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Childhood Obesity

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Children and Obesity

Sharletta Guy-Pope

SOC490: Social Science Capstone

Raqota Berger

June 18, 2012

Introduction
Due to the growing concern and increase prevalence of childhood obesity around the world the population of children as it relates to childhood obesity indicates that these children will suffer even greater as adults. This increasing concern has become a public health issue and a social issue with children. Furthermore, research shows that the media plays an important role in the current epidemic of childhood obesity, which also has become a social issue with children. The increasing amounts of junk food and fast food advertisements, that target children and adolescents, have an effect on the outcome of their health and nutritional habits; these advertisements shift away from good nutritional practices. Food advertisements that advertise unhealthy foods such as foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol (junk foods) puts children at risk for high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, both of which causes heart disease later on in life, which are precursors of cardiovascular disease resulting in childhood obesity.
Sociocultural Factors
Gender
Society, culture, and the media send children powerful messages about body weight and shape ideals. For girls; ideas that are stressed in the media include the "thin ideal" and urging to diet and exercise, which can put pressure on girls to be thin, putting them at greater risk for developing eating disorders. The messages from the media for boys include the idea of being “buff’ putting pressure on them to body build and perhaps make use of potentially harmful dietary supplements and steroids, which can develop into acceptable body images, which also can result in risks of developing eating disorders and body image disturbances. According to the

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