I think the growing relationship between children and obesity is complex. The consequences of obesity beginning in childhood are dire for society – just consider the statistics “Childhood obesity has doubled in the last 20 years and affects 10 million children. One in five children is overweight or obese “. Not only will children be hampered by poor health throughout their lives, but society will also be robbed of strong, contributing citizens. Susan Okie reports, “Obesity reduces life expectancy from eight to twenty years…severely obese children…have a quality of life similar to that of those diagnosed with cancer.”
Therefore, this means that the health care system will be placed under greater demands by the youth of today and the retirees of tomorrow. What will happen to the fabric of our society if health care costs exceed taxes collected because fewer people are working due to sickness and old age? Society cannot allow its future workers, contributors and taxpayers to be harmed by obesity and the many health complications that derive from it.
To fight childhood obesity, there has to be a concerted effort from parents, schools, children and society. To develop our young people into healthy citizens, parents and schools must partner to ensure that their children are well prepared for the future and establish good health habits now. One thing is for sure, if things stay the way they are now, the future for our youth’s health looks bleak.
The causes of rising obesity rates are many. First, families are dealing with a time deficit, which means there is less time to shop for and prepare nutritious meals. Second, children have easy access to large portions of fast food packed with fat and calories. Third, today’s society is full of sedentary activities like watching TV and surfing the Internet. In addition, television has become a more important component of childcare by acting as a babysitter. It has been shown that children eat more when they watch television because their attention is on the media and not on the messages that their body sends to the stomach to indicate that they are full. Fourth, due to budget cuts, schools are reducing the amount of time devoted to physical education. Fifth, there are fewer public areas for outdoor recreation with increasing urbanization. Finally, because parents are so busy working to survive, children have less supervision and guidance in making good decisions about their health.
All of these factors combine to result in kids relying on frozen dinners, fast food, or other prepared foods that are loaded with fat, calories, and sodium. Therefore, today’s children consume more calories and burn fewer calories. “Fast food is designed to promote the consumption of maximum energy in a minimum amount of time, including high energy density, low fiber content, extensive food processing (facilitating rapid swallowing with minimal chewing), and low satisfactory value”. Therefore, the weight accumulates and aggravates the problem of obesity. By getting kids used to liking fast food, they are allowing their taste buds to get used to highly processed food. In Ebbeling’s study of energy intake, the authors concluded that “overeating to the extent observed in Study 1 would be virtually impossible with low-energy-density, high-fiber, satiating foods that require extensive chewing before swallowing ( fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains).The growing convenience of high-fat, calorie-laden fast food and the extreme time constraints families experience make it more difficult to eat well. People tend to move houses more frequently than in the past, which in part made it more difficult to get to know the neighbors well and be able to count on them to help watch our children while they play outside.
Childhood obesity can be attributed to a number of environmental factors for which there are politically difficult solutions. To fight childhood obesity, a multi-pronged approach is needed that includes children, adults and society in general, and several changes need to occur simultaneously. Parents and schools are two forces that actively shape children’s lives and can help combat childhood obesity by directly influencing children. Parents represent the micro level of children’s lives and schools represent the macro social level. Children need protection and education to form healthy habits for life.
There’s a basic equation that says the more calories you eat, the more calories you have to expend to keep from gaining weight, so these two factors need to be addressed: nutrition and physical activity. For starters, parents can help kids transition from eating unhealthy foods to healthier foods and become more active, “A family that exercises together becomes healthy.” Another factor that affects children is not getting enough sleep, which affects the body’s hormones that regulate appetite, so sleepy people eat more to stay awake. Sleep deprivation caused by high stress, activity overload, and media consumption also contribute to irritability, poor concentration, and decreased creativity. Obese children are often teased, bullied or socially isolated by society and may react by losing self-confidence and becoming depressed or even aggressive. Furthermore, “a 2004 Chinese study said that children who sleep less than seven hours a night increase the risk of suicide three times.”
Schools cannot continue to be fat-friendly environments where easy and convenient access to junk food prevails. After all, how schools spend tax money affects society, so society cannot afford to be places where obesity is encouraged. Since schools are a place where children’s attention is held captive for long periods of time, companies have taken notice of this fact and offer targeted food advertising in classrooms, as well as negotiate food vending machine contracts. Scrap. Another aspect to consider is the school curriculum. In addition to reducing or eliminating recess due to budget cuts, it’s not a good sign when schools teach kids that being healthy is important but doesn’t help them act on their guidelines. Schools have the potential to shape children’s minds and help them reinforce their lessons through action. Ideas like a challenge to increase physical activity by participating in fundraisers and car washes are one way to make children see the impact of their actions. Also, since schools are funded by tax dollars, they must account to some degree for the health of the children they teach through the lessons they are taught, how much time is spent allowing children to do exercise and the food the children receive. they are fed. Also, I believe that if schools educate independent thinkers, then children would benefit from learning to resist peer pressure, as peer pressure influences children’s diet as well. After all, the actions of children today will have an impact on their future.
Society has to make the health welfare of its citizens a priority by legislating when necessary the exposure of children to agents harmful to health. Food advertising can be better regulated so as not to target children at school, for example. Instead, children’s captive attention span would be better served by teaching lessons on how to prepare healthy meals and snacks, since many children have to prepare their own food because they are locked children (they come to an empty house, they have to do their homework and cook dinner until their parents get home). Perhaps fast food may also come with labels or warnings such as “Eating this may contribute to negative health effects, such as heart attacks.” Cigarettes are not sold in vending machines because they pose a threat to children. I don’t know the answer to how much control the state should have, but I think it’s an important conversation to take place.
At the community level, communities can provide environmental incentives for physical activities, such as safe and accessible paths for walking and cycling. Other things to consider for monitoring are the budget for health education classes, public announcements about healthy lifestyles, and fiscal strategies to promote bicycle use and regular exercise. In addition, communities can encourage community recreation, form neighborhood watch groups to increase safety, and encourage shopping malls and other covered or sheltered places to provide safe places to walk in any weather. Additionally, employers can be encouraged to provide supportive workplace environments and policies that provide opportunities for employees to incorporate moderate physical activity into their daily lives and eat healthier foods. In return, employers can benefit from lower premiums and fewer sick days if they have fewer claims due to employee health.
In conclusion, the rise in childhood obesity is a trend that society cannot afford to ignore. Fortunately, it is a problem that can be addressed by children, parents, schools and society. Everyone can increase their physical activity and their intake of nutritious foods. On a broader note, there also needs to be public conversations about regulating dangerous substances like candy, soft drinks, and other junk foods. Children’s exposure to these substances must be regulated because they are dangerous to their health, just like alcohol and tobacco. In the end, making these changes is not easy but it is necessary. Children need to establish healthy lifestyle habits of proper nutrition and proper exercise to grow up as healthy as possible. The future of society depends on the youth of today. In order to have a strong and stable future, society needs its citizens to be as strong and healthy as possible.
