Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity on the Rise

In:

Submitted By fosachi309
Words 2772
Pages 12
English 101
2 May 2012
Childhood Obesity on the Rise
Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the world, and is showing no sign of slowing down. Obesity is a vicious cycle that starts with simply carrying an extra five or ten pounds and leads to obesity in no time. There is less of an urge to go out and get in shape. People see it and want it, but aren’t taking the right steps to do so. With the growing attraction for television, video games, and computer use combined with the easy capability to get highly fattening foods in a quick low price, it looks like it’s going to be a problem for a long time to come. This fast food problem has become an accepted means of a meal. In his book True Enough, Farhad Manjoo examines the Committee on Food Habits and their research on how Americans think about food. Manjoo states that, “even for something as fundamental as eating, people look to others to determine the reality around them. You eat to live, but what you eat is more a cultural choice than a mere act of biological survival” (49). There is a big controversy over whether or not obesity is a genetic disease. That debate gets more and more intense as the rates of childhood obesity rise. Some people believe it is a disease because it comes genetically for biological reasons. Other people believe it is not a disease at all, rather it is a chosen lifestyle combined with bad eating habits and the environment for which they live in. I believe that childhood obesity is caused by a variety of determining factors that they are faced with every day.
There are many advocates of labeling obesity as a disease. These people state their claim because from a technical standpoint, obesity fits all the criteria of being a disease. In his article Why Obesity is a Disease, Scott Kahan explains his reasoning as to why he believes that obesity is not merely something that just happens to

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Child Obesity

...Childhood Obesity Obesity has been called the "new American epidemic" by many doctors. It is estimated that fifty - eight million Americans living in the United States are obese, and that eight out of ten people who are over twenty-five are overweight. Obesity is, easily, America's fastest growing health concern. This condition, though, is not limited to American adults. Doctors have recently found that nearly thirteen percent of all American children suffer from this problem... and that statistic seems to rise each year. Understanding the jump in childhood obesity rates is directly linked to understanding obesity itself. The American Academy of Pediatricians defines childhood obesity as occurring in kids who have a BMI of more than 30. Other institutions, though, suggest that a child whose body weight is at least 20% higher than a child of a similar height is obese. No matter what the exact definition, obesity is, simply, excess body fat. Why, though, is obesity such a concern? I mean, hey, an extra Twinkie or two can't really harm a kid, can it? Actually, yes, it can. Obesity cannot only increase the risk of psychological problems in kids, such as eating disorders, depression, and anxiety problems, it can also put them at risk for all sorts of physiological problems including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, forty-five percent of all new cases of juvenile type-II diabetes are obesity linked. Childhood obesity increases the risk of orthopedic...

Words: 595 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity

...to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Florida The publication I chose is community partnerships to prevent childhood obesity. This publication is about an health issue which is childhood obesity. For over a decade, obesity rates have been on the rise. This health issue has recently been subsiding, but in order for this to continue, all depends on if the government, communities, and private sector continue to take action (NIHCM Foundation, 2013). In Florida, action is continued to be taken to address this obesity issue with support from an initiative of the Florida Blue Foundation (NIHCM Foundation, 2013). Six organizations from the state are given resources and training so that they can provide prevention activities. NIHCM Foundation's Promising Practices in Maternal and Child Health facts sheet shows programs being started, new collaborations which are promising, and dedicated space so leaders can share their success stories. As we can see the issue in this publication is childhood obesity that is on a continues rise. This is one of the nation's top health concerns. One in three youths are obese or overweight (NIHCM Foundation, 2013). The type of healthcare organization I would like to work for in the future is a nursing home or in a hospital, particularly in the pediatrics section. I enjoy working with the elderly and children. I would explain to two stakeholders of the hospital, which are providers and patients that today, In the United States childhood obesity has become an...

Words: 1203 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Hcs465- Week 2 Assignment

...of Phoenix/HCS 465 Dr. Chad Moretz The website for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) has included some interesting facts on the rise of childhood obesity and how it has doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Lowell (2004) has studied and shown how the fast food is major factor in childhood obesity in the United States. There is emphasize on the fact that fast food and snacks with high amount of fats and sugar are the major role of obesity among children. Prevention and treatment programs has the opportunity to influence the health of children and decrease the rise of obesity by providing effective tools in nutrition, education, and physical activities (Cohen, Hazell, Vanstone, Plourde, Rodd &Weiler, 2013). In lowering the rise of obesity in children the fast food industry should begin to take on a responsible attitude towards how the food is prepared, pricing of vegetables labeling of salt, fat sugars levels particular; portions sizes (reducing them), and how its market (Lowell, 2004). Fast food restaurants serve more processed foods, which consumes more fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. The fast food industry provides less fruits and non-starchy vegetables. The food industry felt it is a personal responsibility not the industry. However, the industry must review how the obesity in children is a factor and threat within the United States. The fast food industry can see to find a way to eliminate the increasing number by providing...

