... This quote aptly encapsulates the area of my interest – obesity. In my research paper I will discuss some of the causes of obesity, its effects and the health concerns related to obesity and finally offer suggestions as to how obesity can be treated or prevented. Obesity can be defined as “having excess body fat” whereas being overweight is defined as “having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Obesity is the result of eating too many calories without sufficient physical exercise to offset the intake. Children today are exposed to many deterrents to eating healthy foods. Factors in the environment home, school, social circles, neighborhood and community all contribute, in different ways, to eating unhealthy, often more affordable, supersized foods. It is difficult for children to make healthy choices and be physically active when exposed to many unhealthy options which are easily available to them. Although overeating and lack of activity are the major factors causing obesity, genetics also plays an important role in obesity. In this paper, I will discuss some of these factors including environmental and socioeconomic conditions that affect obesity. In addition, the consequences of obesity and some actions to combat obesity will be discussed. Overview and history The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased...
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...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 “two...
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...Childhood Obesity “Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. Children with childhood obesity face many health problems like type two diabetes, high blood, pressure and are at risk for many types of cancers. The lack of children’s physical activity today is one of the major factors that lead to obesity as well as eating unhealthy diets, the increased food portions and the lack of information about healthy choices. Dr. Anand, the Executive Director for the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, describes the prevalence of obesity as being “at epidemic proportions” (Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion, 2008, pg. 2). This statement was made in 1998. Since then, the rates of obesity have continued to rise dramatically and if we don’t do anything to stop it these numbers will keep rising. Many people think that dealing with obesity is only the parent’s responsibility, but what we need to realize is that it is not only the parents responsibility, fighting this epidemic has also become the responsibility of our schools and communities. Obesity education needs to be in our homes, schools and our communities to raise awareness of the causes, as well as the risks. We need to take action in helping reduce this health problem which is affecting more and more children each day. Parents and children need to know how to eat a healthier diet and understand how exercise can...
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...Introduction I will address the following question: How does poverty affect obesity? I will use three articles that will support my answer as to why I think poverty affects obesity. First, I will discuss the articles. Second, I will state the author’s main points and identify how they address my research question. Next I will discuss the evidence does he/she use to make this point and discuss what research method they author used to gather data and address the which sociological perspective the author would state their viewpoint to fit and discuss the authors finding support contradict and/or complement one another. Authors Main Point Article Summary One In childhood and adolescent obesity, which is defined as body mass index at or above...
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...Obesity in America June 6, 2014 ENG/215 Paul Korzeniowski Obesity of the main causes of malnutrition in children and adults in America is mainly because caused of cheap foods that are low nutrition unhealthy and that are usually full of calories and fat. Obesity is eventually what will be the outcome. Poverty is the main factor of obesity. Factually speaking, Obesity and poverty without a doubt are interconnected. If Americans can actively become involved in their health and diet obesity could be eliminated. According to a recent poll, it has been stated American adults and American children are either obese or overweight adults raking in two-thirds while children are more than one-tenth on this spectrum. Hunger and obesity are about what one-tenth of American families suffer from, this happens when there is no access to safe foods that are nutritionally satisfactory. Statistics states children from low income families are half way as their affluent counterparts to become obese. When it comes to obesity low income families are in very unfavorable conditions when it comes to obesity. Unfortunately, the average American family does not have the financial capabilities to prepare healthy meals, find suitable housing, or access to appropriate medical care, and other everyday necessities. Low income family tend to buy less expense food which is not the healthiest choice vs. spending money on more healthy food because they just can't afford it. In doing so, families choose...
