Childhood Obesity

ntroduction: Obesity has become a well known word in this generation. Obesity is the condition of being grossly fat or overweight(Dictionary). In the past thirty years, obesity rates have more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents(CDC). There is more than one factor that has caused this obesity epidemic. The intake of high calorie and high fat foods, the lack of exercise, hormone imbalance, genetics, environmental factors, and socioeconomic factors all play a role in why current generations are overweight. Everyone should try to avoid becoming overweight for their own health. Being overweight and obese can lead to many diseases. These include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity and all these diseases can be prevented with lifestyle habits including healthy nutritional eating, and physical exercise.

Discussion: One of the many reasons that children are obese is because of their diet. Diets high in sugar, calories, and carbohydrates can lead to obesity when not burned off with exercise. Children like to indulge in unhealthy food because it's easy for the parents to buy after a long day, or because of what the media is advertising(Healthyeating). Yes, it is easier to pick up a happy meal for dinner from Mcdonalds, but is a cheeseburger, small fries, and milk really worth the 650 calories(sparkpeople) with little nutritional value? Fast food chains like Mcdonalds and Burger King advertise their kids meals with toys to reach out to the younger generations(Theinternetchief). Drinks high in sugar also quickly add to the daily calorie intake. One medium sized 21oz coke is 182 calories,(sparkpeople) when the choice of water was available for no calories and a great hydration choice. Technology has greatly helped us advance in our everyday lives, but ironically it has also contributed to our life span becoming shorter by distracting us from exercise. Children these days are aways occupied with the latest electronics. Whether it be the Xbox 360, Playstation, computer, TV, gameboy, iPhone, iPod, or iPad, you can find many kids busy with their new contraptions. These new gadgets take away from being active. Healthykids.nsw infact states that kids who are and teens aged from 5 to 18 years old themselves need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day to keep themselves healthy(Healthykids). According to healthykids.nsw, kids who watch TV for more than 2 hours each day are more likely to have an unhealthy diet, and are less likely to eat fruit and are less likely to participate in physical activity, they are also more likely to snack on foods that are high in sugar, salt or saturated fat when they’re watching TV. The effects of too much screen time include: bad posture, eyesight can deteriorate, you can strain your wrist, thumb, and elbow, problems with sleep, lack of social skills, and the body can store more energy than it uses.(healthykids) Also, the energy used in Wii Sports games does not help you get your recommended amount of daily exercise(healthykids). Hormone balances also contribute to childhood obesity. Tony Goldstone MD, PhD, senior clinician scientist at MRC Clinical Sciences Centre at the Imperial College of London, shares his research that “Both Fasting and the administration of the hormone ghrelin, which is high when we are fasting, increase the appeal of high calorie foods but not low”(Doheny). In his research he learned that ghrelin influences our eating habits by stimulating our brain's reward system. Goldstone looked at how the appeal of the foods affected a part of the brain called the anterior orbital frontal cortex,(Doheny) which is known to have to do with encoding the reward value of food. This means that how pleasurable we find food after missing meals, or eating is explained by levels of ghrelin circulating in the blood. This research provides us with clues to why so much of the population is obese(more than one-third of U.S. adults (CDC) ) are obese. or struggling with with overeating. As the person becomes older, according to Goldstone the development of drugs to block ghrelin. There is a factor we cant avoid, genetics. According to www.nlm.nih.gov, 'Some children are at greater risk of obesity because of genetic factors,they have inherited genes from their parents that make their bodies gain weight easily. This would have been a very good trait hundreds of years ago, when food was hard to find and people were very active. Today, though, this can work against people who have these genes.Genetics is not the only cause of obesity. To become obese, children must also eat more calories than they need for growth and energy.' This shows us that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual’s susceptibility to excess body weight, however, there are likely to be many genes involved and a strong interaction between genetics and environment that influences the degree of excess body weight. Research conducted at the University of Cambridge suggests that child obesity is genetically different than adult obesity. The findings suggest that childhood obesity may be driven by different genetic factors than adult obesity, which points to potentially different ways to treat the two conditions. A rare variant in one of the newly identified genes, LEPR, appeared more frequently among the children who developed obesity early on, but another version of the same gene appeared in about six percent of the population. Understanding how subtle changes in this gene can push the body either toward obesity or normal weight could lead to new treatments that more precisely target some of the root causes of weight gain, say the researchers(TIME). With this information, the researchers hope to improve the understanding of its biological drivers and even shed light on other, more common forms of weight gain as well. Environmental factors can highly affect a child weight as well (www.nlm.nih.gov). If a parent is overweight and has poor diet and exercise habits, the child is likely to adopt the same habits (www.nlm.nih.gov). Watching television, gaming, texting, and playing on the computer are activities that require very little energy. They can take up a lot of time and replace physical activity. And, when children watch television, they often crave the unhealthy high-calorie