a source of childhood obesity. For instance, teenagers or kids who are depressed, stressed, or bored may eat a huge amount of food to deal with negative emotions (Ogden et al. 806).
The Cost of Healthy Food
Healthy food is so much more expensive
Health food is much more expensive in the United States, especially among the underprivileged children. Studies have pointed out that many families are unable to easily pay for health diets such as fish, meats, vegetables, and fresh fruits as compared to refined grains and processed snacks and meals. Indeed, the scholars argued that the reason for such occurrence is due to present food policies encourages large scales production but the cheaper process (Baidal et al. 761). In addition, it prefers processed foodstuffs that deliver higher profit margin per unit in the nutrition sector. Consequently, it increases the prices of nutritious food by more than $1.50 daily relative to unhealthy meals (Ogden et al. 807).
Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits
Convincing people to stop eating fast food
People should be encouraged and empowered to stop eating fast food, which increases the risk of childhood obesity. Embracing healthy eating habits is completely important (Brownell and Timothy eds. 13). Parents play a major role in determining the eating patterns of the children. In fact, the majority of children consume the types of foods that the parents purchase. Therefore, parents should be educated on the importance of eating nutritious meals especially by reducing the soft drinks and sweets in their diet (Sahoo et al. 187). For instance, they awareness should be created to encourage them to take meals nonfat or lower-fat milk.
Promoting Physical Activity
Convincing children to become more active
Heightening the physical activity of the child is quite crucial in dealing with the problem of obesity in the country. In fact, it assists in reducing weight safely. More importantly, children can be convinced to become more active by applying the words/phrases such as ‘activity’ as opposed to ‘workout’, or ‘exercise’ to ensure that they are more interested (Baidal et al. 763). In addition, they should be involved in playing appealing sports such hopscotch in the neighborhood instead of jogging from place to place. Based on the recommendation of the US CDC, children must participate in more than an hour’s physical exercises per day to sustain their wellbeing. Older teenagers require a more organized exercise program when they are attempting to shed weight (Ogden et al. 809).
The Role of Genetics
Obesity and hereditary
Studies have pointed out that obesity is a product of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Some genes directly lead to disorders of obesity such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. However, both eating behavior and genes can contribute to overweight in children (Ogden et al. 810). In other instance, various genes can escalate the susceptibility of a child to obesity and need external factors such as low level of exercise and sufficient food intake. Reports have highlighted that various types of obesity and overweight tend to be more pronounced within certain families. For instance, an individual with the family history of the disease has a 2-8 times risk for developing the condition as compared to an individual without a family history of the health condition. The disease heritability is associated with the distribution of adipose tissue and excess body fat (Baidal et al. 764). Besides, genes affect other issues such as metabolism and appetite, which predispose an individual to obesity under particular nutritional conditions. The proportions of obesity due to hereditary/genetics in the population are estimated to be between 6 percent and 85 percent (Ogden et al. 811).
Steps to Take in Schools
Sodas and junk food ban in school cafeterias
Data from the US Department of Health " Human Services (HHS) highlighted that 52 percent and 32 percent of teenage boys and girls respectively in the United States consume more than 25 ounces of soda daily. In addition, children develop poor eating behaviors at an early stage, which is sustained in their lifetime (Brownell and Timothy eds. 15). Again, school is the area where kids use the majority of their time in shaping their future. Therefore, sodas in school cafeteria should be banned because they will no longer expose children to unhealthy foods, which contain a huge amount of sugar. Instead, soda must be substituted with nutritious alternatives. In so doing, it would help in solving the problem of children obesity. More significantly, it would nurture healthy eating culture and habits among the children. They also require comprehending the importance of eating healthy foods by making informed food choices in their lives (Brownell and Timothy eds. 17). By banning sodas in learning institutions, schools would significantly contribute to fighting obesity since children tend to develop unhealthy eating habits in their tender age. Finally, if kids learn how to avoid unhealthy foodstuffs in their school, they can transfer these skills in their home and initiate new eating culture, which would be instrumental in combating and increase in the occurrence of obesity (Baidal et al. 765).
Seeking Medical Advice
Parents asking their pediatricians
Parents should seek the advice of pediatricians in their quest to deal with childhood obesity. First, they should inquire about the weight of their child every moment they visit the pediatrician. Additionally, they should ask about the way to initiate healthy eating traditions among their kids and the appropriate quantity of the meal as well as the portion size (Ogden et al. 810). Finally, they should request information about the manner in which the family can change their unhealthy living lifestyle to promote fitness among the children.
Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a growing public health issue in the United States. From the 1970s to 2012, the proportion of childhood obesity has escalated by threefold to 16.9 percent among children aged 6 to 19 years. Some of the factors that contribute to childhood obesity include lifestyle, psychological factors, and family history of the child. Diets containing a high concentration of sugar or fat promote overweight in children (Brownell and Timothy eds. 13). Similarly, failure to participate in adequate physical exercise can be a source of the disease. Measures to reduce the disease include participation in routine physical exercise, proper diet, and embracing a healthy lifestyle.
Work Cited
Baidal, Jennifer A. Woo, et al. "Risk factors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days: a systematic review." American journal of preventive medicine 50.6 (2016): 761-779.
Brownell, Kelly D., and B. Timothy Walsh, eds. Eating disorders and obesity: A comprehensive handbook. Guilford Publications, 2017.
Ogden, Cynthia L., et al. "Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012." Jama 311.8 (2014): 806-814.
Sahoo, Krushnapriya, et al. "Childhood obesity: causes and consequences." Journal of family medicine and primary care4.2 (2015): 187.
