Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. The number of children who are overweight has tripled to 30% in the last 30 years. Two main factors contribute to these statistics: kids are not eating healthy enough, and they are not getting a decent amount of exercise. Fast food has had a huge impact on childrens’ health. More and more kids are eating fast food, and therefore childhood obesity is growing quickly. Kelly Brownell, who is studying obesity at Yale University, stated, ‘“If you go to McDonald's today, you can buy a quarter-pounder with cheese meal that means the large drink and the large french fries - for less than it costs to buy a salad and a bottle of water, there's something wrong with that picture.”’
Young kids that are already obese have the possibility of facing numerous negative consequences later in life. There are the physical issues, like high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. In addition, there are psychological consequences that children could be confronted with. These include depressive symptoms, low-self esteem, and eating disorders.
Parents are key components in helping to alleviate this epidemic. By teaching their kids healthy eating habits at a young age, bad eating patterns can be changed. This means parents must follow a healthy lifestyle as well, so children can learn from them. Parents really just need to set an example for their kids.
The lack of exercise is a huge component of childhood obesity. Technology has been creating a more sedentary society. Instead of going outside and playing, children often sit and watch tv or play video games. Parents should try and encourage their kids to play outside each day or participate in some kind of sport.
America needs to start taking steps to lower the childhood obesity rates. This starts with individuals changing their lifestyles. Healthy eating habits need to be instilled in youths’ minds, as well as exercising instead of playing video games and watching tv. What else can we do to limit this epidemic?
Obesity is becoming more common in young children nowadays, and this is not healthy for those individuals and for society as a whole. Exercise and proper diet are concepts that parents have a responsibility to teach their children from a young age. If these principles are instilled in children early on, obesity will be less of an issue. It is disturbing that healthy eating can cost more than fatty fast food, but the price will be worth it since healthy individuals will have to pay less in medical bills down the road than those who are overweight. Although technology has taken over traditional outdoor play for children, many video games incorporate exercise into them to make today's younger generation healthier. Americans need to work together to take steps to stop childhood obesity in its tracks.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the solution to childhood obesity lies in better education about proper nutrition and physical exercise. However, I also believe that other factors must be taken into account when examining the rising childhood obesity rates.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned, a common reason for obesity is overeating which is typically onset by depression. Food turns into a source of comfort for children, this behavior has most likely been modeled after a parent’s habits. Our society places a large emphasis on the definition of beauty; thinness. Children are at a very impressionable age and are therefore very likely to be affected by the definition of beauty, which is dictated by society. This can cause the self-esteem of these children to plummet. Their identity becomes strongly tied with their weight, and they become extremely resistant to change. In addition, many doctors and nurses in the healthcare system look down on obese children and their parents. These children sometimes get reprimanded for their weight as if it is their fault. This treatment causes them to not only be resistant to change, but to look for comfort, which is most likely found in food. I think that if the self-esteem of these children was boosted, they would be more open to change, and they would try and work to live a healthier lifestyle.
As Jillian mentioned, healthy food is more expensive. I believe this is an additional reason for t he rising rates in childhood obesity. With unemployment rates and a lower middle class growing, healthy food is not always an option or a priority.
While childhood obesity can be solved by widening public knowledge about proper nutrition and exercise, I believe that other factors must be taken into account.
I agree with the factors contributing to childhood obesity. This is on the rise and children could develop such diseases later in life. I think that society should cut dow on the fast food places and build more healthy places. Society should also encourage children to go exercise, instead of watching TV, like play a sport, go for a walk, or go to the gym. The government is trying to push people into eating healthy food, but it is expensive, and people can't afford it. Parents aren't even setting the rigt example for their kids, by eating junk food instead of healthy food. Another cause to obesity is genetics, and some people cannot help being obese. I don't know what to do for those people, maybe just continue to do the right thing. We should provide more health education classes for kids and maybe some exercise programs at a ymca as well. All I could say is that obesity is on the rise, the government has to take away some fast food places and make fruits and vegetables cheaper.
ReplyDelete“The government has to take away some fast food places” No the government should not do this. They have no right to tell someone what they can and cannot eat. The government has already made it so that any company distributing food must have nutrition facts that should be enough. People need to be able to choose for themselves. Obesity is a problem but you cannot force what you want on to someone. The best you can do is educate people and let them choose.
ReplyDeleteThe topic here is childhood obesity. Children are mostly influenced by their parents. As early as one year of age many parents are feeding their children fries, pizza, or a hot dog; ofcourse kids love these foods and it doesn't take any efford of the parents to get their children to eat them. The truth is that parents are looking for the easy way out. Now a days both parents are working outside of the home and dont have the time they wish to educate their children, so they are taking the easy way out.
ReplyDeleteFrom my own experince, my aunt has a seven year old who is growing up eating fries, hot dogs, pizza, and his main diet consists of Ramen Noodles. Now tell me, how is a child suppose to get any nutrients form eating Ramen Noodles? This is a huge issue in our family because it drives my mother nuts that her sister is allowing her child to grow up this way.
My mother is not a doctor but she always says that he is going to grow up with a weak amune system and a dificiency in many nutrients.So the point here is, the way to limit this epidemic is to make things harder on the parents, because they are the biggest factor for this issue.
