Childhood Obesity Issue - Research Paper Example

?CHILDHOOD OBESITY Every year thousands of people worldwide die due to Obesity. More than being a mere condition, it has emerged as one of the solemndamages caused to human body. It’s not just being overweight but having abnormal body mass index. In simpler terms obesity can be defined as a condition in which the human body accumulates excess fat to an extent that it has negative effects over the body. A person is considered obese if the total body weight is more than 20% of the ideal weight that he must have. (Medical News Today) Obesity has been rising at a faster pace in children in their pre-teens, molding the term as being ‘overweight’ rather than ‘obese’ as it’s psychologically distressing for children. Childhood obesity has serious effects over a child’s early life at school. Being one of the greatest public health concerns, it has tripled in the last 30 years. The percentage of obese children aged 6-11 in United States increased from 7% to 20% and the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 increased from 5% to 18% over a period of 30 years, from 1980 to 2010. (CL, MD, LR, MM, & KM, 2010) There are multiple methods to calculate obesity and keep it in check but the one that works is to keep a regular check on Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person. Even in children the height to weight index is a measureable tool for figuring out if a child is underweight, overweight or normal. As children grow, their height grows and body weight increases according to their gender and stage of development. Although the calculation method for both, adults and children, is the same but interpretation of results varies. For children, the percentiles are known as best method according to World Health Organization. If the BMI exceeds 85th to 95th percentiles, than the child is considered obese while any value that lies between 5th and 75th percentile, is a normal range for a child of any gender. (CL, MD, LR, MM, & KM, 2010) Obesity is a serious problem in our society today and therefore it is essential to know its deep rooted causes. Some of the most fundamental causes of childhood obesity have been discussed below: Excess of Junk Food: The culture of Fast Food has caused more harm than good, not just to our society but to societies all around the world. Being easily available on the streets, in shops and franchises everywhere and even in school campuses, fast food is extremely popular because of its easy accessibility, good taste and suitability to the youth’s lifestyle. Schools and other learning institutions deserve a lot of blame for this phenomenon because they have been guilty of neglecting their duties of selling healthy foods at their institutions. Fast food companies have taken this opportunity to entice children and adolescents with big heavy junk meals for very cheap prices. According to Eileen Kennedy, who by profession, is a paediatric psychologist: “A common problem is that it gets to be 6 p.m., and Mom looks at Dad, and Dad's looking at the kids, and everyone is wondering what to eat that night If the solution is to drop by the fast-food restaurant around the corner, it becomes a habit and routine” (Chan, 2011) This routine is the main danger to children who, without knowing it, end up with a high calorie intake night after night. Over time, this routine causes the children to gain weight and eventually become obese. Sedentary Lifestyle: Another major contributor to obesity among children is sedentary lifestyle. Studies have revealed that children must perform any type of physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day. However, basic being aerobics was being performed by only 18% students from grade 9th to grade 12th (Centre for disease control and prevention, 2011) Schools must take up more responsibility for conducting activities that develop habits of exercise in children because the advent of console games etc has turned the lifestyle of the youth from one that was very outdoorsy to one that is very indoors. TV, console games, social media keeps the youth captivated all day long and they spend most of the time in their couches not only indulging in a sedentary lifestyle but also munching away at unhealthy foods. Television and Media: As touched upon above, TV viewing is a major contributing factor to childhood obesity because it takes away the time children spend in physical activities; undoubtedly leading to increased calorie intake through snacking up on popcorns and chocolates or pita sandwiches and eating full fledged meals in front of the TV. The major influence for children to make unhealthy choices of foods is the telecasting of the tempting advertisements that appear on electronic and print media. The basic point to ponder here is that the MNC’s are totally negligent about the skyrocketing rates of obesity among young children. Super delicious and tempting meals for a dollar or two only make children think as if it’s a healthy option to consume, condoning completely the dangerous results to greet them in near future. Lack of Sleep: If the human body doesn’t get proper amount of sleep, the risk of obesity doubles. This was recently proven at the University of Warwick through a research by Professor Francesco Capucco who discovered that the risk of obesity due to lack of sleep applies to both children and adults. The professor and his team reviewed evidence in over 28,000 children to prove the result. Professor Francesco further explained that sleep deprivation may lead to obesity through amplified appetite as a result of hormonal changes. (Medical News Today) If a child does not sleep enough, Ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite is naturally produced in the body. Furthermore, lack of sleep also results in decreased level of a hormone called leptin in the body which normally helps in curbing hunger. (Aga Khan Health Services, 2010). Childhood obesity has many detrimental effects over a child’s body. The effects are both immediate and long-term which are discussed below: Obese children are more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension. According to a recent study, in a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, at least one risk factor found for cardiovascular disease was found in 70% of obese youth. Obese children are likelier to have higher sugar levels that may lead to a condition in which the level of blood glucose in the body indicates a very high risk of development of diabetes. Obesity also results in osteoarthritis and other problems of joints and bones. Sleep apnea, irregular menstrual cycles and other social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem and stigmatization also result from obesity in children and adolescents. This affects adversely on the personal and social life of children at schools. The risk of extremely dangerous diseases such as cancer of blood, breast, pancreas as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma also increases in obese and overweight children. (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011) With so many risks allied with early life obesity, it becomes even more important to consider how it must be controlled and trapped down. Following are a few suggestive methods: Healthy lifestyle habits must be adopted in everyday life. A good amount of physical activity daily can reduce obesity rates prevailing in young children. Parents must let children learn that the food culture must remain same at school and home. Occasional treat does no harm to anyone. Weekends may be full of toasted pastries and a slice of pizza but everyday consumption must be limited to intake of fruits and vegetables. Schools play a particularly smart role by establishing a safe, supportive and healthy environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors. All the advertisements that promote unhealthy food choices shall not be put up at schools to avoid binge eating and temptations in young children. (Medical News Today) Obesity has taken its toll in many Western countries and that is clearly accelerating even more. The subject requires serious consideration by regulatory authorities that make up certain policies in favor of public health benefits. Especially considering the fact that obesity at a very early stage is really dangerous and can harm generations for a longer period of life. Parents must give special attention to kids who are prone to huge impulsive proportions of meals at one time. The most important part is to still love and care about them while improving their overall health and conditioning their personality, making them feel good about themselves by bolstering their self-esteem and appreciating their real spirit. Also, celebrating everyday with perfect nutritional value loaded meals can help them feel better and not depressed about their too much accumulated fat in their body. Works Cited Aga Khan Health Services. (2010). Manual for Health Educators. Karachi. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, September 15). CDC - Obesity Facts. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm Centre for disease control and prevention. (2011, April 21). Obesity and Overweight for Professionals : Childhood: Problem. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from Centre for disease control and prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html Chan, A. (2011, May 23). Junk Food Nation - How parents are ruining kids' health. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from My Health News Daily: http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/parents-feed-kids-junk-1534/ CL, O., MD, C., LR, C., MM, L., & KM, F. (2010). Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents. Journal of the American Medical Association , 242-249. Medical News Today. (n.d.). What is Obesity? What is BMI? Retrieved October 15, 2011, from Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/obesity/ Read More