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...A Rising Epidemic Stephanie Johnson ENG 122 Bernadette Anayah March 22, 2011 Childhood obesity is a massive problem in the world. It is a problem that is only getting worse as the years go by. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry states that “between sixteen and thirty-three percent of children and adolescence are obese” (2008). This number is already causing dramatic changes in our world, but they are getting worse. There are many factors thrown around as to what causes childhood obesity. The issues at hand may all play a factor in childhood obesity; one of importance would be what the children are taught by their parents. A better understanding of why the youth is so overweight needs to be addressed. This can start at infancy and be enabled through adolescence. “Numerous parental influences shape the eating habits of youth including; the choice of an infant feeding method, the foods they make available and accessible, the amount of time children are left unsupervised and their eating interactions with others in the social context. Several studies suggest that breastfeeding offer small but consistent protective effect against obesity in children” (Rucker, S, A and Kries, R, V 2004). Children are being taught how to eat, when to eat, and what to eat by their guardians. This has been seen time and time again. When your child becomes old enough to eat solid foods, it is by the choice of their parents whether there...
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...Reversing Obesity Rates: A Proposal Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active. Studies have linked obesity to many things from ear infections, to pollution, to air-conditioning, to socializing with obese people. The reason Americans are obese is because of the increasing luxury available to them. Obesity is a rising problem in the United States, and with all the privileges given to its citizens, the country has become increasingly lazy. With portion sizes rising and physical activity decreasing, it is easy to see how obesity rates have skyrocketed. Obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether. The best way to begin a revolution in health in America is to start with the youth. The United States has the largest percentile of overweight children in the world. Approximately one-quarter of all four to five year olds and one-third of ten to eleven...
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...The Obesity Epidemic Ever looked outside or even been in a store and looked around? Have you realized the problem many people face in our society today with obesity? Obesity is a widespread disease that is influencing many of the people in America. According to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that about 35% of American’s face this problem daily and more are on the verge to being diagnosed with this (Information, Health 1). Treating this disease is harder than what it may seem. I, personally, know someone who is heavier and uses fad diets and temporary weight loss techniques, which helped that person, lose weight. Sadly, these are called temporary weight loss techniques for a reason; soon this person...
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...Why Television is OK for Children Why Television is OK for Children Tonia Boyett Grand Canyon University English Composition II 106 February 19, 2011 Why Television is OK for Children The views about children and television all seem to point to television being bad for children. According to Rose Bachtel text “Television: Destroying Childhood”, watching television does not allow children the exercise that they need to keep their bodies in shape and can lead to health problems (Bachtel, 2010). But also according to two visual sources, watching too much seems to be the main problem with childhood obesity because children eat bad foods as they watch television (Giany, 2010), (Perez, 2006). But if parents monitor more of their kids’ television time, maybe obesity would not be such a huge problem. In the text by Bachtel, it was an essay in which she describes that “times have changed” (Bachtel, 2010). Back when she was younger, and when most of us were also, we played outside most of the time. But today with so many types of entertainment, for example, TV, video games, and computers, kids do not want to go outside. Many kids today are considered latch key kids so when they get home from school they have to stay indoors. So of course they are going to watch television. Then as they are watching TV, they are going to want to eat a snack. This in turn is causing less exercise in children, which can cause obesity. The essay also states that if there were no televisions in...
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...Child obesity is more common now than it has ever been. Child obesity is a health issue which concerns children who are above a normal healthy weight. Obesity is defined as having too much excess body fat and is calculated by Body Mass Index (BMI), it is a tool to measure a person’s body mass. Child obesity can affect a child’s physical health, social, and emotional well-being. Obesity can also cause poor level of academic performance. Obesity does not happen overnight; it happens over time and is how someone eats. Child obesity is caused by technology, parenting styles, and lack of physical activity. Child obesity has become a big problem in the 1970’s, since then it has tripled. Doctors are concerned with children nowadays due to the growth...
