Special Report : Healthy Habits Improve Your Family 's Overall Wellbeing

Obesity in America is literally a growing problem, affecting every age group. Children are the most venerable group because they have no control over where they have dinner or how often they have fast food. Parents and guardians make decisions about food and are responsible for the health of children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last twenty years. This is concerning because Type Two diabetes is a horrible, crippling disease that is affecting children and teens dramatically whereas the disease was primarily seen in adults. Children are said to have a shorter life span than their parents for the first time ever. In the United States sixty-six percent of adults are overweight and one in

There have been studies conducted to find out what has caused or what the leading factors to obesity are. Researchers are currently still doing research to find out what causes or what may be the lead to obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which considers a child to be obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. (Rendall., Weden, Lau, Brownell, Nazarov & Fernandes, 2014). Obesity is on a rise in the Unites States and all over the world and can lead or result to other health complications later in life. The crucial breakdown serves as an implication of outlining childhood obesity, collaborating problems of the disease and resolutions, as well as applying critical thinking to give a complete approach to deliver information on childhood obesity. This will be done through citation of scholarly articles, samples and other modes of supporting details.

Having about one out of three Americans facing obesity it is evident the American family structure is being compromised. These problems can be from prejudice according to weight, the strong influence obese people can have on their family members and a culture that enables people to become and stay obese. With so many people being affected by obesity and every four seconds someone dying from a stroke, obesity being a large contributor, it becomes a problem that demands the country’s

Students have become more restricted than ever when it comes to picking the food they want to eat in the cafeteria, most of the food is healthy and has the essential vitamins and calories a student would need. The healthy hunger free kids act was implemented in 2012 and took away the use of grease, high sodium products and more. This aimed to yes take away all the tastier foods but also to try to opt for a more balanced and healthy lunch. When a student purchases a lunch, they are encouraged to take at least one fruit or vegetable and a low-fat milk. However, most of these “required foods” end up in the trash. Most of the time it’s a hit or miss with school lunches because not all school operate the same.

Today, about one in every three children, in America, are obese or overweight. Child obesity is a health issue where a child is obese for their body mass index (BMI). A child has to be in between the eighty-fifth and ninety-fifth percentile to be considered overweight. According to (heart.org), ”The prevalence of obesity in children more than tripled from 1971 to 2011.. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.” (heart.org) Child Obesity is an increasing problem in the United States due to poor nutritional habits, lack of physical exercise and an increase in availability of fast food. Child obesity also leads to long term physical and mental health problems. Although, there are many negative effects of child obesity, there are slight changes that can be made to slow or stop childhood obesity. Prevention can be managed by keeping a balanced diet and staying active.

The cause of childhood obesity is widely debated. There are some who believe childhood obesity is caused by socioeconomic factors while others believe it is caused by media marketing junk food to children. As a response to this ongoing debate, food markers, mainly fast food, try to defend themselves by blaming childhood obesity on physical inactivity and the lack of parental influence on a healthy diet. Despite what many researchers may believe, childhood obesity is caused by a combination of key factors. According to a well-written article by Erica Roth, Childhood Obesity, she along with other doctors believes that obesity could be caused by many different factors. Some may include “family history, many psychological factors, and lifestyle” (Childhood Obesity). However, the causes of childhood obesity are not limited to these life threatening factors, childhood obesity is almost always

Being overweight and obese are associated with serious health risks for children. According to Crawford et al. (2013) one-sixth of all school-age obese children have developed an early onset of health problems compared to those within the healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range. Children who are overweight and obese have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease due to high cholesterol and high blood pressure (Crawford et al., 2013). In addition, one-third of children will develop type-2 diabetes due to high-fasting insulin and various

Obesity is not a disease. It is a condition where our body stores excessive fat and affects our health or well-being. Childhood obesity is becoming a threat to society because of its prevalence. Obesity reduces life expectancy. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States. The number of obese children has increased and doubled within two decades. (National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, 2+.) The childhood obesity epidemic requires more prevention focused on the first five years of a child’s life because it is the period where rapid growth and developmental changes occur.

Schools lunches are not healthy as it causes childhood obesity. Obesity is an unrelenting health problem nationally. Obesity is a problem among adults and children. Research shows that 30 percent of adults are obese and 16 percent of children ages 6-19 years old are obese. One contributing factor to childhood obesity is that children spend majority of the day at school and consume more than half of their daily calorie intake there. All public schools are funded by the National School Lunch Program which annually provides $6.1 billion in total cash payments to local schools^ and an additional $4.7 billion in in-kind surplus food commodities Such as fruit juices and peanut butter(Schanzenbach 685). Obesity can lead to diabetes cancer and other health problems. Schools don’t want to make changes by replacing the bad food with healthier options because they will lose revenue and they don’t want that.

If a child’s obesity is not addressed, it can lead to devastating health issues as an adult such as diabetes. It can also lead to the other problem associated with diabetes such as; vision loss and neuropathy, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. It can also lead to sleep apnea, asthma and hypertension. Some of these issues can cause an early death. Not only would a child’s body be damaged but so would their mental health.

As a matter a fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said “[o]verweight or obese preschoolers are five times as likely to become overweight or obese adults as their normal weight peers” ( Phil 1). American children are easier to become obese adults that will later become a greater problem to society. “More shocking, an obese child can expect a shorter life” (Dalton 35 ) . Obese children are likely to face health problems such as “cardiovascular disease, such as elevated blood pressure or serum insulin levels or dyslipidemia, and 25 percent had two or more risk factors, type 2 diabetes” (Dietz 1) . For this reason, parents need to take action and solve the problem with obesity because it will affect children's health that can later result as a bigger

Obesity in America is an ever consuming epidemic that not only raises health care cost, but brings on an assortment of diseases and lifelong illnesses. Those who chose not to change are guaranteeing a life full of not only food, but full of self-implosion for their future generations. Obesity has been labeled a disease by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and for good reason. When one choose or sometime does not choose to become obese they are at risk for multiple side effects that could not only harm them, but they’re family as well. When we do care for ourselves how we can show our future generations to care for themselves.

With childhood obesity, these changes need to start with the whole family. Saying that children should get at least an hour of exercise every day, for example, is unlikely to have much effect if their parents do not exercise at all. They have little control over how they get around and what they are given to eat. Children tend to have similar eating habits and physical activity patterns as their parent’s one environmental reason why obesity and obesity related disorders often run in families.

For years it has been heard that obesity have strong consequences for health, and unfortunately it's true. In recent years we have seen the growth of obesity worldwide. But more troubling is to see how the children are reaching a level of extreme obesity. Many times we are in the street and we see children with big bellies or with big cheeks or perhaps children who appear to be 13 years when in fact only are eighth years old. We can also see how children in such a young age are suffering health problems; health problems over the years will bring more problems. Parents are not realizing how badly are doing to their children by allowing them to eat bad food, until they begin to have problems with their kids for their obesity.

In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier. This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society.