Article Analysis: The Epidemic Of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a major public health epidemic which has significantly risen over the past three decades and there is no chance in sight of slowing it down unless real action is taken. This major health crisis continues to reduce individuals’ quality of life and has caused severe health problem like heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. In most cases, obese children grow up to be an obese adult. The prevalence of childhood obesity can be addressed through education initiatives such as school prevention programs because children spent a majority of their time outside of the home at school, therefore school provides a great opportunity to educate and improve a child’s health at an ideal point before the problem gets worst. My paper will focus on childhood obesity prevention in Hill Top Middle school Lodi, New Jersey.

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that is affecting children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height and can result in serious medical conditions. The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased significantly over the past ten years. Childhood diabetes has been on the rise since the early 90’s and continues to rise. In the article, “Don’t Blame the Eater” David Zinczenko, shows that “ Before 1994… only about 5 percent of childhood cases were obesity-related, or Type 2, diabetes. Today...Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30 percent of new childhood cases of diabetes in this country” (463). Type 2

Eating a well balanced meal is crucial for someone in their early childhood stage. During this time period, between the ages of two and six, a well-nourished child can grow up to three inches and gain up to four and a half pounds per year (Berger, 2010). Children at this age also need fewer calories per pound of body weight than infants do. Since children need less food than they did before and many do not diminish the intake of their food consumed, obesity becomes a problem. The article “Child and adolescent obesity: a part of a bigger picture” states, “The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has risen substantially worldwide in less than one generation” (Lobstein, 2015). Obesity is a main factor that is present and can lead to other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The article also states that, “The food industry has a special interest in targeting children. Not only can the companies influence children’s immediate dietary preferences, but they can also benefit from building taste preferences and brand loyalty early in life, which last into adulthood” (Lobstein, 2015). Once children are hooked on the foods they eat during their childhood, they tend to follow those habits as they grow up. Children in low-income families are vulnerable to obesity because they rely on cheap fast food.

Definition of Childhood Obesity: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), a child with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex are considered overweight. If a child or teen has a BMI over the 95th percentile they are considered obese (CDC, 2015).

Being fat takes the fun out of being a kid. Paul Campos in his article “There is no Childhood Obesity Epidemic” discussed the there is a “stunning” drop in childhood obesity rate. He claims that obesity rates among two to five year olds have plunged over the past decade, and that the so called “obesity epidemic” had ended. I strongly disagree with Campos view that there is no childhood obesity epidemic, this is due to the researches that was done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which shows that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescent in the past years.

There are more children overweight now than ever before. The reasons for this are that parents are do not care what their children eat, their portions are too big, or children are just too lazy. There are statistics to back this up. Statistics show that 30.7 % of Caucasian children, 30% of African American Children, and 37.9 % of Mexican American children are overweight “(Overweight)”. Those statistics are just for children in America if we included stats from other parts of the world it would be worse. The source of these statistics is an article called “Overweight in Children,” which was found on Americanheart.org.

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. Not only is it one that impacts millions of adults, it also impacts children. Studies show that close to 40% of Americans are obese and 20% of children are obese as well. The best way to focus on changing the narrative is through being the change you want to see. Start with your family. Healthy eating, adequate amounts of rest and lots of water are some of the most important parts of the journey to health. Furthermore, it's really essential to begin a habit of consistent exercise. Consider these four options for exercise and enjoy them with the whole family.

Food Industry has a big responsibility in the epidemic of American Obesity. By producing low quality and cheap products,that makes it attractive to any socio-economic levels, the food industry is promoting a less healthy environment for everyone. Super-Sizing choice and limiting the options is a part of the main causes of Obesity within the American society.

People may say that it is the fast food companies that are to blame for obesity, but I do not think it is. Yes they sell unhealthy food to us but it is our faults for consuming it. They only cause us to become overweight because we let them too. If we do not eat the food they put out in front of us we will not get fat. If we do eat it, we must exercise to burn it off. If we do not then that is the reason we are fat. It is common sense that if you eat something and it gets you fat then you should probably stop consuming it or do something to get rid of that

Families across the nation are affected by this issue. Many parents have a lack of knowledge in regards to nutrition and activity, in hindsight the food industry impact families. The article The Childhood Obesity Epidemic discuss despite the government pushing for healthy food choice initiates, have to continue to maximize selling of their products that include junk food, therefore blame shifting towards the food industry (McHugh, 2016, p. 95).

3. When Berlant refers to the "racialization of obesity," she is speaking on a societal focus on stigmatizing individuals whose identities intersect between race and fatness (Berlant 774) Anna Mollow touches on as much in her article, "Sized Up." In regard to Berlant, Mollow writes, "queer theorist Lauren Berlant ... contributes to the stigma of fatness—and perhaps, inadvertently, to race and class prejudice as well—as she worries over 'subproletarian Americans' and people of color succumbing to a 'slow death' from obesity" (Mollow 3). That is to say, Mollow is pointing out how society's focus on eradicating obesity specifically targets women of color, or specifically, Latinx and African-American communities. Mollow likens this targeting to

Obesity in childhood has become a global epidemic in developed and developing countries, and is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st Century (Chan, Deave, & Greenhalgh, 2010; Fleming & Parker, 2015). One-quarter of all Australian children between the ages of five and seven in 2007-2008 were overweight or obese (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABOS], 2015). Obesity in childhood is known to have a significant impact on both physical and psychological health (Wieting, 2008). These children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop non‑communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age (Hoey, 2014; Perpich, Russ, Rizzolo, & Sedrak, 2011; Throsby, 2007). It is widely

The nation has developed a cheap food model. The kind of food Americans eat is the kind that is most profitable, commercial. This source of nutrition has caused over eighteen percent of children in the nation to become obese or overweight. If the obesity epidemic is not taken seriously the nation will have to pay the price. Not only adults but future generations are at a higher risk of developing severe heart conditions earlier than past generations. If improvements are not made, our children will die younger than us.

There is a new epidemic running through the U.S. This epidemic is childhood obesity. In the last ten-twenty years, more and more children have become obese/overweight. A study done by the CDC states, “The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.” With all epidemics, there is a rush for a quick fix. The quick fix for this epidemic is liposuction, but after a couple months they regain the weight. They then tried dieting, some patients try to diet but keep going back to eating unhealthy and keep the weight on. There is one more thing they can

Fast food corporations are responsible for the obesity epidemic due to their false health claims, along with the excessive marketing to children. Some people believe that customer demand is responsible for the obesity epidemic coming from the gradual increase of food portions. Critics of fast food corporations rebut that the expansion of fast food causes other problems besides obesity. Fast food corporations are responsible for the obesity epidemic due to heavy advertising directed at children, along with dubious health claims that certain fast food items are healthy. In Australia, the fast food industry is under attack by their government because fast food advertisements are heavily marketed to children, a population segment vulnerable to obesity (Tillett 1). Another example comes from a dubious claim by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) stating that eating two fried chicken breasts is healthier than eating a