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reasons why parents are to blame for childhood obesity
public health issue childhood obesity
childhood obesity over the decades
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Introduction
In the past three decades, rates of childhood obesity have increased precipitously. Between the years and 1980 and 2000, the prevalence of obesity has increased from 6.5% to 19.6% among 6 to 11 year old children and 5.0% to 18.1% among 12 to 19 year old adolescents x(National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2010). This condition is accompanied by many physical and psychological consequences for these children. There are two common postions in the debate about the causes of this condition. One belief of the cause of childhood obesity is that it is a question of “personal responsibility” or in the case of children, of “parental responsibility.” That is, increasing rates of obesity are due to parents’ failure to limit their children’s access to “junk food” and to tell them to go play outside. An example of this lack of authority of parents’ over their children’s eating habits is a Kayla, a 4-year-old child who weighs 104 pounds. In this situation, her mother has been unable to control the frequency and quantity of her child’s eating habits (ABC News, 2008; Kofman, 2008; Yellin, & Simons, 2007). The following is a brief overview detailing the model that places the blame of childhood obesity on parents’, and a case study describing the condition of Kayla and how it should be dealt with.
Cause of Obesity
There are many factions who believe that parents are liable for the epidemic of childhood obesity. Some researchers believe that parents may unintentionally encourage inappropriate weight gain in their children by utilizing improper child-feeding manners (Clark, Goyder, Bissell, Blank, & Peters, 2007). Additionally, children may model their parents’ behavior and therefore develop improper ...
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...MFMER). (2010a). Childhood obesity: Make weight loss a family affair. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/FL00058#
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). (2010b). Childhood obesity: Treatments and drugs. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2010). Childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/
Pillitteri, A. (2009). Maternal and child health nursing: Care of the childbearing and childrearing family (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Yellin, J. & Simons, L. (2007). Obesity reaches preschool: Four-year-old Kayla’s battle with her weight. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Diet/story?id=2863420&page=1
Marder, William D. and Stella Chang. “Childhood Obesity: Costs, Treatment Pattern, Disparities in Care, and Prevalent Medical Conditions.” Thomson Medstat Research Brief. Web. 5, September 2011.
The mentality of parents can lead to the downfall of their children 's health. Due to the lack of provision and support that they provide as a result of their mentality, their children who gravely need it remains obese and their condition usually exacerbates. In Jan Hoffman 's article, Parents ' Denial Fuels Childhood Obesity Epidemic, she makes it clear that parents who deny the condition of their children can drastically harm them even if it is unintentional. Since, parents with an ignorant mentality cannot provide their obese child with the help they desperately need to combat their obesity problems. She provides anecdotes of parents as well as the sentiments from individuals that developed obesity as a child and needed an intervention,
"Childhood Obesity: A Policy Statement of the Society of Behavioral Medicine." Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). N.p., n.d. Web. 1Apr. 2014.
There is an alarming rise in childhood obesity throughout the United States, making it an epidemic in our country. Obesity has become a threat to the health of many children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.(Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015)
"Childhood Obesity." Childhood Obesity on the Rise. Mayo Clinic, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 02 Mar.
Our future begins with the children of today growing up to be the adults of tomorrow. “Childhood obesity is the condition of being overweight or severely overweight which causes risks to health between the age of 2 and 19” (“Childhood Obesity”). Childhood obesity is taking a huge toll on not only the physical standpoint of the child, but also their mental stability. Childhood obesity is no longer a concern with Americans; it’s now a problem that has spiraled out of control in the world. Obesity will never be resolved one hundred percent, but it’s the little impacts that concerned citizens bring to people’s attention that make the difference. One step in the right directions is better than not taking a step at all. Along with the many health issues associated with childhood obesity, there are three major effects that seem to stand out more around the world; the food we subject our bodies to, setting a pattern for the next generation(s), and it contributes to a child not reaching his or her full potential in life.
Elissa, Jelallian and Steele, Ric. “Handbook of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity”. New York, NY: SpringeScience+Business Media, c2008.Print.
"Obesity and Overweight for Childhood." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
However, there is more at stake here than what these two groups ultimately believe to be true. The percentage of obese children in the United States has risen from 5% in 1980 to almost 20% in 2012. Factors such as food choices and fitness levels are contributing greatly to this problem. Obese children eventually become obese adults and bring along with them many adverse medical conditions. These medical conditions such as diabetes are known to be severe and place a shorter life expectancy on the people it affects. Ultimately, what is at stake here is childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States due to people’s failure to eat the proper foods and as a result of children followin...
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).
Dietz, William H. "The Obesity Epidemic in Young Children." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Feb. 2001. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. .
Childhood obesity is a serious medical problem that affects children. Obesity is a medical term, commonly defined as being extremely overweight, which is only half the case. (www.wikipedia.com) Many parent’s ask if their child is obese, or at risk of becoming overweight, and they ask what to do about it. MD, Dennis Clements tells parents: “Obesity is a family event, not an individual event”.
Child obesity is at its highest in the United States. With fast food restaurants spreading, new food products being produced, and health rates hiking in children between ages of 3-13, children are at a higher risk of reaching obesity. Nutrients are very important for children to contain in their body due to the fact they are growing regularly. Without the specific vitamins and minerals needed in the body, lack of physical activity, and false parental guidance, children are in jeopardy of becoming overweight. Should parents be responsible for this issue? Parents are accountable for their children’s health, because as their child grows, it is a parent’s job to supply correct and healthy resources to their children.
Research shows “the prevalence of obesity among U.S. preschoolers has doubled in recent decades” (May 629). This is not surprising because we live in a “fast food” world where convenience is king. Where the television is the babysitter, and staying indoors to play video games is preferred to playing outside. So is this the child’s fault? Sometimes, but it is my opinion that parents are mainly to blame for childhood obesity because they are the ones that buy the groceries, set the television limits, and rely on fast food to feed their children.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Childhood Obesity - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. 9 Oct. 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. .