Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity

Deborah P. Stephens

Ashford 3 - Week 5 Assignment - ENG122: English Composition II (AFE1228B)

Instructor Melissa Eidson

August 13, 2012

Childhood Obesity

What is and what does Childhood Obesity mean? Childhood Obesity is now a widespread ever growing problem for children of all backgrounds, not only in the United States but in other countries throughout the world. Obesity means that you are overweight, having access body fat for a particular height from fat, muscle and bone. Obesity in children is a result of having taken in too much food high in calories. When children tend to over-eat foods or are snacking excessively in high calories, fatty, salty foods that are low in nutrients constantly throughout the day and even at night, or on junk foods like fast foods such as hamburgers, french fries, ice cream shakes filled with lots of calories, potato chips, candy, cakes, etc., they become high risk candidate to become obese children. While some children are still infants, parents have a tendency of allowing their children to eat and drink excessively without putting them on a planned eating schedule which results to their child becoming obese. By the time 2-5 year old children get to the preschool age, they are now obese. As per the International Journal of Obesity, some studies show that over 20 - 25% of preschool children are already overweight due to early over eating. "Epidemiological findings point to even earlier modifiable risk factors, including gestational weight gain, maternal pre-pregnancy weight, and formula feeding" (LL Birch and AK Ventura, 2009). Some children that are in grade school are exposed to sugar drinks, snacks and less healthy foods during the day if their school is not on some sort of healthy food program.

To help make sure children do not grow into being obese, parents and responsible adults need to help children eat a well-balanced meal with nutritious food that is good and healthy for them, not allow them to eat large portions, at a time and provide them with exercise routines. Children who are obese go through many problems, not only with their weight, but with bullying from other children. Childhood obesity when looked at from other children who are not obese, have a tendency of being very nasty and unforgiving. Some have the tendency of even making the victim commit suicide from constant verbal abuse. Since, they are overweight; other children tend to pick on them more. Preventing Childhood Obesity: What Works indicates, "Faced with this environmental threat, traditional feeding practices evolved that include (1) feeding children frequently; (2) offering large portions; (3) offering preferred foods; (4) offering food as a first response to crying or distress; and (5) coercing children to eat when food is available, even if they are not hungry" (Birch, 2009).

Some people argue that childhood obesity is a disease because of genetics. Some doctors say that this is a disease that can cause death and other diseases such as risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, diabetes and in some cases cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, kidney, and thyroid, gall bladder not to say the lease, multiple myeloma and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Some children develop breathing problems like sleep apnea and asthma, joint problems, musculoskeletal discomfort, fatty liver disease, gallstones, gastro-esophageal reflux condition. All of these problems exist when children are obese and they do nothing to stop it. Nevertheless, the problem has tripled in the past 30 years as per the article in Center for Disease Control and Prevention, June 2012. "The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. As per Mark Smith of the Herald Glasgow (UK), "Childhood obesity is one of the most significant health problems in Western Europe, and in particular Scotland, where there is a rising prevalence. Diet and lack of exercise are contributing factors... The increase in childhood obesity presents a challenge for the future of the NHS because excess weight at this age can translate into serious diseases such as high blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes at a later stage" Smith Apr 9, 2012 (p. 2).

Nowadays, children even have a greater chance of becoming obese due to the rising of new technologies. When they tend to watch television, and media, playing on video game machines, on the computer, cell phones, even going to the movies on a regular basis where there are nothing but high calorie snack foods and candies, their eating habits tend to get out of control. Due to their spending time on such technology, eating excessively high calorie foods, during these times tends to get out of control. As a matter of fact, television is not helping showing various commercials of high calorie foods to their view audiences, children included.

There are some doctors who say that it is not a disease, it is only due to consuming too many calories; over eating, not watching what they consume like high calorie snacks etc., too many sweets, constant eating and indulging together with little or no exercise. The bottom line of this claim is there is a habit of overeating having