Argumentative Essay On Childhood Obesity

As indicated by the graphic above (U.S Department of Agriculture, 2017), each child and adults plate need to have the proportional foods in order to consume a healthy diet. However, with the availability and pricing of healthy

Childhood obesity is a global health crisis and an epidemic that has drastically increased over the years. A comprehensive report from 2010, revealed forty-two million children below the age of five suffer from obesity worldwide, which is a 50% increase since 1980 (Garel, 2014; Moore, Wilkie, & Desrochers, 2017). Not only is the issue of childhood obesity a public health threat, but it is also a form of child abuse with potentially fatal consequences. However, many people do not consider childhood obesity to be a child abuse issue. As a result, this topic is hugely controversial and has attracted some heated public debate. Even more controversial is the argument that the state should intervene on behalf of morbidly obese children. People opposed to the idea that the state should interfere in such matters often argue that blame cannot be placed solely on parents when there could be other factors involved, such as an underlying medical condition or a genetic predisposition to obesity. Moreover, some argue that the 14th amendment gives parents the right to raise their children how they choose and state intervention in such cases is an overreach of government power, and there are better ways to address the problem without removing children from homes (Garel, 2014). Although there are undoubtedly other factors that contribute to the widespread prevalence of childhood obesity, studies have shown that parents are primarily to blame for the growing problem (Wolfson, Gollust, Niederdeppe, & Barry, 2015). Parents indeed have the right to raise their children how they wish, as long as their children are healthy and thriving. If a child is in harm's way or is not adequately taken care of, then by law, the state must intercede on behalf of the child. Nevertheless, parents are responsible for the health and well-being of their children. Therefore, this paper is intended to show that morbid childhood obesity is a severe and life-threatening form of child abuse worthy of state intervention when parents fail to comply with lifestyle changes and recommended medical treatments.

During the 1970’s, about 5% of American children between the ages of two and nineteen were considered to be “obese”. Over the past several decades, that percentage has risen to a whopping 17% - a change that is seemingly minute. It may only appear as a 12% increase, however, that 17% translates to 12.5 million children and teens burdened with the challenge of obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is defined as having a body mass index that exceeds the 95th percentile (U.S. Department of Health). In other words, the average between the mass and the height of an obese child is greater than that of 95% of all other children. As in any medical issue, the biggest concerns for childhood obesity stem from the potential risk factors that can result. Some of which include diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and even death. Thus, many have sought out the root cause of the issue as well as the most effective solutions. Childhood obesity, promoted by a processed diet, increasing portion sizes, and limited access to healthy, affordable foods, is an epidemic plaguing a vast number of children within the United States and will continue to do so if left to fester. Nonetheless, this ailment can be remedied through an extensive understanding of proper nutrition, dedication to maintaining dietary excellence, and emphasis on prevention.

Childhood obesity has now reached an epidemic in several parts of the United States. As a result, children now have a higher risk to have numerous chronic and acute medical problems. Several of the long-lasting medical problems a child might face as a result of obesity could eventually result in death. In addition to chronic medical problems, childhood obesity has severe psychosocial effects on an individual such as low self-esteem and depression. Childhood obesity is a serious problem that is caused by a numerous amount of factors that can eventually lead to severe health complications.

There were no statistically significant differences between groups for changes in high fat food intake, moderate to vigorous physical activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness.

In today’s world of cheap, tasty, and convenient fast food, it’s all too easy to live off of packaged or restaurant foods. It’s even easier to slip into this habit with kids in the back seat whining for French fries. And who wants to exercise instead of watching television? However, the effects of a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are devastating, especially during childhood. In fact, many Americans do not realize how serious the problem of youth obesity has actually become. According to the Center for Disease Control, “In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese” (Childhood Obesity Facts). By the time they reach adulthood, this number soars even higher. Excessive weight opens the door to lifelong physical

Today, I feel that the food that is being served in America’s schools has had a considerable contribution on the epidemic of obesity in our country. If the government were to intervene in regulating the guidelines for lunches served in schools, I believe this epidemic would decline significantly. This being said, I understand the difficulties that this type of change entails, and the amount of funds it would take to implement. In my opinion, however, I feel as though this change is necessary to the education of our future generation on healthy eating habits and the importance of a balanced meal. It is become noticed that parents in today’s age have a hard time adhering to a healthy diet for themselves, let alone their children, and this could be a step to remedy that and give incentive to parents to feed their children and families in a more suitable manner.

