Good Example Of Obesity Critical Thinking

Obesity has been on the rise in the recent years and it is as a result of the foods being eaten. It is a condition that is medical in nature and it involves the excessive accumulation of body fat to an extent of having negative effects on the health of an individual resulting in reduced life expectancy as well as increased health problems . One is said to be obese when they exceed the average body mass index (BMI) which is around 20kg/m^2. When one’s BMI is between 25-30kg/m^2 they are said to be overweight and when it exceeds this point they are said to be obese.
Study has revealed that obesity has been on a high rise on children and it has brought with it many adverse effects and as such it has been recognized as a major public health issue. I decided to look at this topic since it has now been affecting many in the society and looking deeper into it can tell us more on its causes as well as measures we can take to curb this situation. We would be able to provide answers on what exactly should be done to ensure children are not affected by this disease.
According to statistics, there are more than 42 million children that are said to be overweight. As such, childhood obesity is seen to be on the rise as days pass by. Researchers have compared data on childhood obesity from 1980 till now and it is shocking to note that the number of obese children has doubled in all the three North American countries, the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Even though the current rate of childhood obesity has stopped to increase, the current rate of those who are obese still remains high. The research also revealed that 32.6% of 6 to 11 years were overweight and 18% of those who are 6 to 9 years were obese. This is according to the statistics that were released in 2010.

Causes of child obesity

Child obesity may be caused by a variety of factors which usually work in combination. One of the greatest risk issues for child obesity is the occurrence that both parents are obese. This may be a mirrored reflection of the family’s genetics and environment. Even though there are cases of child obesity due to hormonal or genetic causes, many cases are due to over eating and under-exercising . The following are the factors that bring about obesity;
Diet: this mainly occurs where children are given unhealthy lunch options as well as regular consumption of foods that are rich in calories. Such foods include fast foods, cookies as well as other baked goods, candy, soda, and vending machine snacks which highly contribute to weight gain. Research has also revealed that American children are snacking at an increased rate compared to the past and they at times do this almost continuous during the day and this is said to account for up to 27% of their daily caloric intake.
Lack of exercise: technology has highly evolved and the introduction of television, computers, and video games has resulted to keeping children indoors and as a result they burn fewer calories and therefore the probability of them gaining weight is high.
Environment: In this case we mean the actual type of foods that surround the children. When they open refrigerators, or when they go to the kitchen, they are most likely to find fries, microwave pizza and as such these are the kind of foods they are likely to take. This as such is likely to add to their weight gaining.
Psychological factors: this may occur when children turn to food as a coping mechanism of dealing with difficult situations i.e. problems or negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, or boredom.
Socioeconomic factors: Research has shown that come from low income backgrounds have a higher probability of getting obese since low income parents may lack resources as well as time that is necessary in purchasing and preparing healthy foods.
Sleep: This has been discussed to be one of the factors that result in obesity in a journal Archives of Diseases in Childhood and researchers argue that kids who sleep for less than 13 hours a day (recommended for children) at age two have high chances of getting obesity . The reason behind this is that fatigue may alter their level of appetite regulating hormones and this may cause them to eat more.

Meal for children between ages 6 to 12

Breakfast
Fruit, milk, cereal, cheese toast, cereal, peanut butter sandwich
After school
Fruit, vegetables and dip, yogurt, cheese and crackers, milk and cereal, turkey or chicken sandwich.

References

Judith Brown, ‎. I. (2013). Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Marotz, L. (2014). Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child. Oxford: Oxford publishers.
Virginia A. Stallings, ‎. W. (2012). School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children. London: Blackwell Publishers.