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Long Term Effects of Childhood Obesity

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Submitted By 03dani03
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Causes of Childhood Obesity
Danielle Rainey
Galen College of Nursing
Causes of Childhood Obesity
One of the biggest epidemics in America today is the meteoric rise of childhood obesity. It is essential for children to have extra calories and nutrients to propel their growth and development. If they take in the right number of calories, the pounds they add should be in direct proportion to their growth. If they take in more calories than they burn off, the result can be a significant increase in weight. According to Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flegal (2012) “childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years” (p.483). The effects of obesity are varied and include the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, trouble sleeping and can even result in social isolation and depression. But what are the root causes of this epidemic? The causes themselves are just as varied and just as numerous as the effects. They encompass a wide variety of convoluted elements such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, low self-esteem, family issues, peer problems and can even include medical causes such as illness or depression.
One cause of childhood obesity is overeating and poor eating habits. Children are submerged in an environment that is conducive to overeating and maintaining their poor eating habits. In today’s fast paced society, some parents have little time to plan and assemble healthy meals for their children. Long work days and little time spent with family leads to the use of more processed foods and fast food substitutes instead of healthy home cooked meals. Some families are faced with geographic challenges when providing healthy foods. They live in rural settings that make access to stores with healthy food options unattainable, or conversely they live in an urban setting surrounded

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