Who Is Responsible for Childhood Obesity - Outline Example

 A PERSUASIVE ESSAY ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY Outline Thesis Statement: Even though food advertising, sedentary lifestyle and improper nutrition are blamed for the increase in childhood obesity, it is ultimately the parents who are responsible for their child’s health. I. Parents fear that they would lose their child’s love and appreciation if they intervene in their child’s life regarding appetite and eating habits. A. Parents need to understand that their child’s health concerns need to be identified and confronted. B. Initial intervention needs to be initiated by the parents since they are the ones that the child can trust and gain support from. II. Some parents believe that their overweight children can grow out of their obesity problems over time. A. Children have been found to gain weight throughout their early childhood years since it is an essential element of the growth process. B. We cannot depend on children’s routine growth spurts to make up for the child’s obesity problem. III. Some parents believe that even though growth charts state that their child is overweight, it is not really an issue because everyone in their family is overweight. A. A child’s growth and body mass index charts should be monitored. B. Rationalizing a child’s overweight problems is foolishness. IV. Some parents believe that they need to feed more to children who are overweight. V. Parents should set an example before their children by adapting healthy meals and exercise routines and promoting healthier lifestyles. Childhood Obesity is one of the leading health care concerns among children and adolescents in America. Studies reveal that over the past 30 years, the number of overweight children has tripled to 15% (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). This trend is alarming when one considers the fact that one third of the children in America are overweight (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Based on a study which was published last year, about 10% of children below the age of two and 21% of children between the ages of two and five have been classified as being overweight, considering their age and height (Ogden et al., 242). Overweight and obesity issues among children have also been found to be more prevalent among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic preschool-aged children compared to the non-Hispanic white children (Anderson et. al., 344). The extra ponds in children have been found to cause health concerns which are common among adults. Doctors have been reporting a dramatic increase in children developing conditions like Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These health factors can lead to heart and kidney disease, stroke, limb amputations and blindness. Children who develop these conditions during their early years of childhood have been found to be at increased risk of facing poor quality of life and shortened life span. Considering these fact in light of the information that in many cases obesity and diabetes are completely preventable, parents need to buckle up and be responsible to take an active role in the lives of their children. Childhood obesity has also been found to be a major factor in poor self esteem and depression among children (Strauss, 1). Studies have identified several factors like television food advertising, spending too much time in front of the television or computer, sedentary lifestyles and improper nutrition responsible for the rise in childhood obesity rates in the country (Mehta, 353). However, one cannot ignore the role of parents in this matter since they are ultimately responsible for the health of their child and they need to be role models to encourage their children to choose a healthier lifestyle. Some parents do not agree with intervening in their child’s life because they believe that their children should grow up independently and have the freedom to decide what they want to eat or what they want to do. Parents fear that if they intrude in their child’s life regarding their choice of food or lifestyle, then they would make their child feel worse about the situation or they might lose their child’s love and appreciation (Natenshon, 2). They fear that talking to their child about this situation would interfere with the child’s privacy and developing autonomy. Nevertheless, parents need to be aware that their child’s health issue cannot be treated until it is identified and confronted. They need to realize that if they give their children too much freedom, they might get confused and due to the lack of proper guidance, make the wrong choices. Therefore, parents are the best resource that a child can rely on since they can trust and gain support from them. As a matter of fact, there are some health care professionals who believe that parents should not be involved in their child’s treatment for eating disorders (Greco, 38). They express concern about the issue of maintaining individuality and the need for protecting the child’s privacy. However, this belief frequently blinds them to the crucial need to inform and involve parents through family therapy. In fact, researchers have tried to address childhood-obesity through school based prevention programs (Greco, 38). However, on examining these programs closely, we find that although dietary behaviors within the school seem to improve, there is little impact of the program on the child when he / she is outside the school environment. Another important facet of the problem is when children do not want to involve parents in the treatment process (Perkins et. al., 383). Studies have revealed that this happens typically in situations when children perceive their parents, especially their mothers, as having a more blaming and negative attitude towards the child’s illness (Perkins et. al., 383). Parents and healthcare providers need to be made aware that parental role can play a positive role in helping their child to successfully recover from their obesity problems. Through family therapy, parents become mentors of their child and provide a helpful environment for their child to recover from this condition. Their involvement can provide timely, effective and long lasting recovery in their child who is dealing with obesity issues. Health care professionals must therefore recognize that a successful separation of parents and children is one that takes place through healthy bonding. Therefore, the involvement of parents in the process of addressing childhood obesity is very important. Studies have revealed that when parents are involved in the prevention of obesity during the early years of a child’s life, it puts the child on a course towards good health (Dolinsky et al., 41). Research also confirms that when parents implement proper restrictions during the early childhood years of their child, the child recognizes the controls and eventually learns to control themselves (Natenshon, 2). After examining the evidence from these research studies, I cannot understand how one can agree with the proponents of treating obesity in children by methods that do not involve their parents. Some parents challenge this idea and claim that their overweight child will ‘grow into’ the excess pounds that he has. They believe that their overweight child will grow out of their obesity issues over time. Although it is true that as part of the normal growth process, children tend to gain weight throughout their early childhood years; it is not something that we can rely on as a solution to this problem. One important fact is that children grow in unpredictable spurts. For example, boys have been found to have a growth spurt in weight early in life and catch up in height during their later years (National Institute of Health). A physician can examine a child and based on the child’s age and growth patterns, determine if the child is overweight or