Factors of Childhood Obesity - Essay Example

?Childhood Obesity Obesity is known to be a health problem for individuals living in the developed nations. The problem is believed to be caused from the consumption of high fats which cannot be churned out by the body and this result in the accumulation of fat in the body. The problem is not only limited to adults but also expands to the younger generation of the developed nations. Obesity is a condition which affects almost every organ of the body and may result in heavy damage. It has been found that childhood obesity has become a grave problem for the developed nations because of the increase in its prevalence and the problems that it is causing to the children. Different measures have been taken by the governments of the developed nations to tackle this problem. These measures have been highlighted in the essay in accordance to their rate of success. Introduction: Obesity is a pathological condition which has now become a matter of global concern. It is a disease associated with the excessive accumulation of fats in the body of individual. Obesity is a condition which can be the base for many degenerative diseases affecting major bodily systems and an interesting aspect is that it can also affect the psychological condition of a person (Standford Hospital and Clinics 2010). The epidemic has resulted in increased number of health issues taking place in America including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension (NIH & NHLBI). Currently many schools have imposed state programs which help children to increase physical activity and have a balanced diet as per the requirements of their body. The calories that they intake are usually burnt with the help of physical activity and if this is not done then the BMI of that individual would increase resulting in obesity. The general assumption, that an obesogenic environment is inevitable, is flawed. Identifying that we are aware of what this assumption means and providing evidence that we are actually able to take charge of our evolution and not resigned to accepting an obese fate. Knowing the devastating outcomes of obesity, this research paper will help in providing a better understanding of the factors that lead to childhood obesity. In particular, the research paper concludes that unhealthy food consumption and sedentary lifestyle, two major contributory factors in childhood obesity, can be countered at an early stage with better, healthier food and more physical activities. About Obesity Obesity is a disease state which was initially considered to have no genetic role in its causation. But recent research has put forward the fact that obesity is a disease state which has both genetic component and environmental factors involved in causing it. It is caused by the deletion or damage in a gene known as Ob gene putting the subjects with these deletions at high risks of developing obesity. A diet rich in fat can also lead to obesity because a high fat diet stimulates a person to eat more. Another important reason for obesity is psychological disorders which include depression, eating disorders like binge eating and increased diet in times of stress. Obesity itself can also serve as a reason because it might lead for a person to lose his self confidence and hence the person loses the will to exercise and adopt weight loss plans (Biddle et al 2009). Literature Review Food Choices: Obesity is the result of a number of factors; unhealthy dietary habits and food consumption patterns remain the most important of them. People, and specially children, are attracted towards junk food and high calorie food stuff. The consumption of calorie-dense food is identified as a highly threatening factor for increased childhood obesity (Veugelers & Fitzgerald, 2005). The most important factor that promotes such unhealthy dietary habits among the children is the exposure of high-calorie food on the television. There is a strong relationship between unhealthy food advertisement and increasing obesity among children Lobstein & Dibb, 2005). On the other hand, Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig (2002) also discuss the role of overeating due to High glycaemic index foods which end up producing a great increase in postprandial blood glucose concentrations and affect the appetite regulation. Fast food is considered as the root cause of adverse eating habits as it comprises all adverse dietary factors like saturated and trans fat, high glycaemic index, high energy density, and, increasingly, large portion size. Moreover, fast food is considered to have low amounts of fibre, micronutrients, and antioxidants which help in tackling the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002). Sedentary lifestyle: Gutin (2010) focuses on the balance between energy intake and consumption. The research concludes that the recent developments in technology have provided easier ways to entertainment. Children now consume energy and fatty diets but fail to utilize that energy in physical activities and sports. Hancox (2004) shows concern about growing ‘couch potatoes’. Hancox reveal that children’s sedentary life revolves most of the times around electronic media, including television, video games, music players, and computers and so on. They have restricted their lives to their homes and specifically their personal rooms. This inactivity is posing a threat to their life and they are found to be inactive and less likely to consume the energy, fats and proteins they take per day. Technology and sedentary activities have reduced the energy consumption in children and they take exercise, sports and other physical activities as formal procedures that are limited to the school premises. The use of cars, buses and other vehicles have also made this problem difficult to control (McLennan, 2004). Advertising: An advertisement, these days, requires creativity, humor, eye-catching and memorable events and attractive slogans (Sutherland and Sylvester, 2000 pp. 207-230). Some argue that advertising is correlated with the consumption patterns i.e. decreased advertising leads to reduced consumption levels and vice versa (Saffer, 1996). Another argument that clearly indicates the existence of a relationship between advertisement and consumption rates is the reduction in consumption levels on implementation of advertisement bans (Bang, 1998). An experimental research conducted by Harris, Bargh and Brownell (2009) suggests that children and adolescents are more influenced by advertisements than adults. Authors carried out two experiments to evaluate the behaviors of both children and adults after watching television advertisements. The eating behaviors were analyzed and