America's Childhood Obesity Crisis

Childhood Obesity Essay
Introduction Obesity is on the rise in America. News articles and scientific reports unanimously
agree that America is becoming the most overweight country in the world, and other developing
countries are not far behind. In addition, these countries' children are now becoming as overweight
as their parents and other adults. Unlike these adults, children seldom have the knowledge and
control over their lifestyle to contribute to either health or obesity. Prominent researchers in the field
exemplify the need for quick action. They state, "The effects of childhood obesity on morbidity and
mortality indicate that effective prevention and therapy for childhood obesity are likely to have a
significant impact on adult disease"...show more content...
Being overweight can have both psychological and physical ramifications. Obesity is linked to
diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, total mortality and certain cancers in
adulthood (Harlan 2). Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that
"obesity present in young women was associated with an adverse impact associated with an
adverse impact on household income, education, and rates of marriage, poverty, and college
completion" (Gortmaker 1008). Reducing the incidence of obesity will benefit these parts of
society as well. Furthermore, according to research by Price, "Overweight children are especially
vulnerable to stigmatization because of the importance given to physical skills and appearance
during the developmental years" (95). Additional research has looked at children's views toward
other children who show a disability. Results showed that "depictions of obese children were
consistently rated less positively than most of the other depictions of children, including children in
wheelchairs, on crutches, with limbs missing, and with facial deformity" (95). With research
showing these serious effects, ways to effectively reduce and prevent childhood adiposity (body fat)
must be offered. Changes in diet, exercise, and the implementation of social programs are three
presented here. Effect of Diet The first argument states that diet is the problem and should be
addressed to control
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Within the past three years obesity among children has tripled. Childhood obesity is considered
the number one health threat in America. Childhood obesity has become a major issue facing
America. And today over "nine million" (Selicia 4, May) United States children are overweight
and obese. Sadly "2 million" (Tanner 2005) of these children are at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Obesity has become a burden to the United States economy and it is costing America "$147
billion" (Holden, 2010) a year. A child does not become overweight and obese overnight. America,
Parents, society and the government are to blame for the obesity among American children. Obesity
has been around for many years, but it has always been addressed has an adult...show more content...
According to Sandra G. Boodman (Jun 13, 1995) numerous researchers have found that "obesity
runs in families: A child with two fat parents has an 80 percent chance of being fat as an adult; the
risk is cut in half if only one parent is obese. By contrast a child of two normal–weight parents has a
14 percent chance of growing up to being fat". Children adopt the habits of their parents. A child
who has an overweight parent who eats high–calorie foods and are inactive will likely become
overweight too. However, if the family adopts healthy food and physical activity habits, the child's
chance of being overweight or obese is reduced. Obese children are more prone to low–self–esteem
and negative body image. In rare cases obesity is not necessarily due to the child being overfed or
eating too much. Childhood obesity can also be caused by a genetic medical, psychological,
genetics, lifestyle and environment". Hypothyroidism Cushing's disease, diabetes and certain
medications, notably steroids, some antidepressants, and high blood pressure drugs, and seizure
medications can all cause a person to become obese. These medicines can slow the rate at which
your body burns calories, increase your appetite, or cause your body to hold on to extra water. All
of these factors can lead to weight gain. It is without a doubt that many children tend to overeat
when faced with stressful life circumstances in an effort to escape

