Children Should Be Exposed From A Young Age

Childhood obesity is a health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in society’s youth. For a number of years, children across the nation have become accustomed to occasionally participating in physical activities and regularly snacking on sugary treats. In result of these tendencies, approximately one third of American children are currently overweight or obese (Goodwin). These grim statistics effectively represent all the lack of adult interference, in regards to health, has done to the youth of America. The habits of over consuming foods and under participating in physical activities are all too common in the children of today. Children cannot solve this issue alone, though. These young people need to essentially be given the

On the other hand, not all cases of childhood obesity are a result of external forces. In some cases a child’s problem with their weight is mainly a genetic problem. In this case even the healthiest of habits may not be enough to prevent a child from becoming obese. (American Obesity Association) Yet the dramatic increase of overweight adolescents in the past few decades has clearly not been a result of genetics, but rather has in fact been do to poor health habits.

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. "the percentage of obese children doubling from 6.5% in 1980, to 17.0% in 2006. Weight, nutrition, and physical activity are the main components to a child’s overall health.”(1) “When parents become too busy to cook meals in their homes, children learn poor eating habits and develop into unhealthy eaters.”(1) They will take what they learned at home and apply it to anywhere else that they eat. For example a child that drinks milk at dinner and sits with their family at dinner when asked what they want to drink when they are at a friend’s home will ask for milk because the child would associate milk with dinner. Children cannot make healthy choices of their own they need to be guided so

“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake” a quote made by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, as she launches her comprehensive initiative to change the way children think about nutrition and physical fitness (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Three decades ago, children lived active lives that kept them healthier. They walked to and from school, ate home cooked, reasonable portion meals with vegetables and played outdoors most of the time. Today, children ride the bus instead of walk, eat more fast food and snacks throughout the day because parents are busier, and watch more television or play video games rather than be active outside with peers (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Young children are becoming overweight and obese along with being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more frequently. They are making poor dietary choices, inadequate physical activity, and spending too much screen time all contributing to the obesity crisis. One of the effective solutions to reversing the trend of childhood obesity is to provide safe, affordable and accessible after-school health and physical fitness educational programs for all school ages across the nation.

However, “the epidemic of child obesity is still relatively new” (Source 7). Because child obesity is a somewhat unfamiliar phenomenon, “obesity is difficult to cure” (Source 7). Child obesity is the “result of eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise” (Source 1). Though scientists have made a connection between child obesity and genetic disposition, obesity is ultimately caused by the decisions we

It is no secret that childhood obesity is a problem in America. With children having to take physical education courses in school, it combats obesity in a way that they may not get at home. “Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults” (Childhood Obesity Facts). Teaching children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle at a young age can help them be less at risk for diseases

Obesity has become an increasing issue in the United States and all around the world. The study that I read about analyzed data from 68.5 million persons to assess the trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adults between 1980 and 2015 (The GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators. 2017.). Children learn lifestyle choices from the adults that are around them. We, as adults, influence children on a variety of things, such as; eating or sleep patterns, exercise, or how we act towards situations or people. It is important to set a good example for the younger generations so that we can thrive in the future.

When combining these two factors, there is a high risk for developing childhood obesity. However, factors such as genetics, psychological factors, and socioeconomic factors can all play a role in the development of childhood obesity. (Walley) When a child’s family is unhealthy and overweight, it increases the chances that the child will be overweight as well, especially in a household with an unhealthy food supply and lack of encouragement for physical activity. Psychological factors, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and poor self-image all can lead to weight gain in children due to stress eating and lack of motivation to exercise. (Strauss) Also, when a child grows up in a struggling household where the parents opt to buy unhealthy food due to the cost, and the lack of a safe place to exercise, the risk for obesity in children is higher. (Mayo Clinic)

(Why People Become Overweight) Different diseases can be passed down through parents or family members that have hereditary diseases. There are ways that the parents can affect the lifestyle of their child also. Research shows that the offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy have a higher risk of becoming overweight as they mature. The same outcome goes for mothers who are pregnant and have diabetes. The theory to this condition is the metabolism of the offspring is affected in a negative way. It has been proven that children with mothers who breastfeed longer than three months are less likely to become obese as children. (Why People Become Overweight)

A key factor of health in later life is childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a medical condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. Medical conditions are not the only factor which causes children to be obese it is the parental/family influences as well. Family influences on children are a huge factor because when children are younger they eat what the parent’s eats which can determine what the child ends up eating.

Today, the rate of childhood obesity in the United States continues to rise. Obesity, a lifestyle disease, is rampant in the current world; it has become common because families lack sufficient information about the existence of health journals and articles on healthy eating habits. The cause of obesity is associated with many other factors, such as nutrition. Adolescents consume large amounts of sugar and engage in little to no exercise. That said, the consumption of large amounts of sugar is not always the direct cause of obesity; in some instances, obesity may develop in an individual due to genetic factors.

A growing number of children are demonstrating unhealthy eating habits and as a result are becoming obese due to lack of physical activity, nutrition and genetics. Children in today’s society are not motivated to exercise and participate in after school activities. If we were to go back in time 15 to 20 years ago, children were encouraged to explore the outdoors by engaging in activities such as camping, bicycling, walking, running and playing sports. Now, living in the 21st century, technology has taken a major toll on our children health; they are spending more time indoors watching television, playing video, games, surfing the internet and texting on their mobile phones.

According to national data for school-aged children and youth, 16 percent of children aged six to nineteen years are overweight. During this developmental stage, children focus more on school, peers and different media. At this stage, they also start to fall out of their parent’s reach. Parents should continue providing healthy home foods and encourage their children to have family meals eaten together (Lindsay, A.C. et. al., 2006).

Childhood obesity has become a prevalent problem amongst children in the United States and the numbers continue to rise. Unfortunately if nothing is done to combat the obesity epidemic, many more families and children will suffer the consequences. Obesity has many negative effects on a child’s emotional and physical health, for instances, it may contribute to the development of a mental illness, such as depression, or it may increase the chances of the development of type-2 diabetes early on in life (Essington & Hertelendy, 2016, p.454). Therefore, it is important that parents take the initiative to help their children develop healthy eating and exercise habits that will prevent and combat the obesity epidemic in America. A parent is a child’s first teacher, therefore healthy habits begin in the home. There are many changes families can make to start a healthier life together and fight the causes of obesity. Parents can start by encouraging their children to eat healthier by cooking nutritious meals on a budget as well as eating as a family. Furthermore, there are many fun ways parents can keep their children active and fit. Lastly, parents should help their children develop a healthy relationship with food.

As exercise helps balance hormones and enhance the physical and mental health, nutrition feeds the process by adding the complementary nutrients and dietary supplements that make the effects last. Nutritional value is extremely important to regulate the bodies systems. Poor nutrition can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and health degradation is endless. Children and adolescents are subjected to poor nutritional food facts which cause them to make poor decisions on what to consume. They will tend consume higher amounts of calories that with a sedentary lifestyle will cause anxiety, stress, obesity and diabetes. Calories are both good and bad, its defining both in terms of food types becomes difficult. This is why guidance from parents and schools is imperative to teach healthy eating habits.