The spread of the childhood obesity is becoming wider and doctors have already become concerned about this disease. And what are the reasons for it? Is it a bad heredity, GMO and junk food, or just an excessive love of the parents? Usually, it is a combination of a lot of factors.
The abundance of video and computer games, 24/7 access to the TV that leads to sedentary life with the lack of activity is the most common reason for obesity. Years ago, when children gathered in the yard to play football, hide-and-seek or even just to have a walk, the problem of childhood obesity was almost absent.
The food was also different. Earlier, most women were the housewives, and the meals were always cooked at home. Now, in order to save the time, mothers take their children to the outlets with fast food and buy everything their children want because they do not have time to argue. This abnormal behavior ruins the metabolism in the not mature body, and this process is almost always irreversible. We all know how difficult it is to lose weight in the adulthood. But it is not about the distorted shape but about the effects the early obesity can have.
First of all, these children have a high risk of developing type two diabetes, breathing problems like sleep apnea and asthma; high blood pressure and cholesterol, fatty liver disease, gallstones, and gastro-esophageal reflux, joint and musculoskeletal problems (Whitlock, Selvi, Gold, Smith, and Shipman, 2005). In the adulthood, all these people are more likely to die from the stroke, heart attack or even from cancer (Han, Lawlor, and Kimm, 2010). There are also a lot of psychological effects of obesity, like poor self-esteem, being bullied at school and depression. Sometimes they are not easier than physical consequences. Moreover, to relieve the hard feelings children become to comfort eat and create a vicious circle (Han, Lawlor, and Kimm, 2010).
There are some statistics that shows how serious this problem is:
During the past 30 years, the amount of obese children in the World has doubled. The part of the children from six to eleven is almost 20%. 70% of obese youth have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease ( Freedman, Zuguo, Srinivasan, Berenson, and Dietz, 2007).
The most obese people are Americans. In the US, the percentage of the people, whose the body mass index higher than 30, is 33%. The Mexico, with 32% of obese people, takes the second place (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flegal, 2014). A number of obese people do not depend on the economic status of the country. It is only about the attitude to the food and physical activity. When the parents are lazy, greedy and focused on the satisfaction of their taste buds, there is a little chance that their children will opt for another style of life. There are some countries that have already deprived some couples of paternal rights because their children were morbidly obese. These countries are Canada and Scotland.
Sometimes, people are just not aware of the healthy option. They have to consult a dietician and follow the instruction. They should buy only the healthy food and avoid fatty food. They should completely exclude sugar, white bread, saturated fat and sodium. Taking a child for a walk or jogging every evening is a must as well. Of course, it will not be easy, and the children will rebel against changes. But it is worth it. If the problem has gone too far, the parents should visit the endocrinologist and find the causes of the problem and eliminate the already existing consequences.
Some parents strongly believe that the overeating is not the reason for their children’s obesity. They are simply not aware that the portions they give their children are twice bigger than they should be. And the love can be shown by other ways than by stuffing. Even if the problem already exists, it is not too late to bring the situation under control, change the habits and, as a reward, see the healthy and happy child.
Works cited
Evelyn P. Whitlock, Selvi B. Williams, Rachel Gold, Paula R. Smith, Scott A. Shipman.2005. Screening and interventions for childhood overweight: a summary of evidence for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Pediatrics. Web. Accessed 19 Feb. 2016.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/116/1/e125
Joan C Han, Lawlor DA, Kimm SY. 2010. Childhood obesity. Lancet. May. Web. Accessed 19 Feb. 2016.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60171-7/fulltext
Freedman DS, Zuguo M, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS, Dietz WH. 2007. Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Journal of Pediatrics. Web. Accessed 19 Feb. 2016.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17188605
Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. 2014. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association. Web. Accessed 19 Feb. 2016.
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1832542