Are we doing enough to give our children a chance in the fight to defeat obesity? Many experts say no, Keith Kopecky a dive coach and Aquatic supervisor for the city of Norfolk say no. The idea of fitness and health is not at the forefront of the many children's minds. He quotes, “we are deceived into thinking that the athlete are the majority, but the truth is they are the minority”, he also added that many of our youth stops being active once they leave high school put themselves into a sedentary lifestyle. This puts us into opposite contrast from our early ancestors. According to Marks (2003) our genetic make-up is from our hunter-gatherers ancestor who hunted, ate and stored up fat for times of famine. That storage of fat was necessary

A lot of times, not everyone who wants to conceive a child gets the opportunity. It is very common to hear of pregnancies that are unplanned, or maybe unwanted, but that is still no excuse to not take care of yourself. Being obese doesn’t necessarily mean you choose not to take care of yourself, because there are many factors that can be put into play when you look specifically at ones weight, but purposely not getting all of the nutrients and trying to do everything to have a healthy child is. The diet of the mother during pregnancy could determine the life-long outcomes of both the mother and child. Meeting adequate diet requirements during pregnancy can have major impacts on how healthy or unhealthy the pregnancy is. I have cared about the

The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s (“Healthy Schools.”). Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers who contain excess body fat. This condition is very common today, having about 3 million cases per year (“Healthy Schools.”). A sign that a child is suffering from obesity is when their weight is well above the average for a child’s height and age. Today about one in five school children, ages 6-19, are obese (“Healthy Schools.”). I will be addressing the causes, health complications, treatments, controversy, and supporting obese students.

There is a problem within America with obesity in children and teens. Teens and children’s obesity rate has begun increasing rapidly over the years since the early 70s. Child obesity is a problem because of the dangers and risks it poses and is to the child's health. Some of the risks are: Depression, Diabetes, Heart Problems, Muscle Pain, Back Aches, High blood pressure

The issue that I chose to research about was obesity in children and why it is becoming more relevant and time continues. I chose a recent article from San Francisco Chronicle that explains a recent survey that was conducted and what their plan is to try to fix it. In this article, a national report was done comparing children and adult body mass indexes. “The 2016 National Survey of Children's Health found that 30 percent of Wisconsin children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese, while the state's adult rate of obesity is 31 percent” (2017). Because of these results, health officials are very concerned and are trying to fix the problem. Because of this concern, health prfessionals are trying to teach parents to start to fix the problem from home.by having parents provide a better diet and exercise routine for their children.

Take a look around next time you go to the stores, take a look around next time you go anywhere. What you will see is something that has become very common in children and this condition effects over one third of children in the UK. It can put children on their death bed and take away their childhood. The topic I am speaking about is childhood obesity and how parents are responsible for this.

According to the World Health Organization, childhood obesity percentages have increased from 1% to 6% in last 40 years or so. A rise like this has not happened in any recorded history. If nothing is changed soon those rates will climb.

After reading the “How School Lunch Became the Latest Political Battleground” article, I did some research on my own to find out more about the topic. Childhood obesity in America is becoming more of a problem every day. Children usually have breakfast and lunch at school, so the school is where they get most of their daily calories from. There has been several studies which have shown and concluded that foods children (in this case students) are exposed to shape preferences and consumption (Berkowitz, Borchard, 2009). They are more likely to consume foods that are easy to access and will also consume larger quantities if given large portions (Berkowitz, Borchard, 2009). The school is where they get at least half of their required nutrients/calories. However, the school lunch program is a debate topic that has been on the news and in papers for a couple of years now. People have very strong differing opinions about the controversial issue. Schools believe that they should not spend their money on healthy foods because they believe the students would not eat it.