Eating Disorders In Australia

Many children of today are faced with the undeniable issue of obesity and other severe health conditions rooted from unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise. When analyzing children from the mid 1970’s to now a significant increase in child obesity can be detected. This statement conjures the question who is responsible for what children are consuming and the opportunities that are made available for them. Instinctively humans are given free will to make choices for themselves; however, at a young age parents are the one’s who are making the decisions. Many adults are appealed by cheap, fast, and accessible which perfectly describes junk food. Given the choice of a healthy dinner or a pizza, when comparing prices, majority of people would choose the latter of the two. In terms of aiding this obesity epidemic the government also needs to step up in supporting the community both financially and socially. The government has access to a wide range of resources that can contribute to inflating the

The kids have no developed the needs to fast foods as they are seeing toys that come with the meals and they want something that is quick to receive and easy to pay for. Children of the age of 10 through to 17 years old are rated 18.6 percent obese in the state of Alabama as they are ranked number 11 of the 51 states and this group is rising alarmingly due to kids not eating school lunch and going to get food after school and these items that the y want need to be quick to receive and in large portions. These adolescents want something that is high with fat and allow them to get the consumption that is more than what they can bare. The highest levels of fast-food consumption were found in youngsters with higher household income levels, boys, older children, blacks and children living in the South. This is because being raised in the south there are a lot of fattening foods in which many people in Northern States would not dare eat in their lives. The new study results bolster evidence that fast food contributes to increased calorie intake and obesity risk in adolescents.

People’s ignorance is leading the society to a period where obesity will be the norm and healthy living an unwanted lifestyle. Therefore, it is high time when people realized their mistakes and started living a healthy life. Healthy feeding is one’s responsibility despite the factors that may force one to turn to fast foods. In addition, it is the parent’s responsibility to encourage their children to lead a healthy lifestyle and help them embrace the fact that eating fast foods regularly is unhealthy and may cause obesity.

Over time America has become bigger. Not just in population size, but also in pant size. Obesity has been on the rise and children are now being affected at an alarming rate. Obesity can be defined as having an unhealthy amount of body fat. The rise of childhood obesity can be linked to bad diets, family, and a lack of exercise. Being obese as a child can cause serious consequences later in life. Bad diets are a major cause of obesity, especially in youth. Consuming unhealthy food often is linked to weight gain. Food that is high in fat, sugar, and calories are the staples of an unhealthy diet. Fast food has all three. According to studies “adolescents associate junk food with pleasure, independence, and convenience” (Sahoo Par 12). Fast food

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ‘good health is an important element in a child’s quality of life as it can influence participation in many aspects of the life, including school and physical education’. A poor start to a child’s life increases the outcome of a poor adult life, as 24.9% of children aged from 5-17years already overweight or obese. These statistics are based on The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), who have developed a standard age and sex-specific Body Mass Index (BMI) cut off point. Nutrition is the key factor of a student’s health and wellbeing, already students are; eating 48% junk food per day and eating majority foods that fall under the ‘red food’ category. (Health

68 percent of students say they buy food from the cafeteria every day. Proper nutrition is tied to better academic performance. This means that kids will not do their best in school if they are fed unhealthy lunches (Black). The unhealthy lunches kids are given at school are the main contribution to childhood obesity. According to scientists, children who eat too much fat, sugar, sodium or processed food and too few vitamins and minerals are likely to develop a higher risk over time for several chronic health problems (Angela). These health problems include heart disease, and diabetes. At this time, more than ever, 55 percent of Americans are obese and 20 percent of Americans are overweight (Three Facts About School Lunches). Many schools offer healthy choices, but they did not decrease the calories in them, and they typically still offer unhealthy snack items (Three Facts About School Lunches). In a school cafeteria with both healthy and unhealthy choices offered to kids, most kids are not willing to choose the healthier choices over the unhealthy ones. So where an apple is avoided and a bag of potato chips is selected as a child’s first choice for a snack

Have you ever been grocery shopping and witness a family with a cart full of junk food, sugar-sweetened sodas and microwavable dinners? These things are bought because they are a quick fix for parents having to cook for their children which creates unhealthy eating habits. Research suggest that children develop most of their food habits through exposure and repeated experiences. Studies also show that eating dinner together as a family promotes healthful eating habits in children by increasing their consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as decreasing the consumption of fats. Establishing a meal time increases the likelihood that children are getting a notorious and balanced diet (M.W Gillman 235:40.) Parents play a crucial role in the growth and development in children, if children see that their parents sit at home and eat unhealthy snacks, children cannot be expected to eat

I thought the chapter in the textbook about eating disorders was very interesting. This is a very real and current issue in our country today. And as I learned in the reading, it affects many countries throughout the world, not just the United States. According to the PsychWatch section on page 281, “Eating Disorders Across the World”, non-Western countries are starting to be exposed to more Western and United States television and magazine advertisements, and this is resulting in more cases of eating disorders in these countries. Both men and women are affected by anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. The statistics show that more women than men have these eating disorders. But it is hard to say if this is true, or if just more women seek help.

