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Childhood obesity policy issues paper
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THERE is good news in the fight against obesity: Rates are finally falling in young children. The bad news? They’re continuing to rise to new heights in adults.
The decline in childhood obesity rates is one achievement within a larger failure. By focusing so much attention on the young, in the hopes that avoiding unhealthy weight gain in childhood would prevent adult obesity, we made the same mistake health advocates made in the battle against smoking 25 years ago. Ultimately, we learned an important lesson in the power of marketing that we should apply today.
The stakes are high. The 38 percent of American adults who are obese are at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and depression. According to a recent study published
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Health advocates are succeeding at what they set out to do. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has spent $500 million since 2007, and pledged another $500 million, to prevent childhood obesity — the largest investment of its kind I know of. Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign also focused on children. Many health organizations have followed their lead. They drew the nation’s attention to schools and day care centers, which, as a result of federal law and other rule changes, now offer more fruits and vegetables in cafeterias and fewer sugary drinks in vending …show more content…
When a nation is constantly adding layers of fat, the problem isn’t victimized children or uneducated adults. The problem is normal people overwhelmed by food marketing. Food companies use all the tools at their disposal to sell processed junk full of the salt, sugar and fat that we crave. Leading chain restaurants, packaged-food companies and beverage companies together spend more than $14 billion a year placing ads. Food marketing works because it bypasses our rational minds. Of course children can’t resist all this marketing, but neither can
Did you know that 35% of the United States population is considered obese? Also, 66% of the population is considered overweight or more? (Saint Onge 2014) Even more frightening, in 2012 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than one third of children and adolescents in America were overweight or obese (CDC 2014). The media sources used investigates the political, scientific, historical, and cultural reasons behind the childhood obesity epidemic in America. Obesity is a rapid growing epidemic in America and these sources present the facts causing this epidemic. As well as how the children of the American society are being wrongly influenced by the media, especially advertisments. (Greenstreet 2008).
Obesity in the United States, which the media has labeled a national crisis, has also been connected to poverty rates. Big fast food industry’s target poor communities, and spend millions of dollars each year to create advertising that appeals to these specific areas. These industry’s also target naïve children when advertising because they know that eating habits developed in childhood are usually carried into adulthood. Children who are exposed to television advertisements for unhealthy food and who are not educated well enough on good nutrition will grow up and feed their families the same unhealthy foods they ate as kids. A big way fast food giants are able to make certain young people have access to unhealthy food is by strategically placing franchises in close proximity to schools. They will often place three times as many outlets within walking distance of schools than in areas where there are no schools nearby. The way fast food advertising is targeted towards children is very alarming considering how important good nutrition is for young people and how a child’s eating habits can affect their growth and
A child who is obese is automatically more likely to be exposed to a variety of health hazards throughout his or her life. It is estimated that “15 percent of children between six and nineteen suffer from obesity” (Lee and Sprague). A person who is deemed obese, is someone who has “a body fat percentage of more than 25 percent in boys and 32 percent in girls” (Lee and Sprague). Being severely overweight exposes you to more diseases than someone who is not overweight. Obese people “are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes . . . [from] being overweight” (Lee and Sprague). Some health issues, such as hypertension, heart attacks, and cancer can be obtained from being obese. There is also a great risk of “heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other chronic illnesses” when you are obese (“Hope”). high cholesterol as well as high blood pressure. Being obes...
Obesity is a huge problem that needs to be resolved because it affects all people, unlike most issues. People of every gender, every age, and every race are at risk of being obese. Obesity rates in America have nearly doubled within the last twenty years. Something must be done not only to prevent obesity rates continuous rising, but also to dramatically increase the percentage of obese people in America altogether.
A national epidemic is occurring, the war between food and people. In the United States, about “32% of children (from 2 to 19 years old) are obese” (Bernadac 1). As the years continue to go on the rate of obese children are increasing as well. In the past the problem did not have much consideration due to a low rate of affected children. Now families are suffering the long-term consequences of having an obese child. Some of those health effects are “Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis” (CDC 1). A problem with this type of drastic effects may have a solution; method prevention for the future generations and correct treatment for those who are already obese can lower the rate.