Childhood Obesity in America Essay examples
It's a scary feeling when climbing a simple flight of stairs only to reach the top and be completely out
of breath. In America today this is the reality that many children face. Obesity has become an
epidemic in our world, it has many contributing factors, affects learning abilities but there are
preventive methods for it. Although little is being done about obesity, it's affecting the lives of many
but mostly children and by a multitude of different factors. The rising numbers of obese children has
reached an alarming rate. With many Americans, "...'obesity'...carries the connotation of being
extremely overweight. [But] health professionals define overweight as an excess amount of body
weight that includes muscle, bone, fat and water;...show more content...
If the pollutants are altering body cells certain parts of the body may not grow properly and more
fat would be produced where it doesn't belong. When these "...chemicals [are present] in the
mom's blood, such as DDE (a by product of the now widely banned pesticide DDT, which lingers
in the environment decades later, and is still found in small amounts in many foods such as meat,
dairy, and fish)" can alter the development of the fetus and cause problems later in life (1). The
children of whom mothers' had this chemical in their blood while pregnant are even more at risk for
obesity without even having bad eating habits. Equally important are the affects it has on children's
health and learning. A child's learning ability and overall health can be affected by them being
overweight. Some of the obese and overweight "...children are developing conditions and diseases
that normally would be associated with adults, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol,
...type 2 diabetes...occurrence of certain cancers, including colon cancer..." (Andrews 2). Along with
these conditions and diseases many children are also faced with "...social discrimination" from their
peers and the people around them (2). In schools "...overweight students showed 0.4 lower GPA and
11% lower national percentile reading scores... also [they] had significantly more detentions, poorer
school attendance,

In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be
evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In
the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming
rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier.
This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of
Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society. With the expansion in technology, children are
hastily becoming more and more inactive. In the past century, kids would play outside from sunrise
to sunset. Little did they realize, that playtime served...show more content...
To slow this epidemic of childhood obesity, physical activity needs to be put back in these children's
lives. The fast–paced lifestyle of Americans today results in unhealthy frozen T.V. dinners and
take–out meals. In present day society, the role of woman and men are virtually equal. With this
making both the mother and father of families busy, there is little time for home cooked meals. A
hardy breakfast is replaced with sugary pop–tarts, hand packed lunches is replaced with money for
fast food, and frozen T.V. trays take the place of a healthy dinner. These foods may all taste good,
but they are not healthy. By giving children lunch money, the children are having the choice to
buy whatever foods they please. It could be easily assumed that a child would choose a candy bar,
chips, and a soda over a school lunch. Again, the children are not the only ones to be blamed here.
The parents need to take time to guide their children towards what food is healthy and what food is
unhealthy. By taking a little more time out of the day and making healthier food choices, the rate of
childhood obesity could slow down, if not stop altogether. Fast food advertisement agencies take
advantage of the ignorance of children to scam them into wanting unhealthy meals. Each year, the
fast food industry spends over $3 million of advertising targeted towards children. Half of television
advertisement is used during children's shows and with cartoons. Out of all the factors

There was a time when chubby children were considered cute. It was assumed that their baby fat
would melt away and a healthy adult would emerge. We now know that childhood obesity can be
very harmful for our nations children. Not only can obesity cause health problems but also
psychological problems. In observing the causes of childhood obesity, hopefully we can slow down
the epidemic. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of obese children
ages 6–19 have tripled to 16% over the last twelve years. That is an alarming figure. One of the
main causes is lack of physical activity. This may seem like an obvious cause, but it seems to be the
one our youth have the most problems with. Physical education is being...show more content...
The age old saying, "You are what you eat" still rings true today. Fresh fruit and vegetables have
been replaced by french–fries and hamburgers. Children today do not know how to eat healthy. We,
as a nation, spend hours and hours bombarding children with fast food commercials, sugary cereal
commercials and cavity causing drink commercials. We than spend a fraction of that time telling
kids these things are healthy only in moderation. Our children's nutritional education is almost
nonexistent. Ask a fifth grader what the food pyramid is and you're likely to receive the same
blank stare as I did. Most children have no idea what a balanced meal is because they may have
never received one. Schools provide nutritional meals at lunch, but there is no enforcement when
it comes to eating your fruits and vegetables. Lets face it, children eat what's familiar. If they
haven't had it at home they are probably not going to eat it at school. If there are no vegetables at
home, they are not going to eat them at school. Home life definitely sets the tone for a child's
eating and exercise routines. Children are like sponges and they will mimic anything a beloved
adult will do. We, as the adult nation, are generally out of shape. We have become more reliant on
convenience foods that hold little nutritional value. With the rising cost of produce and the recent
FDA safety scares it might

