What Is the Most Influential Environment on Children Love for Junk Food - Essay Example

Fast food issue has increasingly become an important topic because of the rising cases obesityamong other negative results. The environment affects the choices children make with regard to fast food. There is a need to know how to solve this silent disaster. While some believe social environment plays the most significant role, others believe family environment is entirely responsible. Social environment plays a significance role in the consumption of junk food by children. In this context social environment includes political and economic aspects outside the family environment. The thesis of the paper states that the family unit is better placed to deal which children food behaviors given the fact that it can regulate the impacts of social environment. Family environment is said to have the most significance impact on the choices children make especially with regard to fast foods. Mothers with a preference of junk food especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding are likely to pass the same eating choices to their children. According to a research by University of Adelaide, children can be addicted to high-sugar diet through maternal influence. The research urges that fast food is responsible for production of dopamine, which is a feel-good hormone. It remains active among the children born to mothers with high levels of the hormone. Such children will have to eat higher amounts of junk food to achieve the same stimulation. The research suggested that junk food is addictive. Some parents fall short of resisting children demands. The end result is that they give them money to purchase junk food. Fast food should be balanced with healthy food. Parents are expected to resist unhealthy demands from children especially with regard to fast foods. The internet has had a significant impact on the home environment (Whitacre 39). Parents rarely encourage healthy lifestyles for their children. In the United States, many children have television sets in their bedrooms (Whitacre 33). A rising percentage of children between 6 and 17 are said to have exposure to unhealthy food through television influence. This has led to increase energy intake through junk food. According to AAP, children should not have television sets in their bedrooms. Research indicates that a large number of children do not eat meals together with their family in most days of the week. This is encourages unchecked food behavior among children. According to studies, healthy eating behaviors are said to develop when families take meals together. It is estimated that food prepared at home is more nutritious that take away or fast food. Families are better placed to regulate sugar intake and access to drinking water. This improves the food environment and minimizes the effects of fast foods. Parents are better placed to regulate the movement of children. This means they can limit access to retail venues that offer fast foods. The level of exposure and parental guidance plays a major role in the health and eating habits of a child. Parental advice can make children less susceptible to fast food campaigns (Whitacre 29). Research indicates that children tend to have parental preferences. Yet, few parents take time to discuss eating habits with their children. This has caused the social environment to overwhelm the family environment is some instances. There is a massive compaign against fast food. Some parents have rejected some schools on the basis on diet alone. Parents can influence the school diet by choosing institutions that are sensitive to children healthy diet. A compelling example is the schools that ban sodas and sugar-sweetened food. The role of social environment is expansive. Fast food bans for children would be welcome. This would mean banning some fast food restaurants that target children. It would also encourage banning fast food in school environments. The number of fast food chains has been increasing. The restaurants are available in local environments. Most of the choices are informed by the environment (Whitacre 19). The high number of fast food restaurant makes it easy for children to access it. It must be perceived through factors like consumer incomes, educational level or health awareness, cultural experiences and employment status. Studies show people are spending more money on fast food than education based on the social status. The situation has been aggravated by the fact that children tend to have a strong liking for fast food (Whitacre 39). The environment has a direct impact of lifestyles. Children attending schools are likely to be regulated compared to those who do not. The level of access to fast food by children has been greatly improved. Children have access to junk food is some schools. This has led to a campaign calling for balance in the school diet. The argument for environment is supported by the ability of consumers to afford fast food on a regular basis. The massive campaigns and television ads have made it stylish for children to have fast foods like fries and hamburgers. Children are drawn by the tastes and appeals created by the marketing and branding. This has caused many to add massive weigh and result in obesity. Research shows that peer influence has an enormous effect among children. It has not become socially acceptable for children to be overweight. This gave the room for children to indulge in the foods and more junk food chains continue to open (Whitacre 37). Children from wealthy families tend to visit fast food restaurants more frequently. This means that the preference of fast foods is correlated with social status which also affects the environment. Most high income consumers like fast foods. This means that children from low income families have less access to fast food compared to their rich counterparts (Whitacre 39). The role of environment on children preference of junk food is enormous. Some of the environments that are known to contribute to the preference include communities, child care facilities and schools. This environment has a significance influence in the healthiness of children diets. Research indicates that school children have direct access to sugar-sweetened sodas on daily basis. This is considered to be the largest sources of added sugar. It is also a significant contributor of calories. An increasing number of school children have daily access to television for least three hours per day. This exposes them to intensive fast food campaigns and inactivity leading to weigh accumulation. Extreme television access has a profound effect on the children food choices. Banning junk food in schools is being fought legislatively. Parliament and parent associations are working together to ensure that junk food is perceived to be unhealthy, unacceptable and abnormal. In my opinion, the family environment appears to have an enormous impact on the children eating behavior. The family environment is goes beyond the sphere of the family unit. Parents determine nature of environments or communities in which their children grow. They are also entrusted in determining the quality of schools children entail. This includes knowing the policy of the school with regard to fast foods. Parents have the opportunity to influence children behavior exclusively. However, few parents are intentional when it comes to children food choices. The parents or guardians are expected to actively preempt the extreme campaigns by the fast food brands. This can be done through explaining to children on the consequences on overconsumption of fast foods. In conclusion, it has increasingly become clear that the ease of access to retail venues that dispense fast food to children contributes to unhealthy eating habits. Community environment is about the level of access offered or denied for children to reach low or high quality food. School environment is central to the children choice of food. According to research, schools are uniquely positioned to reinforce healthy eating habits. Families that have unhealthy food behaviors, uncontrolled consumption habits and ignorance are likely to experiences the negative effects of fast foods. The impact of the communities on children food choices have be controlled by parental activity. Children can access online marketing for fast foods. Celebrity endorsements and video games have enhanced the liking for junk food especially among children. This means that the school and local environment cushions the negative effects of fast food. This propagates the liking for junk food. The political environment supports to fast food industry. The technological grow has had a profound effect on the food industry. Legislators view fast food industry as a source of employment and not a health hazard. Works Cited Whitacre, Paula. Community Perspectives on Obesity Prevention in Children: Workshop Summaries. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press, 2009. Print. Read More