Children and adolescents are at a vulnerable stage in their lives which makes them the perfect candidate to fall victim to the obesity epidemic. Author Netalie Shloim’s article, “Parenting Styles, Feeding Styles, Feeding Practices, and Weight Status in 4–12 Year-Old Children: A Systematic Review of the Literature” reveals that adult’s eating habits tend to mimic those established early in life (Shloim et al, 2). Parenting styles can greatly effect a child’s future weight. For example, some parents force their child to eat everything on her plate before she may get up from the table. The child may grow accustomed to overeating, which leads to the development of more fat cells. If not monitored correctly, this could potentially lead to weight
In the United States alone children’s health is rapidly deteriorating. Since the early 1980’s childhood obesity in America has skyrocketed, leaving overweight children in danger. While obesity is defined as the condition of being very fat or overweight. One third of children “qualify as obese” (Davies), and meet the criteria to be labeled as “overweight as a result of poor eating habits, and a minimal amount of physical exercise. However, the lack of knowledge parents possess surrounding childhood obesity is determent to youngster future. When dealing with such an austere problem as obesity, parents should become more knowledgeable, supportive, and increase family activities to diminish childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity has placed the health of an entire generation at risk. Obesity in America is a big problem that has been growing over the years. “An estimated 12.5 million children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (Loop 2015). As the number of children being affected keeps growing, parents or guardians do not change the habits that lead their children to become obese. “Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood” (American Heart Association, 2014). Not only is obesity causing health problems more than before, but it also causing a big problem in America. More and more children every year become obese and it keeps growing. Even though some people believe the lifestyle of a person is not to blame for the childhood obesity problem in America, the technology, the parenting style , and the media of the outside world are huge factors that contribute to childhood obesity.
The number of children affected by childhood obesity has substantially risen over the last 30 years. 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 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014; National Center for Health Statistics, 2011). After reading this statistic we begin to understand how rapidly childhood obesity has taken a hold on children. In the last 30 years childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese (Ogden et al., 2014). It is vital that parents and schools properly educate children on the value of proper nutrition and
According to Kimbro, “Approximately one-third of U.S. children are overweight, and sixteen percent are obese.” (Kimbro 20). This quote refers to children who are struggling with overweight problems at an early age and more likely to become overweight adolescents and adults. Kimbro gives the reader a very clear, concise definition of childhood obesity without using vague, euphemistic, or emotive language (Chaffee 2012). Obese and overweight children are increasingly diagnosed with type two diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and certain cancers. Some people say childhood obesity is genetics and lack of exercise. Children might be obese because of family history with obesity and do not exercise. One factor is food at home and school. Children
Parents and children should watch their everyday eating habits because childhood obesity causes a decreased lifespan for children. Obesity for children can start at an early and if a child and parent are not careful then the outcome could lead to health problems and this evidence includes such things, "Debilitating effects of obesity range from type-2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, several forms of cancer, sleep apnea, hypertension, and other related chronic diseases.” (Childhood Obesity Issues
The way children are raised now will set them up for a life of healthy eating habits that will ultimately lead to breaking a pattern that is growing and has become a serious problem with children in this generation. According to pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, at the University of California, San Francisco, it is the first time in recorded history we are seeing a decline in life expectancy, he states, “We know that people are dying younger…decline in mean life span of three months.”(University of California Television (UCTV), 2013). There are many causes and contributing factors to the increase of childhood obesity. According to the CDC the childhood obesity rate has doubled within the last 30 years alone. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015) The choices parents are making in the kitchen for their children, the lack of physical activity and the lack of regulation in the food industry are the leading cause of childhood obesity—a real threat to our existence.
Childhood obesity is thought to not only result from emotional problems, poor nutrition, or lack of financial resources, but also from genetics. Genetics are a cause of obesity in children, because metabolic disorders can be inherited. If one of a child’s parents is obese, the child has a 50 percent chance of becoming obese as well. If both parents are obese, the child has an 80 percent chance of becoming obese The child's behavior usually stems for their parents behavior. Children's eating patterns develop in the early social interactions surrounding feeding. Young children are ready to learn to eat the foods of their culture's adult diet, and their ability to learn to accept a wide range of foods is remarkable. It is harder to break a child's dietary habit in adulthood if their diet was poor during adolescence.