Childhood Obesity Amye Cook ENG122: English Composition II Instructor: Jenna Fussell
December 17, 2012 What is Childhood Obesity? Childhood obesity is very important in today's
society. Childhood Obesity is when a child have excessive amount of body weight for their age. A
child may become over weight because of the amount of food that they may consume into their
body. Overweight can be caused because the body may not have enough energy to release the
calories. When a child is obesity I think that it's more of the parents fault. A child can only do and
eat what their parent buy and allow them to eat. If you bring junk foods in your home then you are
engaging to what the child eats. If you taking him/her to eat out fast food then...show more content...
The report also indicated that obesity in children 7 to 12 years of age increased more than 50
percent between 1991 and 1998. One of the reasons American children and adolescents gain weight
over the generations is that children expend significantly less energy on a daily basis than their
parents and grandparents did at their age. Today's youth spend many hours participating in
sedentary activities. Additionally, we eat more fast food and vending machine food than we have in
the past. Health, physical educators, wellness specialists, and parents can play vital roles in
reducing obesity rates in children and adolescents. The researchers propose some effective strategies
and solutions for schools and parents to use when implementing obesity programs.....according to
Green(2012). I feel that child obesity is very important because child obesity is consisting of a
child's health. Fighting childhood obesity starts at home. Strauss stated that between 1986 and 1998,
overweight increased by more than 120 percent among African Americans and Hispanics and by
more than 50 percent among whites. The sharpest increases were seen among boys. Childhood
obesity should be important to the parents. For one thing why would you want your child health to
fail? Why would you allow your child to continue to eat unhealthy food? Eating health should not
only be for the child but should be for the parents

Prevalence of Obesity in Montgomery County Maryland
Child obesity have been increased in recent years in Montgomery county of Maryland. According to
Montgomery County Health Alliance "23.5% of children (ages 6–17 years of age) are at–risk for
obesity (BMI–for–age percentile of 85 or higher)" (Maryland Nutrition and
Physical Activity Plan, 2016). Obesity in children have a great impact on physical and psychological
health effects. Overweight children are prone to obesity even in adulthood, leading to increases the
risk of health conditions including chronic illnesses, hypertension, type II diabetes, high cholesterol,
and cardiovascular diseases compared to those children with a healthy weight. "Childhood obesity is
now being rightly...show more content...
(page 34). Moreover, middle schools now offering after–school activities to promote such as: fitness
classes, dance classes, cooking classes and many more variety physical and wellness lessons. "By
June 2010, Maryland schools will develop, adopt and implement policies to ensure that all pre–K to
grade–12 students receive quality, daily physical education that helps to develop the knowledge,
attitudes, skills, behaviors and confidence to be physically active for life and meet the Program
Standards accepted by the Maryland State Board of Education listed in the Physical Education Study
Group Report of 2000" (Maryland Nutrition and
Physical Activity Plan, 2016) (Maryland Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan 2006–2016.pdf page
87).
However, schools in Montgomery county alone cannot solve the obesity epidemic if parents and
community are not involved because parents are role models when it comes to physical activity and
healthy eating. As adults, we can't just expect from our children/ adolescents to eat healthy at school
when their home is full with junk food and unhealthy drinks. Therefore, parents are responsible to
increase physical activity, appropriate caloric intake and