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ReplyDeleteObesity is a serious issue because it directly relates to health which directly relates to survival. Children need to be taught healthy eating habits and exercise at a young age. Parents definitely influence a child's eating habits..parents must be responsible and buy children healthy food to encourage them healthy lifestyles. School systems are also be served in responsible...schools should have a solid nutrition unit in health classes, and healthy food should be served in cafeterias.
ReplyDeleteObesity will only be overcome if the parents,community and public setup and work together as a whole. Prices should be raised on fast foods instead of health foods to make this process of overcoming obesity much easier because obviously no one is going to buy healthy expensive food when they can have cheap fast ones.
ReplyDeleteObesity in children is a very serious issue. I agree that adults need to change their eating habits. Children eat what the adult provides for them, at a young age they can't make the decision about what food they eat. I was recently shopping for a new jacket and I discovered they made the youth apparel a size larger. It is a serious issue if clothing needs to be larger in youth sizes because children are over weight.
ReplyDeleteObesity is a scary epidemic that many young kids face. It is sad to see all these kids so overweight and I strongly want to see something be done to help them. Children are like sponges and when they see their parents eat all the junk food and don't take care of themselves then they are likely to do the same thing. When I drive around my town I rarely ever see kids playing outside on a Saturday or at the playgrounds. They are inside watching tv, on the computer, or playing video games and not outside getting exercise and fresh air. Obesity could be prevented if parents took their kids outside to play once in a while and stop buying the junkfood and going to McDonalds. If everyone did their part to help kids and adults make the right choices about their health then I really believe that childhood obesity would disappear.
ReplyDeleteI think childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. Unhealthy eating habits are being formed because in this day and age, everyone is in a rush. The most convenient place to stop and eat is a fast food restaraunt. I also find it disturbing that it is less expensive to buy a cheesburger than it is to buy a salad. However, I think technology has the most to do with this growing epidemic. Computers, televisions, and video games occupy too much of childrens time. I think the Wii is making great strides with trying to get children to be active. They have created a Wii fit which is an active video game. It monitors your fitness level while still keeping it fun and entertaining. Parents have a responsibility to buy healthy foods for their children to get them to establish healthy eating patterns. It is not the government's responsibility to monitor the foods children eat, it is up to the parents to take responsibility for their kids.
ReplyDeleteI think chilhood obesity is a problem also because it keeps on growing in the United States. This is our fault because it is more expensive to eat healthy than to eat junk food, which leads to obesity because people can't afford to eat healthy. In china during school, tehy take a break where they go exercise formaybe 30 minutes at the most everyday, this helps their children stay healthy and in shape. China has one of the lowest obesity problems around. We need to fix this growing epidemic because it is just going to get worse and lead to more health problems which means more money.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to childhood obesity, the government can do all they can to improve health education/nutrition programs, schools can increase physical education and healthy options in school lunches, but in the end of it all it is the parents who have the biggest influence on their children's weight. Parents cook the dinners, or choose not to supply dinner and therefore choose takeout, and parents distribute the snacks, and influence the lifestyle and physical activity of these children. Children are way to young to make their own decisions about eating healthy and if they have not been encouraged all along to participate in physical activity, of course they are not going to gain ambition on their own.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, childhood obesity is such an innocent disease, because these children are way too young to be making healthy decisions if they were raised otherwise. When children are raised in a household where fastfood or takeout become a common family dinner, or soda be the common drink to quench a thirst, children are instilled with these unhealthy habbits as a common and acceptable way to live. Children become accustom to the lifestyle in which they are raised in more often than not and therefore, the healthy or not so healthy habbits that the parents practice in the household are carried on throughout childhood and there in lies the problem with childhood obesity.
Now I am not saying that when children get older then can not break away from the habbits of their home. What I am saying is that when talking about childhood obesity we are speaking of a very young age group (between 5-10), which includes children who can barely make the decision as what toy to play with or which friend to have over, so how can we expect them to break the brace of the habbits at home? That's right, we can't. I am no specialist or anything, but I gurantee that a majority of obese children come from a home in which healthy habbits are NOT instilled. It is really unfortunate to think that the lifestyle of the home in which the children are raised/influence of the parents can have such a large effect on the weight of the child which can spiral in to a disease that effects the rest of their life.
I feel childhood obesity is a huge problem and an even bigger problem in the US. But as for solving the obesity problem, it all starts with the parents. Parents can't go out with their children at young ages and buy them McDonald's whenever they want it, they must first teach their children healthy eating habits. This starts however, with practicing healthy eating habits themselves. Children are known for copying what their parents do and looking up to them. If a child see's their parents eating a Big Mac they will definitely want one themselves. This is why parents often concentrate on watching their language and making sure they don't swear around their children because the children will repeat what they say. If parents focused on teaching their kids healthy eating habits and watching what they eat around their kids themselves, then their children will learn to eat healthy like them and the obesity problem will slowly diminish. Parents need to draw the line to their kids when it comes to eating.
