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Essay on childhood nutrition
Essay on childhood nutrition
Essay on childhood nutrition
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Since I was a child, I have always known I wanted to become a doctor, but I did not know what kind of doctor I wanted to become. Did I want to become a doctor to earn a lot of money and live a prosperous life, be respected in society, or so that I could simply help other people? The answer came to me not too long ago while I was volunteering at the Methodist Richardson Hospital. During my time in the children’s ward reading books with these children or even just talking to them, I felt a sense of fulfillment. Seeing these children with life threatening diseases, such as cancer, smiling happily as if nothing were wrong, living their lives as if they were not stuck in hospital beds made me just love them and their positive attitudes. Working with these children helped me realize that whatever I did in life would be focused around children such as them. The volunteer work I committed to at this hospital helped me realize the career field I wanted to go into, and it also taught me how important it is to keep the new generations yet to come healthy, and a massive risk factor that would risk the health of children is childhood obesity. Although parents are not paying much attention to their children gaining excessive amounts of weight, it is a serious matter because it leads to illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and other health risks. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States today, and it is only increasing because of the lack of awareness and the absence of a health plan for children that will interest them and allow them to have fun while staying healthy. Childhood obesity has become such a big problem because of the lack of parent awareness and influence on children to eat healthily. Childhood obesity i... ... middle of paper ... ...ss, 2011. At Issue. Rpt. from "Kudos for First Lady's Anti-Obesity Campaign." San Francisco Chronicle 4 Apr. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Health Effects of Childhood Obesity."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Feb. 2014. "Report: Childhood Obesity Rates Fell In 18 States." CBS Dallas Fort Worth. CBS, 02 Nov. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. "Childhood Obesity." Childhood Obesity on the Rise. Mayo Clinic, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. Thrasher, Chalres. "Obesity In Children And Teens." Obesity In Children And Teens. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. Martin, Steve. "Preventing Obesity in Children, Causes of Child Obesity, and More."WebMD. WebMD, 14 July 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.
The overall rate of obesity for children comes in at 17 percent, or about 12.5 million obese children in America today (Doheny 1). The number of children who are obese is growing at a fast rate. Most cases of childhood obesity are caused by eating too much and exercising too little. Extra weight puts children at a risk of serious health problems; such as, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma (Smith 1). Although obesity can be prevented, it has become a growing problem among children due to several factors that lead to health problems.
To help out with my research on childhood obesity I am creating this annotated bibliography. I am researching the health issues related to childhood obesity as well as the long term effects.
Childhood obesity is a consequential medical condition that effects the youth and adolescence of society. This disorder creates health problems that were once only seen in adults, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Although childhood obesity is a world wide issue, the percentage of overweight children differs, especially throughout the United States. Today, the greatest population suffering from this disease are African American children who reside in the southern part of the country. Parents, as well as children, continue to support unhealthy lifestyles even though they are well aware of the life-threatening diseases caused by obesity.
A lot of children are overweight and obese too, unfortunately. Childhood obesity is especially sad because, for the most part, the parents are at fault. The child, especially when they’re young, have no control over what they eat and couldn’t try to be healthy, even if they wanted to. “In 2013, 42 million children under the age of 5 were overweight of obese.” (Obesity and
Some of the causes of childhood obesity are greater availability of unhealthy foods, little to no daily exercise, No safe place in many communities to play or be active. Plus companies are coming together to make their food be able to be more visualized and make people want to buy their food. Also it becomes harder to jump, hop, or even stand on one leg and they will become more clumsy. More affects of being obese are Blount’s Disease, Flat Feet, Diabetes, and Asthma. Blount’s Disease is where a growth disorder in the lower leg cause it to go inward, Flat Feet is where one’s feet has no arch which makes it painful to walk long distance, Diabetes is a inability to produce any or enough insulin. Childhood Obesity has become an huge issue around the world, in the last 30 years it has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. The percent of children obese in 1980 was 7% now it is about 18 %. Scientist have predicted that if this continue nearly 9% of all preschoolers will be obese now that is nearly 60 million children. Obesity is more prevalent in lower income families this statistic is just for kids aged 2 - 5. Obesity rates are higher in adults than kids but in the U.S., Brazil, China, and others places they see the problem more in kids than
Childhood obesity is a serious problem among American children. Some doctors are even calling childhood obesity an epidemic because of the large percentage of children being diagnosed each year as either overweight or obese. “According to DASH sixteen to thirty-three percent of American children each year is being told they are obese.” (Childhood Obesity) There is only a small percentage, approximately one percent, of those children who are obese due to physical or health related issues; although, a condition that is this serious, like obesity, could have been prevented. With close monitoring and choosing a healthier lifestyle there would be no reason to have such a high obesity rate in the United States (Caryn). Unfortunately, for these children that are now considered to be obese, they could possibly be facing some serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancers. All of these diseases have been linked to obesity through research. These children never asked for this to happen to them; however, it has happened, and now they will either live their entire life being obese, or they will be forced to reverse what has already been done (Childhood Obesity).
As a traditional Native American saying goes, “Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture the heart.” My heart was captured by pediatrics at an early age. My journey was started growing up in a small town of India with different but significant healthcare needs and limited availability of resources. During the school life, I was always attracted towards human biology. As a young student, I was very curious and used to ask many questions, and my teachers always explained every principle by scientific reasoning and rational thinking. Childhood, after all, is a time when every human begins to construct their concepts of the physical, social, mental and emotional portions of their life. In turn, these perceptions can profoundly
Childhood obesity is slowly becoming more and more of a problem in the United States.
Many people in this world want to make a difference in life. However, most people do not want to put in all the effort that it takes to do so. The job of a pediatrician is life-changing to many. Unfortunately, it takes drive and effort that many people do not have, to become a pediatrician. A pediatrician’s job is a highly-skilled and interesting job because he or she has the privilege to deal with and help as many children as possible.
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2010). Childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/
Since I am intrigued by the children’s personalities, I love spending time with them (and that’s why their child-like ways rub off on me). Thus, I believe that my own childish personality and my love of children will motivate me in the near future to help them out with their medical needs. Also, being a pediatrician and helping out children has its own rewards. Not only will I be doing something I enjoy, but I will be getting paid a generous price as well. A pediatrician’s salary is not the highest compared to surgeons or cardiologists, but it’s enough to have a life that is something more than simply satisfying.
The percentage of children between the ages of 6–11 years in the United States who were obese in 1980 was only 7% by the year 2012 that number increased to 18%. The percentage of children
Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002). Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure. The lancet, 360(9331), 473-482.
Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002). Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure. The lancet, 360(9331), 473-482.