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Childhood Obesity Research Paper

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Childhood Obesity Hang Dinh University of Texas at Arlington KINE 4331 Tyler Garner 08/13/2015 Childhood Obesity The most common physical effects of childhood obesity include growth, hyperlipidemia, and glucose intolerance. Obesity effects the child’s growth by making the appearance of the child look older than he/she may be. Children that become overweight also show increase in their height gain. Early maturation may signify an added biologic cause of obesity and its complications at puberty. Also, early maturation in children is associated with adult obesity. Hyperlipidemia occurs when blood lipids are increased in obese children. It is characterized when there are high levels of low-density …show more content…

The cost of food would increase because the child is considered obese, it would mean that the child is consuming more than necessary the amount of calories recommended. Consuming more calories would mean purchasing more food groceries. It would also include the cost of medical expenses. Obese children, like mentioned earlier would result in more health complications which would involve medical costs at the doctor appointments. Diagnostic studies are another financial attribution because obese children would require more medical tests on their existing health problems. Lastly, therapeutic services could be another added reason to financial costs. Obese children suffer from psychological problems that could require professional therapy. For example, a severely depressed child would probably need therapy sessions to help deal and overcome the depression …show more content…

Both social and cultural changes are necessary to effectively prevent the growing problem in today. It could start as early as when the child is still a new born. Studies have shown that mothers that breastfeed their child for a year could lower the risk of the child being overweight and eventually becoming obese. Education at a young age could also be very beneficial to avoiding the route of becoming obese. It would start with the parents and educating them to live a healthier lifestyle not just in diet but also physical aspects. Restricting the consumption of calories, for example smaller portion sizes would positively decrease the chances of a child becoming obese. Limiting the kind of foods consumed such as a high sugar and high fat diet and replacing it with more whole foods, like fruits and vegetables would be beneficial. Also as parents we should provide a safe environment outdoors for our children and encouraging children to become more physically active outside of school. For example, enrolling them in some kind of afterschool sports program, or even just talking walks around the neighborhood. It is recommended that children get at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity daily. Lastly, limiting the time children spend watching television or using the computer should be closely

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