Childhood obesity: cause, effect and the solution

Childhood obesity Introduction Childhood obesity is regarded as a situation whereby children have excess body fat. It involved putting in higher calorie numbers that required by body or which the body has the capacity to burn off (Rabin, 2010). Children having twenty percent of weight or more exceeding normal weight are considered obese. Sorry to say, many children nowadays fall within this category. This paper aims at highlighting various aspects concerning childhood obesity such as causes, associated effects, and solutions as well as pros together with cons linked with each of the highlighted solutions. Childhood obesity causes According to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), “obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease”. There are various causes regarding childhood obesity which may be brought to light as follows. For instance, food choices have highly influenced the occurrence of obesity among children (Waters et al, 2011). An example in this case is choice of sugary and high fat foods as an alternative to healthier options. These food categories highly contribute towards increased body weights among children and therefore they steer childhood obesity occurrence. Secondly, insufficient physical activity is a major cause regarding childhood obesity. It is through physical activities that bodies are able to burn excessive fats and bring about healthy living among children. Changing lifestyles have influenced some children such that they lack sufficient time to involve themselves in play and other activities which actively engage the body (Ludwig, Peterson & Gortmaker, 2001). This prevents their bodies from burning off fats which are excess and therefore this results into fats accumulation which facilitate weight increase hence obesity conditions occurrence. Thirdly, genetics has also contributed towards childhood obesity occurrence. Sources point out that certain rare disorders of genes steer the occurrence of obesity among children. Within other individuals, it has been found out that certain genes performing together have the possibility of making some children highly vulnerable to obesity. In cases whereby there is tendency for a given family to experience overweight conditions, parents ought to become aware of selecting food choices which are healthy for their families (World Health Organization, 2011). It is therefore clear that genetic factors have brought about childhood obesity within some instances. In addition, overweight parents have the capacity to prop up childhood obesity among their children. This is due to the fact that by being overweight, there is the implication that the eating patterns held by the parents are generally sugary or fatty foods which steer obesity occurrence. These are likely to be introduced to their children and therefore they end up experiencing obesity problems. Sources highlight that the eating patterns held by a family have considerable influence upon whether healthy weight is maintained by children (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons, Committee of Public Accounts, 2007). Parents who are obese normally have less concern about attained weights by their children compared to parents who hold healthy weight (World Health Organization, 2011). Therefore, this substantiates the idea that overweight parents have the capacity to influence the occurrence of childhood obesity among their children due to undesirable diets. The Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons, Committee of Public Accounts. (2007) states that “Obesity is a serious health condition. It is defined as carrying too much body fat for your height and sex. A person is considered obese if they have a body mass index or BMI (weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres) of 30 or greater.” Moreover, childhood obesity comes up due to situations whereby children spend much time upon sedentary pursuits. Within most nations, children spend considerable time periods estimated at two and a half hours watching television on daily basis, and much time in electronic games and computer utilization (Straussm 2000). It is evident that the highlighted pastimes have ended up taking the place of active ones. As a result, children lack activities which have the capacity to burn off surplus fats within their bodies and therefore they are exposed to dangers of realizing childhood obesity. Childhood obesity effects According to Hills & King (2007), “Despite the general consensus that environmental factors are likely to be important in influencing factors such as energy intake, physical activity levels and ultimate body weight, the empirical evidence of a relationship between specific environmental exposures and obesity is poor” Enormous effects have often been associated with childhood obesity as follows. For instance, childhood obesity brings about the occurrence of various health problems (World Health Organization, 2011). Children who are overweight when weighed against those having healthy weight have been found to have more likelihood of developing considerable healthy problems like high blood pressure and high cholesterol which are generally linked with heart disorders among adults. Overweight children also experience, type 2 diabetes, which was previously perceived as a disease among adults. In accordance with various sources, children having healthy weight have been found to be free of diseases which are weight related and the risks regarding developing of such diseases within adulthood (Hills & Kings, 2007) Secondly, metabolic syndrome has also been experienced due to the occurrence of childhood obesity (Rabin, 2010). This is perceived as a combination regarding medical disorders which in events when they occur together, they augment the risk concerning diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease development. The photo below has been obtained from the cover page of the book by Waters and colleagues (2011). It shows physical exercise a simple and effective way that parents can contribute to reducing the risk of obesity to their children
In addition, sleep apnea has been found to be as effect associated with childhood obesity. In this case, sleep apnea is perceived as sleep disorder typified by abnormal breathing pauses or abnormally low breathing instances, during sleep. Sources have brought to our attention that each breathing pause, regarded as apnea, has the ability to last for between few seconds to some minutes and may be experienced between 5 and 30 times within an hour (Strauss, 2000). This is usually perceived as undesirable occurrence among children hence the need to seek appropriate measures towards childhood obesity prevention (World Health Organization, 2011). Weight together with poverty serve as effects associated with childhood obesity (Sharples, 2007). It was found out that individuals having persistent weight had higher likelihood of lacking further education past diploma at high school level. These individuals were receiving unemployment or welfare compensation at forty years of age and lacked current partners. It was further indicated that individuals who were chronically over weight had 50 percent likelihood of being unemployed, single and upon welfare (Rabin, 2010). This was believed to be as a result of discrimination within younger stages which interfered with held self-esteem together with their aspirations. This would therefore lead them to undesirable conditions like poverty and much weight (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons, Committee of Public Accounts, 2007). Weight discrimination has been identified as another childhood obesity effect. Research undertaking revealed that individuals who were overweight had higher likelihood of reporting discrimination compared to those having normal weights. Overweight children were found to report enormous cases whereby they were teased, unlike those who possessed normal weight levels. Teasing originating from peers and teachers as well as families gets internalized and therefore overweight children end up feeling inferior and therefore their aspiration is negatively influenced (Kiess, Marcus & Wabitsch, 2004). Research further pointed out that discrimination against children who were overweight was augmented up to sixty six percent over past decade in spite of the truth that increasing numbers of children are turning out to attain overweight. It is therefore apparent that the most instant outcomes concerning overweight attainment as viewed by children is low-self-esteem and social discrimination. Obese children were found to rate life quality with scores which are equally low as those held by children who suffered from cancer or cancer patients (World Health Organization, 2011). Therefore, research substantiates that children experiencing childhood obesity experience a variety of undesirable effects which negatively influence their health as well as ...