Words: 885 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Healthcare Project

...Childhood Obesity Obesity has been called the new American epidemic by many doctors. It is estimated that fifty eight million Americans living in the United States are obese, and that eight out of ten people who are over twenty-five are overweight. Obesity is, easily, America's fastest growing health concern. This condition, though, is not limited to American adults. Doctors have recently found that nearly thirteen percent of all American children suffer from this problem and that statistic seems to go up each year. Understanding the jump in childhood obesity rates is directly linked to understanding obesity itself. The American Academy of Pediatricians defines childhood obesity as occurring in kids who have a BMI of more than 30. Other institutions, though, suggest that a child whose body weight is at least 20% higher than a child of a similar height is obese. No matter what the exact definition, obesity is, simply, excess body fat. Why, though, is obesity such a concern? I mean, hey, an extra twinkie or two can't really harm a kid, can it? Actually, yes, it can. Obesity cannot only increase the risk of psychological problems in kids, like eating disorders, depression, and anxiety problems, it can also put them at risk for all sorts of physiological problems including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, forty-five percent of all new cases of juvenile type-II diabetes are obesity linked. Childhood obesity increases the risk of orthopedic...

Words: 596 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Japan Childhood Obesity Cultural Debate

...paper obesity is on the rise and has been a growing health concerns for the United States for many years. Childhood obesity has become an epidemic issue worldwide and some Asian countries are seeing an increase among childhood obesity for instance, country like Japan. Before discussing the obesity issues in Japan there are cultural differences that needs to be taken into consideration in order to fully understand the reason for the increase of childhood obesity among the Japanese There are numerous connotations to describe and point out differences of one’s culture, many sociologists describe culture as an adoption and process of behavioral patterns that influence people within a society. Cultural factors that play a key role in the increase of obesity within the Japanese population are; attitudes and customs. Japan’s cultural and eating habits has for many years included a seafood-based cuisine, rice and fresh vegetables. Japanese food portions are smaller compared to American portions and simply prepared with fresh ingredients. 50 Years ago a stable meal consisted of soup and rice three meals a day. With the adaption of Westernized eating habits, Japanese are eating bigger portions for breakfast, eating lighter lunch and having a big dinner. With the influence of bigger portions, Japanese are increasing their diets with more sweets and fatty calorie rich foods. With a change in life styles and a more westernized eating habits, there has be an increase on childhood obesity...

Words: 468 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity

...Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1 Childhood Obesity Diane Troche English 122 Prof. Yanessa Page September 11, 2012 1 1. Childhood Obesity Diane Troche... Good job with organizing the contents of your title page and running head according to APA format! Perfect! [TA King] [YaShekia King] -1- Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY While we were growing up our parents and grandparents had time to cook us healthy and wholesome meals, but due to the changes in the times that is not the case anymore and the percentage of children with childhood obesity has increased dramatically. Childhood obesity is it genetic or is it a sign of the times that as parents are we too consumed or overwhelmed with work, school, and financial responsibilities that there is not enough time in a day to properly prepare a wholesome and healthy meals? Many people in today’s society would like to blame it on genetics but they often overlook the aspects of parental influence and family structure. 3 2 1 2 1. While Good job with this topic sentence! This paragraph contains a topic sentence that gives the paper direction, sets up the rest of the paragraph, and connects back to the thesis. Note though that the writing needs to be objective and impersonal and in the third person unless otherwise stated in the assignment guidelines, per APA style. [TA King] [YaShekia King] 2. structure. Your introduction is well done! It includes a clear thesis statement that tells the reader what your paper will be...

Words: 2048 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Child Obesity

...Meneely, Mikel Professor Michael Begnal ENG 104 March 16, 2016 Kids These Days Childhood obesity plagues more children in America than ever before, and it continues to grow in number year by year. In order to avoid letting childhood obesity numbers continue to grow, there needs to be changes in certain aspects of children’s lifestyles. This increase over the years can be attributed to many factors including unhealthy, calorie-filled school lunches and children not receiving enough exercise. Childhood obesity poses a very real threat to the health of younger generations and can lead to dangerous, life-threatening health issues later in life. In the rise of child obesity, children are at more risk of diabetes and other heart diseases that could not only affect them in the short and long term. In response to this issue, child obesity should be combated by offering healthier choices for school lunches, and allowing a full hour for recess. All of these could be accomplished by allowing more funding from the Department of Education, and this would allow more funding to state educational funds. Decreasing child obesity would be important for children in the long run because it would decrease their chance of developing type-two diabetes and early heart diseases. Obesity is the root cause of countless diseases, conditions, and illnesses, some of which are even life-threatening. Adulthood obesity has been linked to many deadly diseases. Some examples include heart disease, diabetes...