snacks they see on commercials(www.nlm.nih.gov). Schools have an important role in teaching students about healthy food choices and exercise. But not all schools offer healthy food choices or time for physical activity. Vending machines in schools that sell soda and other sugary drinks make it easy for children to make unhealthy choices. Having a safe community that supports outdoor activities at parks, or indoor activities at community centers, is important for encouraging physical activity. If a parent feels it is not safe to allow their child to play outside, the child is more likely to do sedentary activities inside, for example doing jumping jacks throughout the house(www.nlm.nih.gov). Many people have pointed out that a salad is more expensive than the dollar menu at Mcdonalds, and our choices are quite clear. Income is in fact a factor that contributes to obesity in children. Key findings found from The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention ,show that low income children and adolescents are more likely to be obese than their higher income counterparts, but the relationship is not consistent across race and ethnicity groups(CDC). The CDC also points out that although it is more likely that lower income children and adolescents are obese, most obese children and adolescents are not low income. Of the approximately 12 million children and adolescents who are obese, 24% (almost 3 million) live in households with income at or above 350% of the poverty level, 38% (approximately 4.5 million) have incomes between 130% and 350% of the poverty level, and 38% (approximately 4.5 million) live below 130% of the poverty level. Of the approximately 6 million obese non-Hispanic white children and adolescents, the majority (4.4 million) live in households with income at or above 130% of the poverty level.(CDC). Yes, there are many factors that lead to obesity in children, but with a couple lifestyle changes the risks are much lower. The CDC states that 'Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases(CDC).The dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents are influenced by many sectors of society, including families, communities, schools, child care settings, medical care providers, faith-based institutions, government agencies, the media, and the food and beverage industries and entertainment industries. Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors(CDC). Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.' (CDC). The American Heart Association has a six step prevention plan that helps parents reduce the risk of childhood obesity: The first step is to encourage healthy eating habits. Small changes can lead to a recipe for success(Americanheartassociation). This includes providing plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products in meals. As well as low-fat or non-fat milk dairy products, and choosing lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils and beans for protein(Americanheartassociation). Serve reasonably sized portions can decrease the chance of overeating. Encouraging the family to drink lots of water, and limiting sugar-sweetened beverages, sugar, sodium and saturated fat (Americanheartassociation). Favorite dishes can still be made, just healthier versions with a few changes. 
The second step is to remove calorie-rich temptations. Treats are okay in moderation, but limiting high fat and high-sugar or salty snacks can also help your children develop healthy eating habits(Americanheartassociation). There are good healthy snacks that contain less than 100 calories including, a medium-size apple a medium-size banana,1 cup blueberries,1 cup grapes,1 cup carrots, broccoli, or bell peppers with 2 tbsp. Of Hummus
 (Americanheartassociation). The third step is to help your kids understand the benefits of being physically active.Teach them that physical activity has great health benefits like: strengthening bones, decreasing blood pressure, reducing stress and anxiety, increasing self-esteem, and helping with weight management
. This allows the kids to understand how to take care of their bodies. The fourth step is to help kids stay active
(Americanheartassociation). Children and teens should participate in at least 60 minutes o moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week, and every day if possible(Americanheartassociation). As a parent, friend, or relative you can set a great example! Start adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you. Some examples of moderate-intensity physical activity include: brisk walking, playing tag, jumping rope, playing soccer, swimming, or dancing
. The fifth step is to reduce sedentary time(Americanheartassociation). Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit TV, internet and video game time, to no more than two hours a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend TV for kids age two or younger. It does however Encourage children to find fun activities to do with family members or on their own that simply involve more activity(Americanheartassociation).

Conclusion: Obesity is a complex condition that involves the intake of high calorie and high fat foods, the lack of exercise, hormone imbalance, genetics, environmental factors, and socioeconomic factors influences. However, the current high rates of overweight and obesity among children and adults in the U.S. are primarily influenced by individual behaviors and environmental factors that lead to excess calorie intake and inadequate amounts of physical activity. Practices that can reduce obesity include larger portions, increased snacking and higher calorie foods. These factors affect most Americans, at least to some extent, but people who are food insecure and/or low-income face additional challenges and risks. Obesity, as well as other related diseases, are to a great extent preventable. It is known that prevention is the most attainable option for suppressing the childhood obesity epidemic since current treatment practices are greatly aimed at containing rather than solving the problem. The goal in fighting the childhood obesity epidemic is to achieve balance of good nutrition and physical activity which can be maintained throughout the individual's life-span.

Reference Page
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