Reducing Childhood Obesity Essay
Lisa has been suffering with obesity since she was 12 now at 17 she weighs approximately 440
pounds. She was known as the freak of every school she attended. Due to depression, anxiety and
agoraphobia (The fear of wide open spaces, crowds or uncontrolled social conditions.), caused by
the rest of her classmates she was forced to drop out of school. Children like these are all across
America. Food industries are provoking them to eat more with their tasty, one–dollar menus. One of
the areas that need to be given more importance in the fight against obesity is physical education:
from elementary throughout high school. Obesity is a disease that is common in America; it usually
starts in the elementary age. Physical education not only helps...show more content...
Excess body fat will be stored in the fat cells, causing obesity. Obesity alone may not be life
threatening, but research has proven that an obese person is more likely to develop a life
threatening disease than a person of normal weight. Added to this, the indoor activities so
common in our western society generally do not burn as much energy as outdoor activities
resulting in more energy being retained as fat cells. (Kiess 112) According to the U.S Department
of Health and Human Services, statistics show that 66% of Americans are obese. Obesity is
differentiated from overweight in that the former is an abnormally high proportion of body fat and
the latter "excess of body weight compared to set standards... [Which may] come from muscle,
bone, fat or body water (Statistics related 1, 3). Obesity and overweight are a growing problem.
"Over the last two decades, the rates for overweight children have doubled, so that today one–third
of children in the United States are overweight." This means that out of every 15 kids in an
average elementary class, 5 will be diagnosed with overweight. Possible explanations for the
increase in obese persons are: more fast–food availability and advertisement and more sedentary
diversions. This is why the American Heart Association (AHS) in every state and at federal level
requires that

Childhood Obesity Essay examples
Forty years ago in America childhood obesity was rarely a topic of conversation. A survey done
in the early 1970s showed that 6.1% of children between the ages 12 and 19 were overweight.
Eight years later the same survey was done and 17.4% were considered overweight (Iannelli).
"Childhood obesity epidemic in America is now a confirmed fact since the number of overweight
or obese children has more than tripled during the last 30 years" (Childhood Obesity Epidemic).
"Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in children aged 6 to 11 years has tripled from
6.5% to 19.6%" (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). As a nation statistics should be alarming. Why are
American children today so obese? Before pointing fingers at any one reason, one...show more
content...
Find a different punishment or non–food reward. Step Three: Set an eating schedule for the family.
Doing so will make it less likely for children to overeat and be hungry, if there's a set time for
eating. This is especially important for younger children for their metabolism and activity level.
Step Four: Do not allow children to be entertained by television while eating. Television is an easy
way to get carried away while eating. Step Five: Keep children busy, doing so can eliminate the
urge to eat once they become bored. "Never offer food as a way to keep them busy while you are
doing something else" (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). A parent should always supervise their
children's diet and should encourage them to be physical active because they have a key role when
it comes to how their child eats. Another environmental cause of childhood obesity is the lack of
physical activity. The problem is that physical activity has been replaced by video games, television,
social networking and other technology. (Child Obesity Statistics) "It's proven that children who
watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity." (Hosten) The American
Heart Association they recommend "all children age 2 and older should participate in at least 60
minutes of enjoyable, moderate–intensity physical activities every day." They also recommend "if
your child or children don't have a full 60–minute activity break each day, try to provide at

"Today, about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese; nearly triple the rate
from 1983. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the Number 1 health concern among
parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking. If current trends continue, today's
kids could be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents" (Clinton, para. 3 2011).
Children may not understand the complexities of food intake or obesity but they continue to be
affected by the issue. The reality is that if a parent enables their kids to make poor eating choices as
children; they will struggle as adults to make the right eating choices. Many factors contribute to
childhood obesity but the major factors are living...show more content...
The obesity epidemic can change if Americans can change they way they choose to live. First,
parents must become educated with the facts about proper food consumption for themselves and
their children. Second, children need to partake in afterschool activities and events living an
active life. Third and most important, parents should be role models by eating proper nutritional
meals and getting plenty of exercise. Fast foods contribution to obesity One of the major factors
in the childhood obesity epidemic is the fast food industry. The online dictionary defines fast
food as inexpensive food, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, prepared and served quickly.
Some examples of fast food restaurants are: McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Taco Bell, Taco Time, Arby's, Burgersville, Taco Dell Mar, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars,
and Jack in the Box. Parents frequently allow their children to indulge in the fast foods restaurants
even though there foods are high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat. Parents often time feed
themselves and their children fast food even though they know it is bad for the bodies and hard to
digest because the food does not contain fiber which helps the flush through the body systems. The
definition of fast food it self should be a deterrent to eating it. Considering, it is inexpensive food
prepared to serve people quickly. However, most people do not avoid fast food that can prevent
obesity. Parents neglect to

