Preventing Childhood Obesity

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Nowadays, the increasing rate of overweight children and adults is a worldwide health issue. Obesity is a major problem which is increasing day by day in school going children. Obesity is increasing rapidly in all ages, all classes and all countries, creating enormous burden for the progress of all humanity, with nearly 30% of the global population are overweight and obese. “In the last thirty years, the rate of overweight and obese children has risen to 16 percent, which is a 300 percent increase” (Brownback, 219).  Obesity continues to be a problem for the United States. “According to George Bray of Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California, 10 to 30 percent of all Americans weigh at least 30 percent more than their ideal weight”( Kolata,905) . Today, over- weight and obese children will turn into overweight and obese adults, destined to suffer from all the health problems and health care costs associated with obesity. The rate of increase of children obesity in U.S has increasing rapidly. “In 2009–2010, 16.9% of U.S. children and adolescents were obese.”(Cynthia L, 1). These entails significant disease burden and the problem of a series of countries should soon be prevented or controlled. There are various reasons behind it. This essay will discuss the causes of obesity and offer some solutions.

Obesity is a condition of excessive fat accumulation and unusual in a region of the body or the whole body to affect health. Obesity is a medical condition caused nutrition. Obesity is a health condition in which the amount of fat in the body accumulate too much to the extent that it causes the adverse effect on health. Children become overweight and obese for a variety reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors.

Genes play an important role in the recent global upsurge in obesity. There is substantial evidence for the heritability of obesity, and research in both rare and common forms of obesity has identified genes with significant roles in its cause. Genes give the body instructions for responding to changes in its environment. Studies of resemblances and differences among family members, twins, and adoptees offer indirect scientific evidence that a sizable portion of the variation in weight among adults is due to genetic factors. According recent research “identical twins are only rarely discordant for adiposity, and about 40-70% of body fatness is inherited” (Wilding, 24). The comparison of mono zygotic and dizygotic twin pairs has traditionally been one of the most powerful ways of obtaining a reliable estimate of heritability. “In the case of BMI there have been over 30 published studies, and the estimated heritability of BMI ranges between 64 and 84 %( O'Rahilly, S., 1092). Obese father may be genetic problems their weight not only for children but also to the grandchildren. A new medical study revealed, “It is clear that obesity often tracks in families. Having obese relatives increases one's risk for obesity, even if the family members do not live together or share the same patterns of exercise and food intake”. (Helen, 215S)

There are many mistakes in care of the child nutrition. “According to a recent review by Jeffery, the current epidemic of obesity is caused largely by an environment that promotes excessive food intake and discourages physical activity” (Wilding, 24). Eating at too much fast food, soda, in the day that excess calories, snacking and lead to obesity. Many fast food are fried (which fascinates quick preparation), high in fat and sodium, and low in fiber, vitamins, and some mineral.  It is often seen that mostly children are fond of burgers, pizzas, noodles and coke. These types of foods are easily available to them in school canteens. Moreover, in this modern world, parents are working and they do not have time to cook at home. Parents often buy dinner for their children instead of preparing food at home. This calorie-rich diet is making children obese. Investigators do have some evidences that “The cost of energy dense foods high in fat, sugar, and salt has fallen most, whereas that of healthier options has increased in relative terms”( Wilding, 25). It explains why obesity is more common in those on lower incomes.

Today, many children are less active due to technology and better mass transportation. As computers and video games become increasingly popular, the number of hours of inactivity may increase. “A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that children eight and older spend nearly six and a half hours a day consuming media”( Brownback,220). Young people generally become overweight or obese because they don't get enough physical activity in combination with poor eating habits. Obesity and inactivity often go hand in hand. “Physical activity may counteract the diabetogenic impact of obesity by reducing fat mass, increasing fat oxidative capability or through other biological pathways, and obesity may be less detrimental to physically fit individuals with or without diabetes”( Qin, L,5). Furthermore, reductions in life expectancy as a result of obesity are staggering. For example, “a 25-year-old man with morbid obesity has a 12-year decreased life expectancy when compared to an individual of healthy (rather than average) weight”(John A Hawley). Being overweight increases the chances of developing the common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes. “Physical inactivity accelerates the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and subsequently leads to excess morbidity and mortality.”( Qin, L,5)

Obesity can make bigger problem in your life. Obesity can trigger many health problems such as heart attack, stroke, and many more. Moreover, the fact that obesity is difficult to treat, prevention is extremely important. Obesity should be prevent from childhood. One research revealed that “A primary reason that prevention of obesity is so vital in children is because the likelihood of obese becoming obese adults is thought to increase from about 20 percent at four years of age to 80 percent by adolescence.” (stanfordhealthcare ,web). There are a number of steps you can take to help prevent overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence. These problems can be solve by “modifying the design of buildings to encourage the use of stairs, examining urban design to make neighborhoods more walkable, promoting active transport by providing a safer and more integrated network of footpaths and bicycle lanes, improving food labelling to help consumers to make informed choices, and increasing the range of healthy foods in schools and work cafeteria.”(Crawford, 728). One of the best way is “hidden sugars in foods undermine strategies to reduce obesity and diabetes” (Carol M. Campbell, 102). Parent can teach children to cook healthy foods for themselves and banning junk foods and fizzy drinks in schools. This diet can be replaced by milk, juice and fruits for lunch.