Childhood Obesity; an Epidemic to Our Society

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Childhood Obesity; an Epidemic to Our Society

January 17, 2012

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Childhood Obesity

Over the past ten years, “Childhood Obesity” has been on the rise (in American society) to become one of the leading issues effecting our youth today. Many studies have been conducted in order to discover the root cause of this epidemic, which has been plaguing the minds and bodies of our children of tomorrow.  Over the years many things have changed, as our children have seemed to evolve into something that’s becoming alarming to doctors, parents and our society. So how do we fight childhood obesity? Studies have shown that the cause of childhood obesity has proven to be multi-factorial. Determining factors being poor “nutrition/ eating habits”, incorporated with a “healthy diet”. “Physical environment” plays a role leading into examination of socio-economic status, race and ethnicity. “Parental influences”, as our parental guidelines and influences have weakened over time. “Genetics”, affects the development or preventives towards childhood obesity. Finally, advertisement and marketing of today, which has made it hard for our youths to resist the temptations that lie in modern society.

Many factors have been examined and several studies have identified past and current trends to obtain raw data for analyses, trying to figure out how can this be prevented? In fact, if not prevented, generations to come will in fact take on the form of our youth today. Children are a lot heavier than years before, good eating habits are dwindling as majority of society prefer to get their food away from home. The issues that are occurring now must be prevented in order to preserve a healthier stature for generations to come.

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Throughout the years, any middle age adult can notice the trend in childhood obesity compared to the children of our youth generations before. Some can make a comparison of figures to determine the exact percentage of children suffering from the norms of obesity based by location. The focus is to identify the underlying causes of obesity and how it affects our youth into adulthood and, or if these facts are relevant to the trends of modern society today. The overall argument stands that children within the last 10 years are overweight due to unhealthy eating habits and lack of social/physical activities. Some theories indicate that obesity could be hereditary or segregated by ethnicity, while others believe that this epidemic can easily be preventative. According to Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2008), Childhood Obesity Facts, in 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese as childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years (pg_1). Studies have shown that this could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle/diet and or exercise while others believe that genetics can also influence this cause.

While gathering information for this topic, the only logical way to define the root cause of childhood obesity in the united states today is by comparing facts based on trends that were set by children, parents and society over a segment of time and why?. Then compare trends and studies compiled from doctors and scholors on their therios of gentic, physical and ethical effects on obesity. Percentages are everything and, based on research capabilities and studies of today, this has to be the way to a solution on childhood obesity.

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        During this research one has to focus on gathering data from educational journals, experimental studies and observational studies; by physicians, doctors and or scholars which have pursued their theories on the reasoning why childhood obesity has grown over the last ten years.  Centers for disease Control and Prevention (2008), Childhood obesity facts, statistics show that children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008( pg_1). The facts show an increasing effect on our youth over time but how to fight this epidemic has yet to be achieved. Many sociology professors have studied and found that this could also have a long term affect on our youths ability to perform in school. Studies conducted by Robert, Cronsoe, (2007) sociology of Education Vol.80: Gender, Obesity, and Education, suggests that “obesity is related to lower academic achievement, education attainment, and earning based on the rising obesity rates” (pg_241).

Times have changed as so did our desire to exercise and eat healthy. Fast food industries are monopolizing while technology and society has been gripping our youth into submission, by encouraging children to stay indoors instead of playing with friends outdoors due to society norms or environmental circumstances. Most would dissect this issue in many ways but prevention should be our number one goal in this matter. Centers for disease Control and Prevention (2008), Childhood obesity facts, state, “Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases” (Para_4). While studies by U.S Department of Health & Human Services (2009) Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: Childhood Obesity, insist that genetics and