Essay Sample on Childhood Obesity

Introduction

Childhood obesity has become one of the fundamental health issues of the 21st century. This is because children with weight issues are at a higher risk of developing a number of acute medical problems, many of which can lead to increased mortality and morbidity. Indeed, obesity has become a global issue that is steadily affecting both developed and developing countries, particularly in urban settings. The prevalence in the United States, for instance, has increased at an alarming rate over the last few decades and approximately one in three children and teenagers in the country is overweight or obese. Globally, the number of obese children under the age of 10 has also doubled in the last 2 decades, especially in Asia and Europe. Almost one-quarter of the estimated 41 million in 2016 live in Africa (World Health Organization, 2019). Ideally, as a result of overconsumption of highly processed food products and physical inactivity, childhood obesity is becoming prevalent and leaving young adults with obesity-related diseases as well as socio-emotional consequences.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Overall, obesity stems from an imbalance between energy intake and lifestyle; however, it is impossible to point one single source of obesity epidemic in either children or adults. Even more, many environmental and social factors, as well as a child's genetic composition are known to negatively impact physical activity and eating behavior in children and adolescents. According to Sahoo et al. (2015), one of the common factors associated with obesity in young adults is the sedentary lifestyle. In the last few years, television viewing among children across the globe has increased dramatically, resulting in high body mass index as well as high blood pressure for these young adults. Essentially, the increased amount of time children spend by the television has significantly minimized the amount of time left for physical activities. Additionally, more time children spend viewing TV programs is associated with poor food choices that eventually lead to overweight and obesity. In fact, the media influence should not be underestimated since longer television hours for children highly correlates with their consumption of the most advertised food products such as sweets, salty snacks, sweetened beverages, and cereals.

While extensive sedentary lifestyle has contributed to the decrease in the amount of time spent in physical activities, the decline in physical education programs and parental attitudes have also reduced the opportunity for physical activities among young adults. For instance, the time allotted for physical education programs during the average school day in many schools has been reduced or availed for other programs. For this reason, the safe environments for children to be active, and the opportunity to be physically active have significantly decreased. Similarly, parents' attitudes in terms of children safety and convenience have resulted in many children being driven to schools, unlike in the past. Indeed, many children and adolescents in the past used to walk or ride their bikes to school; however, recent studies indicate that more than 50 percent of parents drop their children to school while heading to work (Rosentha et al., 2017). This has also led to a recent rise in weight issues among school-going adolescents. Apart from obesity, lower levels of physical activities can often lead to an increased risk of heart diseases.

Some studies also argue that poor nutrition choices and dietary factors contribute to the rising rates of obesity. These are categorized into sugary beverages, fast food consumption, and snack food. According to Burgoine et al. (2016), increased fast food consumption is the leading cause of obesity in many families. Financial pressures and time factor force many families to adopt the culture of fast food to minimize food preparation time as well as food costs. Many children also favor these types of food which contains a high number of calories with low nutritional values. Even more, restaurants serving fast foods are often concentrated around schools and neighborhoods with children providing unending line of young customers. Similarly, consumption of sugary beverages is associated with a steady increase in body mass index among children over the years. This is because, sugar beverages such as soda and juice are less satisfactory than normal food products, therefore, can be consumed faster and in large amounts which can lead to caloric intake. In addition, snack food such as baked goods, candy, and French fries increase overall caloric intake, which can lead to obesity.

Other factors, such as genetic factors are also at play when it comes to the development of childhood obesity. Many children gain weight as a result of the genes passed from their parents. According to Sahoo et al. (2015), body mass index is 30-40 percent heritable from parents to children, along with FTO gene which is proven to induce certain tendencies in children such as binge eating. This can increase a child's chance of developing obesity, especially when coupled with certain environmental and behavioral factors.

Childhood obesity can affect children and young adults in many ways, some of which do not come apparent until adulthood. People who have obesity compared to those with a healthy weight can experience problems in terms of physical health as well as their social and emotional well-being. Indeed, children with obesity are at risk of developing numerous medical conditions. These include hepatic steatosis, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and sleeping apnea. Although most of the medical conditions associated with weight gain disappear as a child grows, some may continue to affect their health and lifestyle until adulthood. These include diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In the worst scenarios, some of these conditions may lead to death at an early age. According to Gregg and Shaw (2017), children with type 2 diabetes mellitus may develop heart problems even at 30 years of age. This indicates that overweight and obesity increases the lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, which can potentially lower the life expectancy of the victims. Additionally, obesity in young adults increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which can persist as they grow up and can adversely affect their lifestyles and overall quality of life.

Apart from numeral medical concerns, childhood obesity may impact a child's social and emotional health. A child suffering from obesity may get teased or bullied at school based on their physical condition. In some cases, they tend to be discriminated against, especially in competitive activities that require physical strength. As a result, these children may develop low self-esteem and low self-confidence, which can be devastating as they grow into adulthood.

Conclusion

In conclusion, due to physical inactivity and overconsumption of processed foods, childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic and leaving young adults with obesity-related diseases as well as socio-emotional consequences. As evidence suggests, a sedentary lifestyle is the primary cause of childhood obesity in the 21st century. Similarly, a decline in physical education programs and parental attitudes, and poor nutrition can sometimes lead to obesity in children due to reduced physical activities and high caloric intake. As a result, obesity affects children's physical health, social, and emotional wellbeing.

References

Burgoine, T., Forouhi, N. G., Griffin, S. J., Brage, S., Wareham, N. J., & Monsivais, P. (2016). Does neighborhood fast-food outlet exposure amplify inequalities in diet and obesity? A cross-sectional study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 103(6), 1540-1547.

Gregg, E. W., & Shaw, J. E. (2017). Global health effects of overweight and obesity. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1706095

Rosenthal, R. J., Morton, J., Brethauer, S., Mattar, S., De Maria, E., Benz, J. K., ... & Sterrett, D. (2017). Obesity in America. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 13(10), 1643-1650.

Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A. K., Sofi, N. Y., Kumar, R., & Bhadoria, A. S. (2015). Childhood obesity: causes and consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 4(2), 187. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408699/

World Health Organization (WHO. (2019). WHO European database on nutrition, obesity and physical activity (NOPA). Public Health. Retrieved from http://publichealthwell.ie/index.php?q=search-results/who-european-database-nutrition-obesity-and-physical-activity-nopa