Executive Summary
Throughout the years Children are becoming more obese, and there are plenty of factors which contribute to obesity, whether is it societal, environmental and even biological. This report focuses on the parental influence of young primary and pre-school aged children’s attitudes towards foods. It looks at ways we can change and prevent obesity happening from a food consumption perspective. An inclusion of current issues we’re facing in society today in relation to parental influences on children will also be in this report.
Introduction
1.0 Background
Young children are not in control of their food consumption, their parents are. This factor largely contributes to children becoming obese. Their parents need to know the fundamentals and requirements of food choice for their children. The Department of Human Services 2005 explains that young children have little control in their own food choices. The parents or carers usually prepare and serve certain foods to their children. However, sometimes the child can have some choice by refusing what they are offered. This is an issue as Moreno Aznar & Pigot et al., (2011) suggest an argument of parents being held responsible for their child being obese, while there are plenty of social factors that make it hard for people to live healthily.
Weil (1977) suggested that some parents who overfed their children felt as if they are successfully parenting, and that adults who grow up in this pattern have difficulty in changing their own food intake behaviour (cited in Rotatori A. F, & Fox, R. 1989) The National Health and Medical Research Centre, (2013) mentioned that children who are overweight are likely to be overweight when they are adults more so if their parent...
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National Health and Medical Research Council, (2013)EAT FOR HEALTH, Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary Department of Health and Aging, Retrieved from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55a_australian_dietary_guidelines_summary_131014.pdf
O'dea, J. A. & Eriksen, M. P. (2010). Childhood obesity prevention. Oxford [U.K]: Oxford University Press.
Rotatori A. F., & Fox, R. (1989). Obesity in children and youth: Measurement, characteristics, causes, and treatment. Springfield, III., U.S.A: C.C Thomas
Taitz, L. S. & Wardley, B. L. (1989). Handbook of child nutrition. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press.
Who.int. (2014). WHO | Childhood overweight and obesity. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/ [Accessed: 31 Mar 2014].
Hype words like ‘epidemic’ have been used to stress the relevance of obesity in today’s generation. The situation has been mainly accredited to poor parenting as well as the accessibility of high sugar and low quality food in developmental stages. However, this issue is not limited to cost and upbringing. It is crucial for parents to be aware of the media that exists encouraging children to partake in challenges similar to what is seen on Man v. Food.
National Audit Office. (2007) Tackling obesity in children [online]. Available from: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0001/ [Accessed on 15/03/2011].
Childhood onset overweight and obesity and its’ associated health consequences are quickly becoming major significant public health issues facing America today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 95th percentile while obese is defined as BMI above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex . The prevalence of overweight children, defined based on 2009 CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data, has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the incidence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% to 17.0% while overweight levels for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 17.6% . Not only has prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity increased dramatically over the last several decades, but being an overweight or obese child puts one at a heightened risk for adult overweight and obesity .
There is a concerning 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, with rates more than doubling in children and quadrupling in adolescents over the past 30 years. According to Childhood Obesity Facts (2015), 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. When discussing obesity, it is important to define the term.
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...
It is apparent that living an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as eating poorly, negatively affects one’s health. From a young age it is quickly learned which foods are considered healthful as opposed to junk food. It is a parents responsibility to supervise the intake of their child's food, however there is a higher risk than ever before of childhood obesity.
Marcus, Lauren, Ph. D., and Amanda Baron, M.S.W. "Childhood Obesity: A Growing Problem." Www.aboutourkids.org. NYU Child Study Center, May 2004. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
In the 21st century childhood obesity is regarded as one of the most serious public health challenges faced by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2013). Figures recorded by the National Child Measurement programme for the 2011/12 period showed children aged 10-11, of which 14.7% were overweight and a further 19.2% figure were classed as obese. Statistics from the same report also indicate boys in the same age group are more likely to be obese with a figure of 20.7% compared to a 17.7% figure for girls. These figures are a large cause for concern for both these children and on a wider scale, society. Obesity is caused by a number of factors that can range from the not so obvious of social class, to the clear lack of exercise and poor diet. Obese or overweight children are more likely to carry this status into adulthood and put themselves at an increased risk of developing associated health problems such as raised cholesterol, high blood pressure and even premature mortality (Public Health England, 2013). Obesity is defined as the over consumption of calories in relation to little physical activity, this means calories consumed are not being burnt but turned into fat cells (NHS, 2012).
Obesity is a modern epidemic in America and is starting to become our society’s “norm.” According to an article in Progress in Health Sciences, childhood obesity is the most frequent eating disorder (Koukourikos). There are several factors that contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic. Should we solely shun the parents of obese children for this? No, we should not. There is not one single person to blame, but several people, along with our society. Family, friends, and schools all play a very important role in teaching children about healthy food choices and exercise. Children may have a greater risk for obesity due to genetic factors. We need to constantly remind our children how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that
Institute of Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved Jan 10, 2011, from Childhood Obesity Prevention Actions for Local Government: www.iom.edu/Activities/Childhood/LocalObesPrevention.asp
" The Obesity Epidemic in Young Children." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Feb. 2001. Web.
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”.
Kiess, W., Claude Marcus, and Martin Wabitsch. Obesity In Childhood And Adolescence. Basel: Karget, 2004. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
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.
I want to investigate how schools and parents can work together to support healthy eating for young children. Many schools already have healthy eating initiatives in place, however, there is still a high percentage of children with obesity. I firmly believe that if schools and parents have a close partnership in promoting healthy eating young children will have consistency both in the school and home environment. Healthy eating is an area that I feel passionate about due to the effects poor nutrition can have on the child both in the short term and in the long term. During my second school placement, I witnessed a healthy eating initiative that was extremely successful both with the staff and the students. This has influenced my enthusiasm to promote healthy eating in the early years by including parents in order to combat the serious issue of childhood