Childhood Obesity Introduction The past several decades have seen an escalating trend in the rate of
childhood obesity not only in the United States where 25%–30% of children are affected, but also in
many of the industrialized nations. Childhood obesity has continued to be a major issue in the
public health care system. The economic cost of the medical expenses as well as the lost income
resulting from the complications of obesity both in children and adults has been estimated at almost
$100 billion (Barnes, 2011). Overweight children are more predisposed to the danger of becoming
overweight in their adulthood unless they ensure healthier eating habits and exercise. It is worth
noting that the current lifestyle in which many children...show more content...
Greek physicians are credited for making the observation that infertility and infrequent menses in
women was caused by obesity. About five centuries after Hippocrates, Galen who was a Roman
physician made a distinction between immoderate and moderate forms of obesity. It is supposed
that the immoderate form was an anticipation of what is currently classified as morbid obesity
(Bray, 2009). Though clinical observations made in the ancient times had brought to light the risk
of diabetes and sudden death associated with obesity, the significance of excess mortality and
morbidity caused by obesity has only received full appreciation more recently. Data obtained as
early as 1901 indicated that people with excess weight, particularly around the abdomen had a
shortened life expectancy. Further systematic studies have confirmed this risk and these results led
to the World Health Organization classifying obesity on the basis of increasing BMI (Bray, 2009).
Epidemiology According to the statistics gathered since the 1960s, the prevalence of childhood
obesity has been on the rise with the years between the 1980s and 1990s indicating a three times
increase from nearly 5% to almost 15% for both children and teens (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2011, p. 42). The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) have
been conducting studies on the prevalence

Fighting Childhood Obesity Essay examples
Childhood obesity may not seem like a serious problem, but it is a serious medical condition that
can have major effects on a child. Although genetics play a role in determining a child's weight, it
is usually due to a child's amount of exercise and the consumption of healthy meals. Doctors are
concerned with the issue, as we all should be, and they are creating new programs that are geared
toward helping children learn how to follow a healthier lifestyle. There are some promising outlooks
with these programs, and most doctors agree that parents should help their children create a more
active and healthy lifestyle. They also agree that the government should provide more attention to
the issue as well. Since the growing problem of childhood...show more content...
Also, any families spend their time together by eating meals while watching television, which can
cause children to overeat (Denney–Wilson). Often partnered with fast food, soft drinks have risen to
popularity. Many parents are unaware that one 12 ounce can of soda is filled with 10 teaspoons
of sugar. Just one additional serving of soda increases a child's odds of obesity by 60% ("1 Can
of..."). If parents are made aware of what they are feeding their children, it might help reduce the
percentage of obese children in the United States. Although most families would react to obesity by
trying to feed their children healthier meals, some lower–income families are unable to afford the
best quality food for their families. One study showed that children from households that are
experiencing financial insecurity are more prone to health issues than those who are not experiencing
these same issues (Yoo). The government should help these lower–income families by providing
them with monetary support to purchase healthy food. Not only will the incorporation of a healthy
diet help children overcome their weight problems, it can have an added benefit of helping them
academically. Researchers have found that children who eat healthy meals will report better scores
on standardized tests (Williams). By changing the diet of their children, parents can help their
children to overcome their weight problems. The incorporation of a daily exercise routine can

America's Childhood Obesity Crisis

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America's Childhood Obesity Crisis