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...Running Head: MCDONALD’S AND OBESITY Case Study #1: McDonald’s and Obesity Monica Cassetta Central Michigan University-- MKT 560 February 1, 2014 Introduction Obesity is an ongoing problem not only in America, but seen all over the world. There are many assumptions in regards to why this has been on the rise in recent years, and who is to blame for this. Obesity and over-weight adults, as well as children, has become increasingly common, as well as seen. With over 1 billion overweight adults with 400 million of them being obese, and with 155 million children being over-weight worldwide (Cateora, Gilly, Graham, 2013), this issue needed to be addressed. With that said, the big question is, how do we stop this rise as a whole. An ongoing issue and example to today’s obesity is fast food chains i.e. McDonald’s, and how they advertise. And though McDonald’s is one of the leading companies in the fast-food chain industry across the globe, people have been outraged with their marketing and campaigns to eat their unhealthy menu items. Thankfully, even with the bad publicity McDonald’s had and has received on numerous occasions, they are still able to have a constant growth within their company. Question #1: When it comes to fast-food industries, marketing and advertising is the key to their success. They typically use the 4P’s of marketing which are, product, price, place, and promotion. “Having accurate research is essential in creating the right marketing” (Business...
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...arises in today’s America. Americans suffer with childhood obesity that connects to the way schools serves lunch. The (CDC) Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that if control childhood obesity is not under control by 2018, 40% of the children in America will be obese. According to Ann Cooper, the most noticeable cause for childhood obesity is today’s children, is the way that children eat at school. The schools supply the children with food served in bulks and are less expensive, instead of supplying them with nutritional meals. In order for schools in America to help with weight issues of school age children they must be will to replace the food with healthy alternatives. The foods served at private and public schools are processed foods and are highly unhealthy for children. Children need foods garden grown and will be fresh when children go to receive their lunch. Ann Cooper found in her research, if schools don’t change their system children would not receive nutritional foods that will help aid in loosing weight and giving them a energy. The ramifications of not making these changes would be harmful to today’s young children, whereas it could be prevented if schools would provide healthier lunches during school hours. The reason for this study is to help inspire families, members of the church, communities, and school officials to advocate change in the different types of foods that children will receive while in school. Through giving the proper...
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...Junk Food Affects You: Final Draft Shelbi Oakley DeVry University Online Junk Food Affects You Josh looks around the playground to see all his friends having fun. They’re swinging, playing tag, drawing with chalk on the blacktop, and picking teams for a basketball game. Everyone’s got a smile on their face and they’re full of so much energy. He’d love to be chosen to play on someone’s basketball team, invited to play tag, or having fun doing anything else other than sitting by himself in the grass. Instead, he gets picked on by other kids about being overweight and is always tired after a short time of going up and down the stairs of the jungle gym. Like many kids his age, junk food, candy, sweets, and fast food become a way of life and a quick and easy dinner picked up in the drive thru is much easier than taking time and effort to make a healthy one at home. Josh’s mom gets fast food for dinner 4-5 times a week, which is the average for Americans today (Americans eat out about 5 times a week, 2011). She works a full-time job and has to pick up Josh’s little sister from daycare after getting Josh from school. It’s hard for her to plan and prepare a wholesome dinner after a long day at work. This is not an uncommon scenario for many adults and kids alike in the U.S. and around the world today. Fast food and junk food have become the norm to the everyday diet. There are more and more restaurant chains...
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...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, and...
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...round, literally. A certain population or ethnicity and their disease trends can really have an effect on what can happen in the future for our healthcare systems. Demographics and Disease trends can go hand in hand with one another because disease trends are so constant and unnoticeable that it continues daily, therefore having a particular group being affected by the same disease. Some people do not believe it, but all you have to do is look at the statistics and you will then see how greatly they affect one another. To break things down, demographics are groups of people with a common link, such as; age, gender, race, education level, income level, even marital level, and etc. When in an environment where links are similar or the same, the same trends start to get picked up as well, linking you within the range of your demographics. Environment plays a big role in demographics as well. If you live in the same neighborhood or community as someone, you are linked to that person no matter how small of importance it is. With everyone doing the same trends which come to them like habits, they may never go away until they know that it is a problem. Environment happens to play a role as well when it comes to demographics. Environment happens to play one of the main roles. Habits become hard to break because of the type of environment you around. Who, what, and the things that you are surrounded by happen to make up part of your environment, and it becomes hard to control...
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