Words: 2169 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Obesity

...Childhood Obesity ENG 122 Childhood Obesity Obesity is a serious medical condition that is defined as an abnormal constant accumulation of excess body fat that are usually twenty percent or more of a persons average body weight, according to PubMed Health (Obesity in Children) September 2011. Children are the biggest targets of this deadly disease of being overweight. In the U.S. childhood obesity has been on an alarming high rate, which has been impacting the health of American people. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2004, childhood obesity is one of the most significant health issues in the American Society and the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. Childhood obesity is a very serious disease that impacts many children and should not be taken lightly, its time that people put forth the effort to take preventive measures in the cure of the deadly disease. More focus is needed to help prevent childhood obesity from everyone parents, guardians and the government. People need to be aware of the risk and consequences of being obese and overweight in children before it is to late and their children become one of those statistics. Therefore, everyone toward fighting this deadly disease of childhood obesity needs a greater attention to put this to the forefront of government issues. According to PEW Research Centers 2011, children and teenagers are developing diseases that have been linked to adults...

Words: 1689 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity

...Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1 Childhood Obesity Diane Troche English 122 Prof. Yanessa Page September 11, 2012 1 1. Childhood Obesity Diane Troche... Good job with organizing the contents of your title page and running head according to APA format! Perfect! [TA King] [YaShekia King] -1- Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY While we were growing up our parents and grandparents had time to cook us healthy and wholesome meals, but due to the changes in the times that is not the case anymore and the percentage of children with childhood obesity has increased dramatically. Childhood obesity is it genetic or is it a sign of the times that as parents are we too consumed or overwhelmed with work, school, and financial responsibilities that there is not enough time in a day to properly prepare a wholesome and healthy meals? Many people in today’s society would like to blame it on genetics but they often overlook the aspects of parental influence and family structure. 3 2 1 2 1. While Good job with this topic sentence! This paragraph contains a topic sentence that gives the paper direction, sets up the rest of the paragraph, and connects back to the thesis. Note though that the writing needs to be objective and impersonal and in the third person unless otherwise stated in the assignment guidelines, per APA style. [TA King] [YaShekia King] 2. structure. Your introduction is well done! It includes a clear thesis statement that tells the reader what your paper will be...

Words: 2048 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity in America

...are linked with obesity; a preventable, curable, and manageable disease that hundreds of thousands of people face all around the world. The only thing worse than having to face these health issues as an adult, is having to face them as a child. Childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic in America today. This issue is leading to an unhealthy future for individual kids, but also for society as a whole. As the population has become more obese we have seen a rise in all kinds of health issues. Childhood obesity has been on a steady rise over recent years and this could cause a health crisis in the future. There are several causes to childhood obesity that can be overcome leading to a healthy life. The major causes of childhood obesity are a limited amount of physical activity, family behaviors, and unhealthy food choices. A lack of physical activity is one of the main causes of obesity. This has been a growing problem among children in recent years. “Obesity is a disorder of energy balance. It can occur only when the number of calories being consumed exceeds the number of calories burned, and usually an excess of this kind has to last for months or years of obesity is to develop” (Reilly, 2007). A lack of physical activity has led to the consumption of more calories than are burned off in children. There are many causes for this shift. A study done in the United States validated the relationship between hours of television watched each day and childhood obesity. “The findings showed...

Words: 935 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Health Risks, Prevention, and Lack of Exercise;

...Prevention, and Lack of Exercise; Childhood Obesity Jessica Higginson ENG 122 English Instructor Patricia Vineski Sept. 30, 2012 Childhood obesity is a growing problem that if controlled, children today can be and stay healthy. Over the past three decades childhood obesity has increased dramatically and is still climbing. Obesity is defined as “an increase in body weight beyond the limitation of skeletal and physical requirements, as the result of excessive accumulation of body fat.” (Saunders, 2007) According to the medical dictionary, mildly obese is twenty to forty percent over ideal weight; moderately obese is forty to one hundred percent over; and severely/morbidly obese is over one hundred percent. (p. 1) Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children more today than ever before. The extra pounds children are carrying around starts them on the path to health problems. Heath problems that were “adult” problems have now become a bigger problem in children. More children are developing health related problems due to bad eating habits and lack of exercise. Childhood obesity causes serious complications, the risk of illness, and even a shorter life span. These are the ways to help prevent childhood obesity, health risks, and issues associated with the lack of exercise. Childhood is an important period of life to deal with obesity. As it is today more than thirty percent of children are overweight. The International Obesity Task Force (IASO/IOTF) states...