not. If parents rely on their child’s eating habits and activity level to automatically resolve the obesity issues, the child will most likely continue to gain weight (American Academy of Pediatrics). Therefore, since we cannot depend on routine growth spurts to make up for a child’s weight problem, this argument does not hold well when seen in light of the current trends in childhood obesity and overweight problems. Some parents strongly believe that even though their child is considered overweight based on growth charts, it is not really a weight problem because their entire family is overweight. Pediatricians have often quoted parents saying, “We are not worried about our child’s weight. Every one in our family is big and we have always been like this” (American Academy of Pediatrics). Such parents tend to minimize or not recognize the health issues concerning their child and their child grows from overweight to obese to more obese. Parents need to keep track of their child’s growth and body mass index charts. If the weight of the child exceeds the normal range for his / her age and height, then the child meets the criteria of being overweight or obese. Rationalizing their child’s overweight issues is therefore foolishness. Parents should therefore realize that obesity is not just the child’s problem but something that the entire family should address. Although there are some metabolic or hormonal (endocrine) imbalances that are responsible for weight problems, they are responsible for less than 1% of the cases of childhood obesity (American Academy of Pediatrics). Parents therefore need to take an active role in the life of their child and meet with their child’s pediatrician if they have any concerns about their child’s health. It has been found that most of the time, a child’s excess weight is associated with poor eating habits accompanied with poor exercise regimen. This can be easily resolved by parents through their active participation. One alarming fact is that some parents believe that they need to provide more food to children who are obese. Pediatricians have often quoted parents saying, “Because their child is heavy, he/she actually needs to eat more food to stay healthy” (American Academy of Pediatrics). In light of this misinformation, many parents end up giving bigger portions of meals to their heavy children. However, nothing could be more counterproductive for the child. Parents should therefore depend on their child’s growth charts and the pediatrician’s advice to make sure that their child is consuming correct portion sizes that allow him / her to maintain an average weight. As emphasized above, it is very important for parents to be actively involved in their child’s life and monitor their eating habits and level of physical activity to ensure their well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little may lead to overweight and related health problems that may follow children into their adult years. Parents therefore need to take an active role to help their child and the whole family to learn healthy eating habits and improve physical activities since the benefits of these preventive measures will last a lifetime. Following are some of the ways in which parents can help their children in addressing their obesity issues (National Institute of Health): Parents need to tell their children that they are loved, special and important since children’s perception about themselves is often based on how they think their parents feel about them. Acceptance from parents will boost their child’s self-esteem. Parents should buy and serve more fruits and vegetables. This includes fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruits. They should also involve their children when they go shopping for groceries by allowing their child to choose the fruits and vegetables at the store. Parents should make sure that their child does not skip their breakfast since it provides the child with the energy he or she needs to listen and learn in school. Skipping breakfast can leave the child hungry, tired and looking for less healthy foods later in the day. Parents should set a good example before their children by themselves eating right and exercising. When a child sees that his / her parents are physically active and that they have fun doing it, the child is more likely to be active throughout life. Parents should revert to healthier cooking options using less fat. They should bake or roast food instead of frying. Parents should control the amount of added sugar in the child’s diet. They should encourage their children to drink more water or low-fat milk instead of sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit flavored drinks. Parents should also encourage their child to join in sports activities like soccer, dance, basketball or gymnastics at school or at their local community or recreation center. In conclusion, a child may be surrounded by several unhealthy choices of food and activities. They may spend less time exercising and more time in front of the television and computer. They may follow unhealthy eating practices that may result in them becoming overweight or obese. Parents should therefore take an active role in the lives of their children and help them come out of or steer clear of unhealthy eating and poor exercise routines. They are responsible for their child’s health and therefore need to adapt healthy meals and exercise routines to help their children overcome their issues concerning overweight and obesity. Parents should realize that helping children lead a healthy lifestyle begins with parents who lead by example. Works Cited American Academy of Pediatrics. “Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions.” Healthy Children. 13 Aug 2010. Web. 27 Jul 2011. http://www.healthychildren.org/ English/health-issues/conditions/obesity/pages/Childhood-Obesity-Common-Misconceptions.aspx Anderson, S.E. & Whitaker, R.C. “Prevalence of Obesity Among US Preschool Children in Different Racial and Ethnic Groups.” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (2009). 163 (4): 344-348. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents: United States Trends.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. n.d. Web. 28 Jul 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_child_07_08/ obesity_child_07_08.pdf Dolinsky, D.H., Siega-Riz, A.M., Perrin, E. & Armstrong, S. “Recognizing and Preventing Childhood Obesity.” Contemporary Pediatrics (2011). 32-42. Greco, L.M. “Addressing Childhood Obesity Through School-based Prevention Programs.” Web. 28 Jul 2011. < http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04092008-145357/unrestricted/Grecothesis.pdf Mehta, U. & Mehta, K. “When Two Sides go to War: Newspaper Reporting of Television Food Advertising Restrictions as a Solution to Childhood Obesity.” Health, Risk and Society (2008). 10 (6): 535-548. Natenshon, A.H. “Myths and Misconceptions About Eating Disorders.” Healthy Place. 12 Dec 2008. Web. 28 Jul 2011. < http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/myths-and-misconceptions-about-eating-disorders/menu-id-58/> National Institute of Health. “Helping Your Child: Tips for Parents.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. n.d. Web. 28 Jul 2011. < http://win.niddk.nih.gov/ Publications/child.htm> Ogden, C.L., Carroll, M.D., Curtin, L.R., Lamb, M.M. & Flegal, K.M. “Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008.” Journal of American Medical Association (2010). 303 (3): 242-249. Perkins, S., Schmidt, U., Eisler, I., Treasure, J. Yi, I., Will, S. et. al. “Why do Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa Chose Not to Involve Their Parents in Treatment?” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 14(7): 376-385. Strauss, R.S. “Childhood Obesity and Self Esteem.” Pediatrics. 105 (1). 27 Jul 2011. < http://www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/105/1/e15.full> Read More