Because they are becoming more and more obese, children in America today may suffer the consequences of not having good health when they get older and of living a much shorter life than today’s adults. Contrary to many beliefs, “obesity, which used to be a middle-aged and later phenomenon, now, has spread to younger ages, in the context of a major decrease in physical activity” said Caleb Finch (“Wasowicz”). More than half the time, this obesity follows a child into their adulthood. Researchers are frequently asked many questions about the causes of obesity, and they are frequently finding answers. Sometimes, parents are too scared to inform their children and doctors are afraid of upsetting their patients. Also, food in larger, unhealthier portions is easier to access than healthy foods, and many children do not exercise as much as they should. Obesity can have detrimental effects on a child’s physical and mental well being. Obesity brings many under the surface issues, one being diabetes. No extreme weight gain is healthy; many times it can cause diabetes which is described as “the failure of cells to absorb glucose, the sugar molecules that fuel muscles, nerves and the brain” (Evans). Diabetes does not only leave children having to constantly watch what they eat and check their blood sugar level, they also have to worry about losing their vision, nerve damage, and other issues that come with diabetes. Diseases that used to be only seen in adults, such as diabetes, are now being seen in children (Torkos). While most children worry if they will break a bone or skin their knee at recess, some are worrying about remembering to check their blood sugar level or if they took their insulin shot. Children are often diagnosed with type ... ... middle of paper ... ...s?” Journal Of Family Practice 58.8 (2009): 421-432. Computer Source. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Sohenklar, Carol. Anorexia and Bulemia. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century, 2011. Print. Taubes, Gary. “THE NEW OBESITY CAMPAIGNS HAVE IT ALL WRONG. (cover story).” Newsweek 159.20 (2012) 32. MAS Ultra- School Edition. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Torkos, Sharry. “Childhood Obesity.” Alive: Canada’s Natural Health & Wellness Magazine 263 (2004); 40-43. Alt HealthWatch. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. Wasowicz, Lidia. “Obesity Takes A Heavy Toll On Youth Worldwide.” World & I 20.1 (2005): N. PAG. MAS- Ultra School Edition. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. Welch, Gregory L. “The Growing Problems Of Overweight American Youths.” American Fitness 23.5 (2005): 54. MAS Ultra- School Edition. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. Whelan, Jo. “Double Diabetes.” New Scientist 196.2627 (2007): 48. MAS-Ultra-School Edition. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Hellmich, Nanci, “Report maps out solutions to child obesity.” USA Today n.d.: MAS ULTRA-School Edition. Web. 6 May 2012.
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).
“Hope for Childhood Obesity.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 6 Aug.
[3] Levitsky, D. A., C. A. Halbmaier, and G. Mrdjenovic. “The Freshman Weight Gain: A Model for the Study of the Epidemic of Obesity.” International Journal of Obesity28.11 (2004): 1435-442. Print.
Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.
Childhood onset overweight and obesity and its’ associated health consequences are quickly becoming major significant public health issues facing America today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 95th percentile while obese is defined as BMI above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex . The prevalence of overweight children, defined based on 2009 CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data, has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the incidence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% to 17.0% while overweight levels for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 17.6% . Not only has prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity increased dramatically over the last several decades, but being an overweight or obese child puts one at a heightened risk for adult overweight and obesity .
Goldstein, Hesh. Why There is an Obesity Epidemic. 16 Nov. 2009. 12 Nov. 2011 .
"Obesity." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Although parents are not paying much attention to their children gaining excessive amounts of weight, it is a serious matter because it leads to illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and other health risks. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States today, and it is only increasing because of the lack of awareness and the absence of a health plan for children that will interest them and allow them to have fun while staying healthy.
“In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.” (CDC) Childhood obesity is a problem that has inundated society for many decades. Almost anywhere that you go, you’ll see a magazine article or some sort of poster regarding childhood obesity. Childhood obesity can be defined as a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health or well-being. Majority of adults care about their weight because self-image is a very important factor in their lives, but when it comes down to children, many pay their weight a very minimal amount of attention. Due to the superfluous rise in the number of obese children over the past couple of decades, doctors and physicians have become concerned about this trend. This concern is raised by the various diseases and health issues accompanying childhood obesity. Childhood obesity puts children at a greater risk for developing health issues and diseases of the heart.
23 July 2018. Print. The. Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times.
"Overweight High School Students." Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 20 May 2014.
Childhood obesity is a serious problem among American children. Some doctors are even calling childhood obesity an epidemic because of the large percentage of children being diagnosed each year as either overweight or obese. “According to DASH sixteen to thirty-three percent of American children each year is being told they are obese.” (Childhood Obesity) There is only a small percentage, approximately one percent, of those children who are obese due to physical or health related issues; although, a condition that is this serious, like obesity, could have been prevented. With close monitoring and choosing a healthier lifestyle there would be no reason to have such a high obesity rate in the United States (Caryn). Unfortunately, for these children that are now considered to be obese, they could possibly be facing some serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancers. All of these diseases have been linked to obesity through research. These children never asked for this to happen to them; however, it has happened, and now they will either live their entire life being obese, or they will be forced to reverse what has already been done (Childhood Obesity).
Childhood obesity is one of the most severe health care disputes of this decade. Obese children are at a higher risk of being obese as an adult. With, increasing numbers of obesity in North America, these people can experience a bundle of health concerns. Some of these health risks include; stress, higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, type two diabetes, heart disease, cancers (uterus, cervix, breast, colon, liver, kidney are examples), it can even cause osteoarthritis. The number of obese kids has increased to ten percent in the past forty years. In the nineteen seventy's, in North America, from the ages of three to nineteen obesity was at five a percent. Looking at these numbers today in two thousand and fifteen the number jumped
In our society today, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is increasing. Diabetes is caused by many factors, like genetics, inactivity, and obesity. With obesity on the rise in our country, so is diabetes, especially in young children. With the fattening and unhealthy foods provided by fast food chains and grocery stores, children are the ones that diabetes affects the most, causing them to have higher chances of being diagnosed with diabetes. According to Kim and Lee (2008), the rates of childhood obesity have tripled over the past three decades.