Effects Overeating Has On Children - Essay Example

Lori Garreans Vogel English 11 November 2009 Overeating and Its Effects on Children Overeating in children is linked to obesity which is particularly problematic because it can have both physical and mental consequences in the long and short term. Overeating is the process by which the individual consumes more food that he or she requires to sustain satisfactory health. In this regard, overeating is counterproductive since it can give rise to obesity which is linked to other health risks, both physical and mental.

For children, the consequences of obesity as a result of overeating can cause hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and other physical health risks. Moreover, children who are prone to overeating at a young age can sustain the habit as adults. Aside from the physical consequences of overeating and its link to obesity, children face mental consequences such as low self-esteem, depression and can retard social skills. Essentially, overeating has the potential to effect children in three main ways by exposing children to an increased risk of developing obesity.

In this regard, obesity puts children at risk of developing physical, mental and social problems, each of which have attendant long and short term effects. Obesity itself has both long and short term consequences. The long term consequences are associated with the physical effects of obesity. Those consequences are risk of serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and other serious health disorders. Each of these conditions have the capacity to follow the child into adulthood unless the child’s propensity for overeating is reversed and replaced by healthy eating and exercise habits at the earliest opportunity.

In the overeating is not contained within a reasonable time, the habit of overeating and its attendant problem of obesity will likely follow the child into adulthood. As a result the physical consequences of obesity as a result of overeating will be a long-term problem. The short term physical consequences of overeating in children are linked to acne, hair loss and additional cosmetic conditions that have consequences for the child’s self-esteem and social relationships and interactions. Obesity from overeating can affect the child’s mental health by perpetuating the risk of low self esteem.

Low self-esteem also exposes the child to social problems. Therefore, the mental problems associated with overeating can remain with the child and affect the child’s ability to develop social skills. In the long term the lack of social skills can spill over into adulthood. Ultimately, low self-esteem leads to isolation and compromises the child’s ability to form and cultivate interpersonal relationships, a significant requirement for the child’s development. Other children may contribute to the feeling of low self-esteem by repeatedly teasing the obese child or mocking the child’s other short term physical problems such as acne or hair loss.

The ability to interact and to socialize in general can be compromised by some of the short term attendant problems associated with obesity. These short term attendant problems are shortness of breath, moodiness, insomnia, headaches, chest pains, nausea and fatigue. In the final analysis, overeating exposes children to a myriad of physical and mental conditions that impact their physical health, mental health and social development. Physical health, mental health and social development are significant requirements for the child’s health growth into healthy, well-adjusted adults.