Words: 1480 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Obessity

...Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is one of the most prevalent issues that needs to be alleviated. Children have to comprehend that if they keep on consuming fattening foods, their chances of developing diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes increases significantly. I am proposing a solution to prevent childhood obesity. The proposal is to spread awareness of this epidemic by educating parents and their children about the dangers of obesity and how to prevent it. Every school should have a mandatory half an hour class that teaches students about eating healthy and the importance of exercising regularly. This proposal is aimed towards elementary school children and their parents. The genre for this piece is a newspaper article. The proposal can be published in magazines, newspaper, internet, and it can even be broadcasted on local channels to increase awareness of this social issue. The readers should be aware of the fact that there is a significant difference between the words overweight and obese. Overweight means that the individual weighs more than normal. On the other hand, obese means that the individual is extremely overweight. The Institute of Medicine states “over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years, and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years.” In 2004, about 9 million children over the age of 6 were considered obese. In 2005, the...

Words: 2943 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Old Paper

...Environmental Health Term Paper: Childhood Obesity in Low Socioeconomic Status Communities Jordan Landers Florida State University Abstract Obesity is at an all time high in the Unites States, affecting 35% of adults and 17% of children. Childhood obesity can be very detrimental causing emotional, physical, and social strain on the lives of adolescents. Those that are affected the most are citizens that live in low socioeconomic status communities due to lack of education and lack of resources. There are shortages of grocery stores and markets that offer fresh fruits and vegetables thus communities rely on fast food restaurants and convenient stores for food. Furthermore lack of fresh food coupled with physical inactivity is the main reason for the rise of childhood obesity and obesity in general in the past 30 years. Creating safe places for children to play as well as providing food and resources is the only way to eliminate the ongoing obesity epidemic. Growing up there has always been a certain degree of importance placed on the diet and living a healthy lifestyle to live a long and successful life. As of late there has been a boom in fitness sales, gym memberships, and importance on diet and quality food consumption, yet in the past 30 years the United States has seen a drastic increase in the amount of obese individuals. With social media and so many other health initiatives taking place across the country, why is there still a rise in obesity levels amongst adolescents...

Words: 3467 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Chield Obesity

...Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is one of the most prevalent issues that needs to be alleviated. Children have to comprehend that if they keep on consuming fattening foods, their chances of developing diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes increases significantly. I am proposing a solution to prevent childhood obesity. The proposal is to spread awareness of this epidemic by educating parents and their children about the dangers of obesity and how to prevent it. Every school should have a mandatory half an hour class that teaches students about eating healthy and the importance of exercising regularly. This proposal is aimed towards elementary school children and their parents. The genre for this piece is a newspaper article. The proposal can be published in magazines, newspaper, internet, and it can even be broadcasted on local channels to increase awareness of this social issue. The readers should be aware of the fact that there is a significant difference between the words overweight and obese. Overweight means that the individual weighs more than normal. On the other hand, obese means that the individual is extremely overweight. The Institute of Medicine states “over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years, and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years.” In 2004, about 9 million children over the age of 6 were considered obese. In 2005, the...

Words: 2943 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Childhood Obesity

...Childhood Obesity ENG 122 April 26, 2012 Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is an ongoing problem that we will all face in our lifetime. We may encounter this from our own experience as being an overweight child, seeing it in our children, their friends or even in our grandchildren. We all need to have a better understanding of childhood obesity. We will start this journey by address a brief history of childhood obesity, short and long-term health concerns, methods for treating obesity, and prevention of obesity in children. The overall purpose will be to foster an understanding of the impact high-fructose corn syrup usage in the last 30 years has had in relation to the childhood obesity epidemic. Childhood obesity is not a new problem but it is becoming an epidemic in the United States. Dr. Fals (2009) writes, “this country has been struggling with obesity for well over 20 years now” (p. 1). Most of us can remember when there was maybe one overweight child in a classroom, now there are two to three instead. The National Center for Health Statistics has been conducting surveys since 1963 relating to obesity among children and adolescents in the United States (Ogden, 2010). This is the only organization that has solid scientific history and statistical data available. It appears that obesity was not tracked on a nationwide level prior to 1963. One reason may be that there weren’t enough cases of childhood obesity to raise any red flags up until the 1960s. Since...

Words: 1992 - Pages: 8