Rates of childhood obesity and excess weight have significantly increased over the past few decades and continue to threaten the health and quality of life of many American children. Childhood obesity is a dangerous medical condition that affects adolescents and children. It occurs when a young person is well above the normal weight for his or her height and age. Childhood obesity is mainly troubling because the extra pounds frequently start children on the path to health problems that were formerly confined to adults, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity leads to depression and poor self-esteem. One of the best strategies to decrease childhood obesity is to improve the exercise habits and diet of your entire family. Understanding causes, preventing and treating childhood excess weight helps protect the health of a child now and in the future.
Although there are some hormonal and genetic causes of childhood obesity, in many cases excess weight occurs due to under-exercising and overeating. Our weight is our personal responsibility (Earl). Children need extra calories to fuel their development and growth. But if they eat more calories than they are burning off, the outcome will be an unavoidable weight gain. Childhood obesity is often a result of a number of factors such as diet, lack of physical activity, psychological and environmental aspects, medical and genetic conditions and others, that work together to increase the risk.
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"Causes and Prevention of Childhood Obesity".
When speaking about diet, it is important to understand that habitual consumption of high-calorie foods and unhealthy lunch choices contribute to the weight gain. The appearance and rise in popularity of the fast food restaurants is a clear sign of the population’s diet priorities. The nutritional aspect of the food is not the only issue. Eating frequency and portion sizes have substantially increased. Snacking also adds up to the diet because often children snack continuously throughout the day. Environment at home has a strong influence on child’s food choices. “A humbling reality is that the daily habits that have become pervasive in modern-day America are poisoning the bodies and minds of children and adolescents” (Drotz 15). If a child finds refrigerator stuffed with candy bars, chips and microwave pizza, he or she is likely to eat it. However, if parents stock fridge with tasty fruits and veggies, higher-fiber granola bars and low-fat yogurt, children will surely go for the healthier fare.
Lack of physical activity is one of the major factors that lead to childhood obesity. Video games, television and computers conspire to maintain kids inside and sedentary, which means they are more likely to gain weight because they burn fewer calories. Concerns about a dependence on cars instead of walking and the safety of outside play also add up to the matters. By preschool age, many children are already lacking substantial activity, which frequently leads to poor exercise habits in life.
Psychological and genetic factors are also among causes that influence child obesity. If a child is born into a family of overweight individuals, he or she may be genetically predisposed to this condition, particularly if physical activity is not strongly encouraged and high-calorie food is always available. Also like adults, children turn to food as a coping mechanism for dealing with negative emotions and problems. Medical conditions like hormonal disorders or genetic diseases, though not common, but can also predispose a child to obesity.
Children from low-income backgrounds are often at the greater risk for childhood obesity since their parents at times lack the resources and time necessary to prepare and purchase healthy foods or encourage gym and physical activity. Impact of socioeconomic factors on child obesity is constant and inevitable. Since safety is a big concern in poor communities, playing outdoors may not be an option.
There are several steps that can help an overweight child achieve his or her healthy weight back or maintain the current shape. Some parents face problems that “range from a lack of education about food, limited cooking skills and limited money to buy healthier food to longer working hours and marketing campaigns for junk food aimed at kids” (BBC). From the very beginning, it is important to focus on building a solid nutritional base and an appreciation of healthy foods. It is vital to encourage children to eat several veggies and fruits per day, focus on whole grains, including low-fat dairy products and lean meats. High-calorie foods have to be avoided, especially in young kids. Soda and juice intake by children should be monitored because it may lead to kids being too full to want to eat healthier treats. It is important to talk often and early to children about why healthy food is better for body and do not use it as a reward or punishment.
Monitoring food portions helps control weight of a child. A good rule to remember is to use child’s hand as a guide for portion size. A good portion of meat for a kid is the size of his palm, for fruits and veggies – size of his or her fist. If your youngster is pushing food around the plate, it is a good sign that he or she is full. Cooking is a great tool for weight loss and maintenance. It allows parents to choose ingredients and control portions as well as provides a good opportunity to get children involved. A family can look through a cooking magazine together, go grocery shopping and pick out nutritious ingredients.
It is essential to encourage physical activity in children and involve the entire family. Active kids become fit adults if they join sports teams and play outdoors. Physical activity burns calories and builds strong muscles and bones. In order to make sports appealing, a parent must identify activities the child enjoys. Being a role model and showing importance of a healthy diet for every family member sets a good example to be followed by kids. Understanding causes of child obesity, monitoring and preventing them are essential components of a healthy life style of a child. The road to healthy life style can be hard and at times it seems simpler to continue with the tide rather than go against it. But when the stake is a child’s life, there must not be any limits or delays. The sooner the parents begin, the better are the chances to reverse the effects of blind ambition and to put health and quality of life at the top of the priority list.
- Earl, R. (2013). The fight against obesity starts in the head, no in the stomach. The Guardian. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/17/obesity-stomach-nice-guidance-gps - Winterman, D. (2012). Child obesity: Why do parents let their kids get fat? BBC News Magazine.
- Drotz, K. (2012). The poisoning of Our Children: Fighting the Obesity Epidemic in America. TGBG Nutrition
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