People know that obesity is one of the biggest health concern across the country which leads to major health problems. For example, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and lastly obesity. Children on the other hand, are more at risk because it is so easy for them to gain weight and to mistake their weight as something that stays with them only as a child; but it can in fact stay with them till their adult life. If nothing is done, it can result in heart disease but, they are also at risk for some forms of cancer and even dementia.
Obesity is a bad thing for your health but what people do not know is that it is also a financial issue. According to the state-of-obesity.com, "The obesity crisis costs our nation more than $150 billion in healthcare costs annually and billions of dollars more in lost productivity." These officials are right to be concerned because they are making sure every taxpayer dollar is getting spent wisely. Investing in this obesity prevention provides a significant purpose on the taxpayer money, because it is helping a
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This obesity-prevention is a group of people that in an investment for the children and their ability to learn and to grow. According to the state-of-obesity.com, "Childhood obesity is correlated with poor educational performance and increased risk for bullying and depression." When a child feels insecure about themselves due to their weight it can become a quick problem. They can become victims of bullying in their everyday lives for example, at their school and or university, and maybe even at their job. Being bullied because of your own weight can affect someone mentally, which results to depression and other mental problems. On the other hand, having a child grow up with a healthy food regiment, a well-rounded diet and enough of active play time are more likely to reach their full adult life potential, to live a healthy
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.
Many children who are obese are the targets of bullying from other children. Self-esteem can be greatly damaged from a disease that can be prevented. Having an obese or once obese person tell the stories of struggle, difficulties and how life is greatly impacted by not eating right and exercising could have a great influence on just how serious obesity is. In the academic journal, “Childhood obesity and Self-Esteem”, has found that there are social and emotional effects from childhood obesity. Other than just low self-esteem, obesity can lead to “Smoking and consuming alcohol” (Strauss 3) compared to children who are not obese. Preventing obesity could also decrease the rate of smoking and drinking in children underage. The more than one solution to how this can be done, for parents and students, for schools “Replacing vending machines containing unhealthy foods and drinks and replace with healthy items” (Green 4). This has been increasing in many schools and even colleges; Montgomery College has also taken the steps of changing the vending machine. Another resolution for schools is to “Provide quality daily physical education for all students. Be sure to select activities that are fun, challenging, and aerobic in nature” (Green
In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier. This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society.
... now commonly associated with obesity. The author also goes into details about health risks such as gallstones and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases. Yung also mentions psychological and social consequences that are associated with childhood obesity. According to Yung (2009), childhood obesity has significant impact on the emotional development of the child or adolescent, who suffers discrimination and stigmatization, as the obese individual is often associated with negative characteristics, and commonly regarded as a glutton and greedy, weak-minded and ill-disciplined. Yung also goes on by saying that the negative factors work against a child with weight problem, they tend to have fewer opportunities in school, and smaller social circle. I am going to use this article to support my research by using the details on the different health consequences Yung mentions.
Obesity in children across America has become an increasing public health concern. Obesity has been identified as an epidemic that is plaguing our children in the United States. In some countries around the world children are dying of starvation everyday. How can this happen when here in America the opposite is a major problem? This is not to say that in America there are no hungry or starving children. It has been proven that our children suffer from obesity, and “children who are overweight or obese as preschoolers are five times as likely as normal-weight children to be overweight or obese as adults” (“Hope”). Obesity not only can cause a child to become more prone to having health problems down the road, but it can also make them feel insecure about themselves. There needs to be action taken in schools as well as in homes to help prevent this growing epidemic.
“In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” (CDC) Childhood obesity is a problem that has inundated society for many decades. Almost anywhere that you go, you’ll see a magazine article or some sort of poster regarding childhood obesity. Childhood obesity can be defined as a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health or well-being. Majority of adults care about their weight because self-image is a very important factor in their lives, but when it comes down to children, many pay their weight a very minimal amount of attention. Due to the superfluous rise in the number of obese children over the past couple of decades, doctors and physicians have become concerned about this trend. This concern is raised by the various diseases and health issues accompanying childhood obesity. Childhood obesity puts children at a greater risk for developing health issues and diseases of the heart.
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
The present public health problem has become a great public concern and the future of these children and future adults has also been brought to attention. For example, "as obese children are more than likely to become obese adults, they are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and several cancers" (Gollust, 2014). Research has also indicated that the current generation of children are on track to have shorter lives than their parents because of increasing rates of obesity (Gollust, 2014).
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
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).
Children are also the target of junk food advertisements, which gives children the impression that it is good to eat junk food. Children spend an average of 5.5 hours per day using various media and are exposed to an average of one food commercial every 5 minutes. Many schools are eliminating or cutting back their physical education programs, which isn’t making it any easier to reduce childhood obesity. Society plays a huge role in childhood obesity. It is now considered a national epidemic. Most obese kids are targets of bullies, the cruelty of bullying have an enormous effect on their brain development. It takes away from their social life, and also from them gaining education in their school environment. Because it reduces the performance in the classroom, it causes them to miss numerous school days and also to misbehave. This will resort to poor social skills, which may affect them later in life when it comes to getting a job or meeting new people. Social problems are not the only issue, but medical problems are also. The cost of childhood obesity cost the U.S. about $14.1 billion a year due to medical bills.
Obesity, in general, is a major health risk and, in America, it is on the rise. However, more focus is placed on childhood obesity because an obese child has a greater chance of becoming an obese adult. Struggling with obesity and the health risks and illnesses it may cause can be difficult for an adult, but for a child, dealing with it is tougher. This is an important topic because it is a 100 percent preventable concern.
Obesity, the United States is known as one of the unhealthiest places on the face of the planet. Shouldn’t that scare the US? They’re known for being the bellow par! So, the government has ideas of regulating people’s diets by cutting off cup sizes for sodas (not including diet soda), school’s making all the food groups visible in the lunch tray and posting calorie data on the package of the items being consumed. Over 260,000 New Yorker’s supports this act of regulation that the government is trying to pass.
Childhood obesity is a difficult problem for our growing children today. Childhood obesity not only affects the child, but it also the people around them. Childhood obesity causes serious health issues, from heart disease to diabetes. According to Farhat (2010), twenty years ago there was just a hand full of children that were overweight, mostly because of a hormonal or genetic disorder. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2013), the number of children aged 6 through 11 that were obese, increased from 7 percent in 1980, to nearly 30 percent in 2011.
Obesity is very common amongst all ages of people around the world. 60 percent of men and 65 percent of women are obese in the world. The US has 13 percent of all obese people which is the largest compared to the rest of the world. The problem with obesity is that kids see obese people and they think it is acceptable for them to become obese. Obesity causes health problems such as heart diseases, cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Studies show that if a child is obese, there is an increased percentage that they will become obese as an adult. Obesity can cause many life threatening diseases, and it is an occurring issue among all people.