Childhood obesity has been on the rise in the last couple of years. In the 1970’s childhood obesity was never a concern to the public until the number increased over the years. An alarming rate of 31% of all adults have been obese since they were children and the rates of childhood obesity don’t fall too behind with an 18% of children being obese. That makes almost half of obese adults and children. A child that is obese has a 70-80% higher chance of staying obese even through their adulthood if no action is taken. Childhood obesity is not something children are in control of, these children suffer from different outcomes since they can’t look after themselves and heavily rely on someone to aid them when they need it. These numbers can be drastically altered in a positive way by educating both children and parents about healthy, nutritious foods to consume, supplying schools with better lunch and healthier vending machines with healthy choices and promoting after school activities to keep children active and away from electronics.
According to “Burger Battles” from the Weekly Reader, obesity is defined as a person whose weight is 20 percent higher than recommended for their height (Burger Battles 1). When this condition begins to affect children lives, it is then known as childhood obesity. Within the United States of America, around 15 percent of children are considered to be obese (Holguin 3). Increasing tremendously, this outbreak has actually tripled in the amount of obese teen and doubled in children up to the age of thirteen (Burger Battles 2). One of the factors that is usually overlooked in the cause for obesity is the role of television. Not only does it reduce the amount of physical activity, the advertisements and commercials are targeting innocent viewers. In a survey completed by Gary Ruskin of Commercial Alert, the average child watches nearly 19 hours and 40 minutes of television a week (Ruskin 2). With that amount of time spent watching television, advertisements for fast food will be entering the children’s minds.
There are several well know diseases caused by obesity, such as type two diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea, depression, arthritis and many types of hearth or cardiovascular health concerns, which overall affect mortality rates at high percentage levels. Obesity contributes to the growth and development of heart diseases because it is triggering in the blood stream increased triglyceride levels, increased lipids levels and reduced “good” cholesterol. We also know that Cardiovascular Diseases are the Number 1 killer in America (according to CDC)! According to the statistics from the American Heart Association, Cardiovascular Diseases are claiming 1 in 2.5 deaths in America, being followed by Cancer. This translates in short, according to the sources, that about every 25 seconds, an American will suffer a coronary event, and about every minute someone will die from one. These numbers are frightening and that is why our entire society must be constantly educated...
Our future begins with the children of today growing up to be the adults of tomorrow. “Childhood obesity is the condition of being overweight or severely overweight which causes risks to health between the age of 2 and 19” (“Childhood Obesity”). Childhood obesity is taking a huge toll on not only the physical standpoint of the child, but also their mental stability. Childhood obesity is no longer a concern with Americans; it’s now a problem that has spiraled out of control in the world. Obesity will never be resolved one hundred percent, but it’s the little impacts that concerned citizens bring to people’s attention that make the difference. One step in the right directions is better than not taking a step at all. Along with the many health issues associated with childhood obesity, there are three major effects that seem to stand out more around the world; the food we subject our bodies to, setting a pattern for the next generation(s), and it contributes to a child not reaching his or her full potential in life.
1. Diseases related to obesity: Overweight and obese adults are considered at risk for developing diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, coronary heart disease, and some type of cancers.
I. Introduction: You’ve probably heard it a million times that obesity is an issue on the rise in America. Well, why if everyone knows that it is a problem is nothing being done to fix it? I’m here to propose a solution to this problem affecting over a third of the adult American Population.
Harris, Jennifer L., Jennifer L. Pomeranz, Tim Lobstein, and Kelly D. Brownell. "A Crisis in the Marketplace: How Food Marketing Contributes to Childhood Obesity and What Can Be Done." Columbia.edu. N.p., 31 Oct. 2008. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
It is said that fast food advertising is linked to rising childhood and teen obesity. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases morbidity, morality, and has substantial long-term economic and social costs (opposing viewpoints). Approximately 20% of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed (opposing viewpoints). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, “obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States.” When I read this I was shocked. This is something that can change, but its up to ourselves to make that commitment. No one else has the power to do so but us. Did you know that treating obesity-related problems cost Americans $117 billion annually, that’s $420 per person (CQ Researcher).
Face it, we have all heard the phrase,"You are what you eat" countless times in your life, but what does that truly mean. Every few months or years, millions go into trying new diets and diet pills but fail to understand why they cannot continue to eat healthy after their first few days on their new diet. Well, 1) the word "DIE" is in diet 2) no matter where you look you 're going to find delicious food ads and junk food and 3) you don 't have support.
Obesity is an issue that most people may be aware of, but I don't feel like many people actually know the ins and outs of it and how bad it really is. Although the speech that Jamie Oliver gave was about teaching children about food, I feel as if we need to teach adults about food just as much as children.