the results concluded that children’s junk food intake increased by 45% after advertisements. On the other hand, adults were more motivated to take healthy meals rather than junk food (Harris, et al., 2009). The group that is badly affected by media exposure, television programs and advertising campaigns are youngsters. Many researches and surveys are conducted to understand the effects of food, alcohol, smoking and general advertisements on children and their behaviors. The food advertisements lead to a great change in children’s food choices and intake (Hastings et al., 2003; IOM, 2006; Story & French, 2004). Other studies examining the correlation and quasi-experiments reveal that more exposure to media leads to greater consumption of unhealthy dietary habits among children (IOM, 2006). Overweight Parents: Morgan et. al., (2010) extended the study of factors that contribute to obese children and evaluated the success of ‘Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids’ program. The study concludes that engaging fathers in physical activities and other interventions have a positive effect on the whole family. This factor, however, is neglected by the health promotional departments and programs. In addition, the genetics of obesity in parents also have an influence on the children’s likelihood of being obese. Obesity of one or both parents has a significant effect on their offspring’s obesity risks mainly due to the genetics they share and the environmental factors that their families encounter (Whitaker, 1994). On the other hand, McLennan (2004) reveal that although genetics play a vital role on the probability of children’s obesity problem, the overall impact of genes on the increasing obesity rates is significantly lower. In addition, maternal smoking during pregnancy is also linked to higher obesity rates in their offspring (Leary et. al., 2006). Lack of physical activity Gutin (2010) suggest that lack of physical activity end up creating fat tissues of the energy being taken. Gutin (2010) suggested that rather than limiting energy intake, there is a need to increase physical activity to improve the situation of the obesity prevalent disease. The study conducted by Wareham, Sluijs and Ekelund (2005) also suggested a strong relationship between inactivity and increased obesity rates and recommended that on average five sessions of minimum 30 minutes of moderate activity per week should be carried out to control the bodyweight. Arterburn (2006) proposes a study which is useful in understanding the efficiency of interventions like behavioral interventions, diet, multifactorial interventions, and physical activity, which are of particular importance when researching the cures for obesity. Treatment for obesity As the American individuals have come to know about the pathological condition of obesity they have taken several steps to prevent obesity. The government has taken several initiatives in this regard so that they can promote activities which would decrease obesity. Michelle Obama announced a plan known as ‘Let’s Move’ which was targeted at childhood obesity. Through this plan the children of schools were being urged to take part in physical activities and consume a better diet. A specific amount of budget was allocated in this regard so children could learn more about obesity and follow the steps which would prevent obesity. Currently many schools have imposed state programs which help children to increase physical activity and have a balanced diet as per the requirements of their body. The calories that they intake are usually burnt with the help of physical activity and if this is not done then the BMI of that individual would increase resulting in obesity. The American individuals with the help of different programs are now more educated about the causes of obesity and hence have taken different steps to decrease obesity. Schools primarily have been targeted by the government so as to decrease the junk food being eaten in schools (Chappell 2010). The prevention and treatment of obesity needs to cater the requirements of all age groups. For proper results it is essential that all the causative factors of obesity should be understood. This is because only focusing on physical, nutritional and pharmacological treatment cannot decrease the prevalence of the disease. This is because psychology also plays its role in the development and progress of this condition. For preventing the condition physical activity should be encouraged among children so that the habit develops in them. A proper balanced diet should also be recommended for children. For people who are very obese pharmacological treatment includes drugs like orlistat and sibutramine. This should be followed with a proper dietary plan for them as well as a physical activity schedule. Not only this, they should also be given psychological treatment to raise their self confidence and to motivate them to lose the excessive weight (Biddle et al 2009). The problem of obesity can only be curbed by the help of these obese individuals only and their concern for their health. Studies carried out by CDC showed that the progression of obesity in adults and children had slowed down in the recent years. The experts clearly highlighted that it was because of different awareness programs regarding obesity which have helped adults and children to lower down the progression rate. In simple words awareness programs have helped the obese individuals to move towards a healthy diet consisting of more vegetables and increased physical activity (Jeffrey Kluger 2010) With greater knowledge about the causes of obesity in an individual it is seen that the Americans have taken great steps in decreasing obesity. The parents are also realizing the extent of the problem in children and are taking steps such that their children do not suffer from obesity. References: Arterburn D. E., 2006. “Obesity in children.” BMJ Clinical Evidence 05:325. http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ (last accessed 24 August 2010) Bang, H. K. 1998. "Analyzing the impact of the liquor industry's lifting of the ban on broadcast advertising". Communication Abstracts. 21 (6). Ebbeling CB, DB Pawlak, and DS Ludwig. 2002. 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Saving Our Children: The Obesity Initiative - Michelle Obama is on a mission to get our children healthy. Here's the skinny on her "Let's Move" plan. Ebony, 65, 7, 78. Obesity News: Americans Not Getting Fatter. Jeffrey Kluger. 2010. Time. BIDDLE S., & DOVEY T. (2009). Obesity - Is physical activity the key? Psychologist. 22, 32-35.http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm/volumeID_22-editionID_171-ArticleID_1456 Read More