...Childhood Obesity CuShena Buck ENG 122 Instructor: Jason Romero 1/23/2012 The topic I chose is childhood obesity because I have family members struggling with childhood obesity. I have found in doing my research that overweight and obesity in children are significant public health problems in the United States. The number of adolescents who are overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled. According to the 1999-2002 NHANES survey, 16 percent of children age 6-19 years is overweight. Not only have the rates of overweight increased, but the heaviest children in a recent NHANES survey were markedly heavier than those in previous surveys (ASPE, 2012). Obesity disproportionately affects certain minority youth populations. NHANES found that African American and Mexican American adolescents ages 12-19 were more likely to be overweight, at 21 percent and 23 percent respectively, than non-Hispanic White adolescents (14 percent) .In children 6-11 years old, 22 percent of Mexican American children were overweight, whereas 20 percent of African American children and 14 percent of non-Hispanic White children were overweight. In addition to the children and teens who were overweight in 1999-2002, another 15 percent were at risk of becoming overweight In a national survey of American Indian children 5-18 years old, 39 percent were found to be overweight or at risk for overweight. Being overweight during childhood and adolescence increases...
Words: 1456 - Pages: 6
...The increase in childhood obesity has become a serious health issue, and measures should be taken to overcome this growing concern. Author, Jennifer Bishop, et al, in their research brief, “Childhood Obesity,” present a growing issue is today’s society. The authors’ purpose is to provide an understanding of the causes of increased obesity among children and the steps that can be taken to lessen this problem. They adopt an informative tone in order to bring attention to the issue at hand to their adult readers. Bishop, et al, begin their research brief by using ethos to establish their credibility. By providing numerous charts and tables from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), they reveal evidence that help build...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...Childhood Obesity Even though America is an advance developed country, we are facing a major epidemic in obesity with children. American has one of the highest percent of children obesity in the world. “Obese”, from the Latin word “obesus”, means “grown fat by eating”. The term’s origin clearly and correctly suggest that overeating is a major cause of the obesity epidemic.” Sharron Dalton, 45). Obesity may cause several major health problems and could have an effect on youth’s daily activities. How serious is obesity in our society? There are many factors that cause obesity in children such as genetics, behavior and eating habits. Leading so many drawbacks of being overweight. Obesity will continue to increase if there are no action from...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...Parental Influence on Childhood Obesity ENG122 Kim Hartleb March 21, 2012 Instructor Mindy Hamilton Parental Influence on Childhood Obesity A sobering medical condition, called Childhood obesity, has affected children and adolescents in today’s world. Overweight resulting in men, women, and children who are obese is the result of “caloric imbalance” and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors (Dietz, 1998). The definition of overweight is having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors (CDC, 2011). Based on research it is clear that the development of healthy eating habits starts with parental style, relationships, and how a family manages and functions that may help reduce childhood obesity. There are many health issues among obese children and adolescents that range from type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, social discrimination, and heart disease. All of these issues mentioned can be detrimental in self-esteem and depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 17 percent of U.S. children ages two to nineteen years are overweight (Kuczmarski et al. 2002) and nearly another 17 percent are at risk for overweight. The psychosocial risks in obese children can hinder academic and social functioning and these children are targets for social discrimination. In comparison to obese girls and boys to non-obese girls and boys were less likely...
Words: 2544 - Pages: 11
...Family Development Research/ Appropriate Use of Technology Nutrition through the Life Cycle Obesity in children Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Physicians and researchers did numerous studies on children’s habits and lifestyles as an important part of society. Nowadays, children face big problems with obesity. As a result, researchers have learned that healthy habits could have a profound impact on the future of every child and get a better understanding of how children perceive healthy eating. Researchers have proved and would like to emphasize that obesity has tripled in Canadian children in recent decades. For this reason, researchers have identified that healthy behaviors have numerous benefits. By making healthy food choices and explaining the nutritional value of various foods to children will improve the lifestyle of every child and make children’s health better. After a large quantity of interviews that were used to collect data on what food children prefer to eat and why it was discovered that they have bad eating habits and lifestyle. Researchers have found that only 75% of children understood healthy eating by identifying what is healthy food and what is junk food. Almost all children have mentioned eating fruits and vegetables. Findings suggested that children had previously heard or thought about...
Words: 3486 - Pages: 14
...“Childhood Obesity” Sheena Henderson ENG 122: English Composition II Instructor: Xochitl Tirado April 23, 2012 Childhood obesity is quickly becoming a huge epidemic in the world today. Many health officials believe that obesity is one of the fastest growing diseases in America. What many people fail to realize is that obesity is a disease that can kill a person. The difference between being obese and being overweight is misunderstood, and eating habits is the number one cause of this condition and solutions are needed. One thing that causes obesity in children is their unhealthy eating habits, not exercising and not getting nutrients are all common causes of obesity. Eating high calorie foods regularly like fast foods, baked goods and vending machine snacks increases weight. Because of the abundance and availability of unhealthy foods, children are prone to becoming overweight or obese when their eating habits are not balanced with a sufficient amount of physical activity. No matter where the foods we eat come from, there is a good chance that it is unhealthy for us. Some people even feel that genetics play a role in weight issues in children obesity. Children of obese or overweight parents are much more likely to be overweight or obese. They eat the same foods and mimic the parents’ level of activity. Obesity cannot be inherited, but disorders that result in obesity can. There are many ways to solve childhood obesity. “However, no treatment will work on its own. One...