Diet aggressively plays a role in the rise of obesity within children. Now although diet is a much harder predictor to use across a socioeconomic population, it is not hard to find that more childrens diets are filled with unbalanced meals, less caloric dense foods, and more foods high in fat as the tradition of at home meals has declined moving more towards fast foods and foods high of sodium. In a study done on child obesity by Cara B Ebbeling, Dorota B Pawlak, David S Ludwig it is found that, “In the late 1970s, children in the

Carbohydrate is a nutrient essential for energy production and the prevention of ketosis, a state where the production of ketones exceeds metabolism. Protein is a nutrient essential for its components, amino acids. Fat is a nutrient which provides insulation, protection and energy for the body.

Introduction: In 2015 a survey was conducted and found that 63.4% of Australian’s aged 18 years and above are considered overweight (11.2 million). This is a problem as an estimated 300,000 die per year from obesity. Obesity occurs most commonly between the transitions from childhood to becoming an adult. Many teens get their unhealthy snacks before/after school and kids walking/biking to and from schools was for some the only way they got exercise. Another survey was conducted and was found parents would rather their kid to be driven to school by bus or them. Another problem is that the amount of homework that is given to kids when they get home leaves students with little to no time to be able to go outside and exercise. These unhealthy habits from the teens usually carry over into adulthood where they will have little to no time to get exercise because of work/ other commitments. Fast-food outlets are often the easiest option to fill them up at lunch/dinner.

People eat fast food because it is quick, accessible, tasty, inexpensive and time-saving. This was confirmed by a study of six hundred people living in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region of America. They were each offered a fast-food meal, after which they were asked to agree or disagree with eleven statements about why they eat fast food. However, fast food is a leading cause of disease. This issue is relevant to all Australians. How so? According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australia has the fifth-highest obesity rates of any country anywhere in the world, at a very high figure of 24.6 percent. This means that almost one in every four citizens is clinically overweight.

According to The NPD Group, “almost half of weekday meals today (forty-four percent) are prepared in less than thirty minutes, and twelve percent of dinnertime meals feature a frozen dish, up from nine percent just four years ago” (Gardyn). This quote means that families do not spend enough time preparing healthy meals. This quote proves my thesis because spending more time on preparing meals would allow Americans to cook less of their frozen meals and more homemade foods. Most families like to eat together, but some parents may know that teenagers receive twenty percent of their nutrition from snacks (Eating Patterns). This shows that most young adults receive too much of their nutrition from snacking in between meals. This proves my case because if teenagers reduce the amount of their daily snack intake, they might learn how to stop snacking and how to eat healthier when they become an adult. Changing how and what we eat may help us stay healthier than continuing to stay on our bad eating

The health problems are increasing in the world as people are consuming fast food with high calories. Most people consume fast food from a drive through to save time, but do not realize that healthy food is necessary as food choices may affect how one may feel, as it is an old saying, ‘How we eat is how we live’. By eating healthy food, one may also reduce the risk of diseases, and improves one’s personal well being. A healthy diet consists balanced vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Also, healthy food can be locally grown which is a low-fat food with low calories and more nutrients. Healthy diet does not mean not to eat the junk food you love, but to eat it in a limited amount. Why are people in America either overweight or obese? The reason is they either don’t have time for themselves or they eat junk food. If the children have any health problem, then it is less likely to face it in their adulthood. Therefore, schools have started healthy lunch programs in school to promote healthy dietary behavior. As obesity is one of the leading public health problem among children, parents should know that the students who eat healthy and nutritious food do not get sick, shows no violence and are discipline. These programs also teach responsibility to students with hands on experience.

Previously, i have acknowledged that parents are failing to educate their children on proper nutrition and that the increase of junk food’s consumption needs to be addressed. This speech should be promoted at a wider level to continue educating parents and future generations on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. As a nursing student, I learn that nutrition is the ultimate source for energy enabling one to perform the activities of daily living. Everything consumed is vital to maintaining the body. If unhealthy options are consumed eventually it will cause health implications, either being a disease or weight complications. In order to improve future generations, an increase of campaigns should be promoted to spread this crucial discussion. The one surprising component from the talk is the recognition of individuals failing to continue to cook at home. Growing up, my mother always prepared home cooked meals whereas going to a restaurant was a luxury. As I got older, I realized that life is the Western world is not as traditional as it used to be. As technology is advancing, the preferences of cooking at home are