ReplyDeleteThis is true because children need to be educated on how and what eating the wrong foods may do to them. They need to realize that they can’t just eat and eat and not expect to get bigger or even start to get diseases that will affect them negatively. I feel like parents are responsible for some or maybe all of the children becoming obese, parents should be teaching their children at a young age what’s right to eat and what is not right to eat. They should be teaching them what it would to do them in the long run, what’s to come in the future. Children should want to exercise or play outside there are so many different activities for every person, that at least everyone should try and maybe they would like. Lowering the obesity rates can improve longevity and just living a longer healthier lifestyle. Yes, television and video games are persuading ways to not be active but there are so many other activities out there. I also feel like the media has a play on obesity as well, there are so many good series coming out and some that are already out now, and video game creators that are creating the next big thing that everyone will want. This keeps the kids inside. There is this new technology coming out for the Xbox 360 called kinect, that makes people move around, you are the remote. So I feel like this will help children learn that moving around and being active on the game will encourage them to break free and actually play the sport outside. I think we should make sports look more fun and just inviting to make the children want to get up and play.
ReplyDeleteChildhood obesity is definitely an issue that the United States is facing today. There are several heath risks that develop because of obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease, to name a few. Why would you want to suffer with such a heath risk when it can be prevented? The first step is to make healthy food choices and avoiding fast food restaurants. If parents were able to cook homemade meals it would make a great difference in the kids diets. Another factor that can be changed is the amount of exercise children are receiving. There is a huge lack in exercise among children and by engaging your children in sports such as soccer or dance, they are getting some sort of physical activity. Parents need to set an example for their children by eating healthy foods and exercising themselves. Otherwise, children are going to follow in their parents footsteps and it will not be in a good way.
ReplyDeleteObesity has a very dangerous effect on children. Once they get fat, it is very hard to stop them from eating unhealthy food that they usually eat. So the best way is by the time children stop eating baby food, parents should advise and persuade them to eat healthy food. There are a lot of recipe to cook delicious, and healthy food for the children. I saw a commercial once about making fruit smoothie for children. Mother can add a small amount of vegetables without worry if their children do not like vegetables. I found this is helpful. I agree with Lindsay that parents should eat healthy food themselves in order to make the children listen to them. Children will not know what kind of food they like unless their parents cook or buy food for them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone here in saying that childhood obesity is a very serious issue that needs to be dealt with. Nowadays, there are so two primary contributing factors that furthur enhances the effects of obesity. The first is the overconsumption of not so healthy food choices. Food have become too fattening and loaded with sugars and calories these days in order for it to taste good. Most children often eat those food that taste good, but often times are not healthy for them. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are the heart-healthy, obesity-fighting food choices to go. However, they are most of the time shot down by children due to their less than pleasant taste amongst society's children. The recommended servings of fruits and vegetables by physicians are overshadowed by these more tasty and often sugar-loaded, grilled, or fried foods (i.e. fast food). The second component is exercise. recommended sixty minutes of exercising per day has also been an issue with children nowadays. This is probably due to increased usage of television, computers, and modern video game consoles such as XBOX, Playstation 3, and Nitendo Wii to name the most populat ones. Obesity less commonly can be attached to lack of parent intervention as well as depression from lack of self-esteem due to bullying from children as an example, which causes them to consume food more to feel emotionally better.
ReplyDeleteI believe that obesity is a serious issue that needs to be addressed more seriously. Of course there are always ads and commericials that point out obesity is growing in the United States, but I fell that they don't do as much to help. What's more shocking to hear is that fast food costs a lot less than salads and healthier foods. The time it takes to process and pack the meat in fast foods takes awhile and is a waste of money. However people should consider the alternative and grow vegetables in their backyards. It is cheap and affordable, and all you have to do is wait. It seems like people tend to lean towards fast food because it is "right there" and most accessible. Parents should take a closer look at this, because it left unchecked, thier kids could be victims of this fast food craze, which can lead to many disorders in the body.
ReplyDeleteThe way to address this issue is by dealing with parents. Kids do not grow up as robots with "I want junk food" already programed into their heads. They have to be introduced to these kinds of foods to know that they want it. I'm not saying that parent should completely avoid giving kids junk food and only give them say, organic food, because when the kids are old enough they willgorge themselves with junk food and thats just a whole other issue. At young ages parents control what their kids eat. Parents shold be giving kids healthy food choices. Food shold be distributed in moderation but no child should be deprived of it. So why don't parents make the effort to do these things? They want the best for their children don't they? With the busy society that we live in, its is simply easier(not to mention cheaper) for parents to give children "junk food" and "fast food". Rather than argue with a child over eating healthy, parents will give them what they want because "what all the other kids eat".
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately ,it is sometimes too late, when the parents realize that they haven't necessarily been doing right by their child. At a cheering competetion this past weekend there was a ten year old girl that is 180 pounds. (I know her weight because she is a friend of a family friend.) It was sad to see that she was so large for sucha small girl, that she was physically inable to participate in some of the jumps, team rolls, tumbling and other actions during her teams routine. When kids getto this point their physical activity diminishes more than before because of their inability to handle exercise.
Parents need to be taught how to better produce a healthy diet and exercise to set and example for their kids so they can then continue to have a healthy life.