Words: 588 - Pages: 3
...would be unheard of or even a taboo in a society. Literature Review The dawn of the 21st century has witnessed tremendous increase in the number of illnesses associated with eating traits that are considered unhealthy. Of particular interest were those eating habits that rendered some members of the society overweight or obese. Until recently such illnesses were considered to be associated with the middle aged upper social and the aging group of western world. Contrary to this belief, the problem of obesity has increasingly been witnessed across the rest of the world including the less developed countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America and across people of lower ages. This necessitated the search for other means to explain this trend. Unlike lower forms of life human beings have brains that enable them not only to respond to influences but to understand and give meanings to these influences based on individual’s interpretations [Herman, 1994, p. 2]. This is a phenomenon that perhaps could explain the behaviour of a human being in relation to feeding habits. The branch of sociology that studies this behaviour is referred to as symbolic interaction. This paper examines the relationship between the human behavioral response to and understanding of stimuli to the environment in relation to diet habits and the related health implications in an individual among...
Words: 1416 - Pages: 6
...Childhood Obesity ENG122 Matthew Fox July 23, 2012 Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a serious concern for youth today. Within the past 30 years childhood obesity has more than tripled. Four out of ten children are considered to be obese (Ogden CL 2010). Often when one sees overweight children, one will hear parents making excuses for why their child is overweight. For example one will hear a parent say “she is just big boned, or she will grow out of it, it’s just baby fat” these are nothing but excuses. Parents are in denial when it comes to their child being overweight or even obese. If parents today do not start taking this issue seriously, then that could be taken as a form of child abuse due to the long term health factors that childhood obesity can cause. A main claim that researches are finding is that parents are a cause of childhood obesity. In an article on ABC News by Alyssa Newcomb 2011 she followed a story about a 200 pound third grade boy that officials took from his mother and placed in foster care. Officials learned of the case after the mother took her son to the hospital for breathing trouble. What parents do not understand is that this condition can lead to serious health factors if not death in an obese child. Authorities are starting to become aware of the families and are charging the parents with abuse. Parents today have become fearful that their children will be taken from them if they are severely overweight. A three-decade...
Words: 1735 - Pages: 7
...Childhood Obesity: A Growing Problem With all the junk food that kids have available today, it is really easy for our children to become overweight. Being obese while at such a young age can cause health problems now and when they become older and older. Obesity is caused by excessive body adipose tissue. There are many children in the United States that are at risk or already are overweight. Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. because being overweight is a major issue for proper growth and development. Obesity has affected more than a billion people worldwide. This is a growing number that has not yet stopped. Obesity in the U. S. has risen in children and youth. The pasted 30 years the number of overweight children (BMI greater 85th percentile) has tripled.(Miller, 2014) In the U.S. more than 30 percent of children are obese or overweight. (Miller, 2014) In the US obesity has reportedly increased in over 31 states and Washington DC is one of the highest.(La Rocca, 2009) This is not only just happening here in the U.S. According to the International Obesity Task Force, 22 million of the world children under 5 years old are also overweight or obese. (Miller, 2014) More than two thirds of obese children that are ten years and older will become obese as adults. (Miller, 2014) There are more medical complications tied with how severe the child obesity is. Some problems are impaired glucose tolerance, heart disease reduction...
Words: 796 - Pages: 4
...PSYCHOLOGY Parental Influence: Implications for the Prevention Of Early Childhood Obesity Abstract The overall purpose of this study was to investigate whether parents serve as role models in influencing their children’s weight-related behaviours. Participants were 60 random parents of children from Barbados. Unlike previous research studies, the correlation analyses of this study indicated that the junk food or fast foods children consumed was negatively associated with the amount of income made by the parents or their education level. Although it was found that some children do model their parents’ behaviour when it comes to healthy food choices, the findings show that parents do not enforce the healthy eating practices unto their children. This study did not support the theory that children model adult eating behaviours on their own. Parental Influence: Implications for the Prevention Of Early Childhood Obesity Some researchers in public health have concluded that the problem of early childhood obesity has reached near-epidemic proportions (Deckelbaum & Williams 2001; Puhl & Latner 2007). The problem of early childhood obesity and overweight appears to be on-going without implementation of early detection and prevention strategies (Stegelin 2008). The causes most commonly identified with the increase in early childhood obesity are inadequate physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet (Campbell et al...
