The Importance Of Childhood Obesity In Canada

Poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits are the primary reason precipitating obesity in children. Research in the United States documents that most children eat processed junk foods, fast foods, candy, baked or fried foods, and juices/sodas that contain high amounts of sugar and calories. As a result of all of this, their bodies absorb excess calories and fat that are stored resulting in them becoming obese. Most of the children who are obese are taking in more calories than they burn. “Adolescents aged 12-17 who are overweight are consuming between 700-1,000 more calories per day than what is needed for the growth, physical activity and body function of a healthy weight teen.” These factors are extremely important to the health of a child and should be taken seriously by all means.

Childhood obesity is becoming more prevalent in the western world as statistics show that in Australia, one quarter of children are either overweight or obese. (Australian Bureau of statistics)

One of the biggest medical issues in America today is childhood obesity. A child is considered obese if that child is above the normal weight for their age and height. Childhood obesity is a “national epidemic” problem in America that needs major attention. In the article,”The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food,” by Michael Moss he acknowledges that “Among children, the rates had more than doubled since 1980, and the number of kids considered obese had shot past 12 million”(473). Moss’s point is that the rates of childhood obesity has increased tremendously over the past years. And the number of children that are overweight are at risk of becoming obese keeps growing. In addition, they are at greater risk for serious medical

The obesity rates are rising because of the influence of the social media, and its lack of coverage. In the last 50 years, the responsibility was left to parents of education of healthy living, do to most healthy habits start at an early age according to Dr. Tanya Altmann, author of (What to Feed Your Baby). It takes about 10 times of feeding of one food item for a baby to start to like the food. If you mash fresh fruits and veggies and eat the food with your child, your child will more likely become a Healthy child. Eating with a child will tell them that you eat this food and they should eat it too. So in order for this to be affective it would be helpful if parents and as well as school systems provide healthy eating options and less "fast

It is an established fact that childhood obesity in America is a developing disease that has become an epidemic with ongoing psychological effects, this is due to many reasons, among them are the wide spread of fast-food advertisements and bill boards, the lack of physical activities and parental control. This has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers’ life today.

A Canadian community health survey proves that in youngsters and adolescents, 8% were obese while 18% were overweight, in Canadians who are 18 years or older 29% were obese while 41% were overweight. Obesity is correlated to a number of health conditions which includes, type II Diabetes, cancers, gallbladder disease, gallstones, osteoarthritis, High blood pressure, stokes, Breathing problems and most importantly heart

Since 1980 the rates of child obesity have more than tripled which has caused a growing pandemic of childhood obesity in the United States. Out of all the young children and adolescents within the age group of two through nineteen about 12.7 million are obese. That is the equivalent of about 17% of America’s population that is suffering from childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is too prevalent in all American households. Childhood obesity is detrimental on a national scale, since it has been growing at a steady rate in the United States of children not reaching the daily-recommended physical activity, the absence of a balanced diet with overconsumption of eating, and more critically the increase of type 2 diabetes.

Obesity is an ailment that is often correlated with having an overabundance of body fat, influenced by a series of factors that may be challenging to administer when dieting. Obesity is distinguished as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or above, and rates among children in Canada have nearly tripled in the last 30 years. Approximately 31.5 per cent of children were classified as overweight or obese between 2009 – 2011 (Stats Canada, 2012.) This paper will primarily focus on the short and long term effects of childhood obesity, childhood obesity in Toronto, and what initiatives are being taken to decrease this matter.

Child obesity is a problem much more severe than a single child’s dietary decisions, but rather a conflict in which the government of Canada should have more involvement. Unlike several other countries around the world; for instance France, the Canadian government takes little to no precautions in preventing such an avoidable dilemma. The Canadian governments need for intervention and involvement can be felt along the lines of its lack of priority, the government’s lack of involvement in schools and finally, the government’s lack of implemented laws and regulations within society and within the food and drink industry.

Nutrition and eating habits are an obvious reason as to why most children are becoming obese. Only 21 percent of young people eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetable each day, and nearly half of all vegetable servings are fried potatoes. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) French fries are often mistaken for a vegetable, when really they acquire no nutritional value. Parents are replacing fresh vegetables with fried vegetables and assume their children are receiving the daily recommended intake. However, all of the required intakes are falling short. In 1996, only 12 percent of children were getting the daily recommendations for dairy; and only 18 percent were getting their recommended fruit intake. (USDA) The consumption of milk has decreased substantially. The production and popularity of other beverages, such as soda and juice,have taken precedence over milk. In 1977, children drank milk four times more than any other beverage they consumed. (USDA) But that statistic fell to 1.5 times that amount in 1996. (USDA) Sugary,

In the recent years, the issue of childhood obesity has gained major attention in the United States especially in the 21st century. The percentage of obesity has raised tremendously within the last decade. In a recent news article, American Obesity Rates Are on the Rise, Maggie Fox states “about 28 percent of the people in America admits that they are obese.” The United States has become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world. Besides adults who are obese, obesity is also a common issue to children and teenagers. Childhood is an important period when parents help their child avoid being obese. Eating habits during childhood can have an impact on a person as they age. Children in the U.S who are obese, will most likely develop a higher risk of having medical issue. According to the website, letsmove.gov, children who are obese, could cause to wide range of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, high glucose levels, and more. Also, children who are obese at a young age, are likely to remain obese in adulthood. The establishment of the bill, H.R. 2627 Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act, could reduce the percentage of obese children by providing salad bars during lunch times. This exposure to healthy eating habits can help children to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to avoid future health issues.

Nowadays obesity is also impacting children’s health since they spend hours in front of TV, play video games and remain inactive. In Ontario alone, the obesity rates among children have tripled over one generation. Because of the serious impact of obesity Health Canada has launched programs and studies to address the problem. The

Childhood obesity is a source of great debate in the United States. Many studies have shown the problem has become epidemic. Adults in the United States are increasing in weight and so are children and teenagers. Many factors are contributing to this growing problem. The influence parents have on their children can affect them negatively. Children of overweight parents are more likely to be overweight themselves. Another issue adding to the childhood obesity problem is the fact that children and teens have more options when it comes to food choices. School lunches, vending machines, and cheap calorie-packed snacks all contribute to this issue. Healthy foods are also more expensive and not as readily available as

The increase in childhood obesity is a new phenomenon in the United States, childhood obesity is the result of a sustained energy imbalance. According to (Moore, Wilke, & Desrochers, 2017) only one in five youth (21 %) eat the required daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Another 40 % of the calories children consume are empty calories due to solid fats and added sugars, about half of the six popular foods-soda, fruit

Childhood obesity is the most common pediatric nutritional disorder in the United States (Balog, 2015). Most people believe that the solution to stopping childhood obesity relies entirely on education. Sadly, this is not true. While education is one of the main factors for solving this epidemic, there are many other factors that need to be resolved as well. One cannot rely on the simplistic idea that, once educated, Americans would make the healthiest choices. This is because Americans choose, buy, and consume their food based heavily on the taste, convenience, and economic motivations, not health reasons.