It is normal for parents to be a huge part of their child’s life. They can be dependable and kids may look up to them. Parents may influence their kids in several ways, including weight gain. When it comes to a child’s diet the parent provides and gives options, therefore they have control over what their child puts into their body. Restrictions on food is the primary issue with obesity (Clark). There is usually dispute and disagreement between parent and child which can lead to one or the other giving in. If the parent decides to cave it reinforces the behavior and that child gains control in that situation (Clark). Published by Academy of Nutrition and dietetics, author Jaime Stang talks about the relationship between parent and child and the effects it has when food is involved. Praise and reinforcement when a kid eats a preferred food can persuade the child to eat with certain habits and parents can influence this either way (Stang). In a study done with twin children, there was
Obesity is a nutritional disorder among American children and teens. Obesity occurs in 17% of the world’s population (1.3 billion children worldwide). If children do not change their customary ways of living, and continue their injurious diet, there will be a major increase in the percentile of annual obesity rates. Childhood obesity
The significant numbers of overweight and obese children worldwide have increased in the recent decades and are expected to rise in the next few years. Obesity is an epidemic disease destroying children’s life in their childhood and adulthood. Children with a BMI above the 85th percentile are considered overweight and BMI above the 95th percentile are considered obese. This is a significant public health concern because more children have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, chronic disease, hypertension, and many more health problems, and also have psychosocial consequences. The big problem here is that children are increasing time spent watching television, playing videos games, eating unhealthy meals, and not being physically active. Many parents do not even have time to interact with their children because they spend too much time at work in order to become financially stable which leaves less time to devote to healthy eating and weight control. In addition, not being informed or educated on the negative effects of unhealthy diets and low physical activity must be communicated to the parent and guidance is important as well. It is difficult to provide healthy food or snacks at home because most of the healthy items are expensive and many single mothers and parents cannot afford those prices and opt to buy inexpensive food and snacks.
Childhood Obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic that has lasting psychological effects because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers lives’ today. Obesity in children is an ongoing concern which many people have to deal with. Obesity is the condition of being overweight. It affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents (“Ebbeling”). Your weight is the result of many things working together-the choices you make, your environment, your metabolism, and your genes.
Throughout the paper, there are cases and explanations by Sarah Barlow and the Expert Committee (2007), in which parental roles are seen to play a major role in assessing the eating behaviors and medical risks in children when consuming foods. In the section entitled “Physical Activity towards Reducing Obesity,” explained by Chin and Ludwig talk about how the increase in physical activity in children and adolescents can be very helpful in the prevention of diseases such as obesity. Childhood obesity is classified on the chart as children who have reached or passed the 95th percentile. The sections following it contain cases in which it proved and showed other methods in which parents play a role in the influence of the obesity in children and adolescents. Through the different sections of the paper, there will be many cases that support the claim that parental influence plays the biggest role in the rising rates of childhood obesity. In the section “Nutrition Educating Programs and Parental Influences,” Rausch et al. (2015) have concluded through research that different factors that children do throughout the day are controlled mainly by parental influence. These factors will be defined including the different types of factors and the different types of risks associated with this. These risks will be analyzed and interpreted to show what will actually happen if these risks are not maintained and prevented. Papoutsi et al., in the section titled “Nutrition Educating Programs and Parental Influences,” conducts a study to show the different ways in which obesity rates are raised and which factors play the most significant role. In the section named “Children’s Influence Towards Parents,” Marshall et al.’s findings help understand the different types of influences that are placed on children and which
The development of a child all starts at the home. What the parents do or say is very influential to these young minds and can alter how the child thinks, interacts with other children, or even eats. In the article, “Influence of Diet, Physical Activity and Parents ' Obesity on Children 's Adiposity: a Four-Year Longitudinal Study”, the authors state, “Parents ' obesity is the most important risk factor for obesity in children” (C Maffeis, G Talamini, and L Tato Á). Parents are a huge role model for their children and when they see that their mom or dad is obese they feel like they should fit in with their parents
“Parental behavioral patterns concerning shopping, cooking, eating and exercise have an important influence on a child’s energy, balance and ultimately their weight” said diet specialist, Anne Collins (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). Childhood obesity has more than tripled since the 1980’s (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). Childhood obesity often leads to obesity as an adult which can put a person at greater risks dealing with the heart, diabetes, and many other obese related diseases. People want to blame the schools and today’s technology for childhood obesity, in reality, the responsibility lies in the hands of their parents.
Parents need to be responsible for establishing healthy eating habits for their children. It is the responsibility of the parents to understand the causes of obesity and how to prevent it. Parents do not hesitate to protect their children from many of life’s dangers and to keep them safe and healthy. For example, there are many children that would probably be very happy to skip routine dentist appointments, but most responsible parents insist, whether the child likes it or not, that they