Words: 6131 - Pages: 25
...Obesity in America Obesity has risen to epidemic levels in the U.S. It causes devastating and costly health problems, reduces life expectancy, and is associated with stigma and discrimination. A multitude of factors likely contribute to obesity, from inherent biological traits that differ between individuals relevant to body weight; to environmental and socioeconomic factors; to behavioral factors--which may have both molecular and environmental influences. Close to two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese. Despite the attention of the health profession, the media, and the public, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades. Add the relatively few Americans who practice the habit of regular physical activity to the many who practice the habit of “super-sizing,” and it is no revelation why this has occurred. We have inherited our genetic makeup from our ancestors, hunters and gatherers who ate diets rich in low-fat meats and grains, who had to stalk and capture the entrée for dinner. During times of feast, their bodies were designed to store nutrients as adipose tissue to be used for fuel to survive periods of famine. We are descended from these survivors, and we share this ability to store fat when food is in overabundance. However, famines in the United States are fewer and farther between nowadays, so...
Words: 2719 - Pages: 11
...Biology of Health and Disease | Childhood Obesity | Healthy Choices | | The book entitled Your Child by David Pruitt, MD. focuses on the increase of childhood obesity in the United States. The book explains that between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise (David Pruitt, 1998). The causes and risk factors associated with childhood obesity are discussed in an article by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) entitled Healthy Weight, Healthy Child, which cites poor eating habits, overeating, binge eating, and lack of exercise as the leading cause of unhealthy weights among children and adolescents. There are many societal factors that contribute to childhood obesity. Poor eating habits can be learned, but are also the result of poor socioeconomic factors. Fast foods are not only easier, but cheaper. The cost of a cheesburger and french fries is marginal and can be purchased in a matter of miutes, compaired to the time and cost of a sit-down meal prepared at home...
Words: 637 - Pages: 3
...What Contributes to Childhood Obesity? Pamela C. Cole SOC 120 Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Kimberly Otterstetter January 24, 2011 What Contributes to Childhood Obesity? Childhood obesity is an issue that requires immediate attention. According to the CDC, “childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, with the increase from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008 amongst children aged 6 to 11 years” (CDC, 2010). “With so many Americans (adult and children) reportedly overweight, this issue is not a surprise as the CDC also notes that childhood obesity is mediated by genetic, behavioral and environmental factors and has both immediate and long-term health impacts” (CDC, 2010). Many have agreed through the years that eating too much fast food and the lack of exercise contributes to childhood obesity. Food portions over the years have more than doubled in size, supposedly to coincide with the increase in food prices, and many people attribute weight gain to health issues such as thyroid or hormonal problems. However, many Americans are overweight because of sedentary lifestyles and relying heavily on fast/convenient food, the accessibility of a remote control and ease of cordless phones. Everything is within reach and accessible, making it difficult to change bad habits. In the past, it was a treat to eat fast food, now it is an everyday occurrence for some. Televisions once required manual operation, but now it is easy to sit back...
Words: 1450 - Pages: 6
...Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is fast growing health problem for our children and adolescents in the United States. In the last two decades, the prevalence of overweight children, in the U.S., ages 6-11 years of age has doubled, and tripled for teenagers. (Mayoclinic.com 2006) A child is considered to be overweight or obese if their BMI (body mass index) is over 30. In order to calculate one's BMI, you would divide the your weight in pounds multiplied by 703 by the square of your height in inches. “Researchers predict that nearly half the children in North America will be overweight by 2010, and data indicates that 80 percent of these children will likely be overweight as adults, placing them at a higher risk of developing health problems like high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.” (Revolutionhealth.com) So, what is causing such a dramatic increase in overweight Americans, or more importantly obesity in our children? Weight gain among children is most likely due to a combination of factors including: poor dietary habits, genetic makeup, family lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and a child's inactivity. With our ever increasing technological advances (i.e. Computers, video games, iPod’s, and television), children are more likely to stay inside rather than going outside to play. Which is another way of stating that our children are lazier and lack exercise. The poor dietary habits could be contributed to the convenience of all the fast food restaurants in...
Words: 670 - Pages: 3
...Obesity in America Julie Slomczenski In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight. America is the richest but also the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein 28). The 1980s were a time when Americans suddenly started going crazy over dieting, jumping onto the treadmills, and buying prepackaged non-fat foods. However, while all of that was going on, the number of obese Americans began to increase. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 58 million people in our country weigh over 20 percent of their body’s ideal weight. The article “Fat Times” states, “If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called an epidemic” (Elmer-Dewit 58). The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and have started to produce gluttonous children, over-indulgent adults, and a food industry set too much on satisfying our appetites. Obesity can begin at a very young age. Many children in our society are overweight, setting themselves up for serious health problems later in life. Type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks. Children who are overweight also tend to feel less secure, less...
Words: 2957 - Pages: 12
