Adolescent Obesity and Medias Impact - Essay Example

Adolescent Obesity Affiliation Adolescent Obesity Obesity is an epidemic that is sweeping around the world. It leads to a variety of health risks and complications. Not only are adults becoming more and more obese, children and adolescents are becoming, literally, off the scales. Adolescent obesity can be examined from many angles. Among the most interesting are the media, community, and nutrition education. Studies in these areas have shed light on the causes and solutions related to adolescent obesity. The Media's Impact It has been hypothesized that children who watch more television are more likely to become obese teenagers and adults because of their decreased physical activity, and increased caloric intake. Other media, such as video games, movies, and the internet have also been considered to increased caloric intake (either through eating while viewing these media, or in response to advertisement) and decreased physical activity. Food advertising represents a great deal of advertising targeted at children and adolescents, and advertisements for healthy foods and beverages are in the minority. (Escobar-Chaves & Anderson, 2008). Research studies have confirmed the correlation between television viewing and obesity. Third and fourth graders who were given a curriculum encouraging "television turnoff" had significantly smaller increases in body mass index (BMI). In a longitudinal studies of children and adolescents, those who watched more television had a significantly greater prevalence of obesity than those who watched less television. Observational studies have found that the odds of being overweight were nearly five times greater for children aged 10 to 15 were five times greater for those who viewed five hours of television a day than for those who viewed two hours or less. (Escobar-Chaves & Anderson, 2008). Although movies do not have overt advertising like television, they are still designed to influences the choices of adolescents who view them. Product placement is an important technique for manufacturers, and it has been proven that young people will make choices between products based upon the presence of one product in a film. (Escobar-Chaves & Anderson, 2008). Video games are advancing in technology and complexity almost daily. On the downside, that means that product placement in video games is becoming even more overt than in movies. On the bright side, interactive video games, such as the Nintendo Wii and Dance Dance Revolution, encourage aerobic activity. Studies are being conducted now to evaluate the health benefits of these video games. (Escobar-Chaves & Anderson, 2008). Pop-up ads and internet games are another source of product placement. Many youth access games on websites that promote brand loyalty to unhealthy foods. Just as with television and videogames, the length of time that teenagers spend at the computer is also a concern because of the lack of physical activity. (Escobar-Chaves & Anderson, 2008). Community Influence Experts theorize that individual factors influence the existence of adolescent obesity. Among those are community poverty and race/ethnicity. The data is clear that minorities are more likely to be obese than Caucasians. In a longitudinal study of over 20,000 adolescents, researchers measured race/ethnicity, gender, family poverty, and community poverty. Then, the adolescents were evaluated for obesity. (Thulitha Wickrama, Wickrama, & Bryant, 2006). The authors of this study found that community poverty, single parenthood, and being African American, Hispanic American, or Native American are significantly positively correlated with adolescent obesity. A White adolescent is 48% more likely to be obese in a poor community than in a non-poor community. However, the divergence between community poverty and obesity was lower in the other racial/ethnic groups. (Thulitha Wickrama, Wickrama, & Bryant, 2006). The results of studies like this show indicate that there are several factors that contribute to adolescent obesity. Racial disparities undoubtedly exist. Family financial status has an effect on whether or not teenagers are obese. Adolescents who live in economically disadvantaged communities may be obese because of the lack of access to resources that often prevent obesity, such as safe parks and organized sports. (Thulitha Wickrama, Wickrama, & Bryant, 2006). The Effectiveness of Nutrition Education Finally, there has also been scientific research into the methods of preventing adolescent obesity. Much emphasis has been placed upon providing nutrition education to children, such that they can make better eating choices as adolescents and adults. Many researchers have found that eating fast food, which is a staple for many teenagers, is highly related to obesity. High sugar intake has been positively correlated to adolescent obesity. Many have criticized the lack of healthy snack choices in high school vending machines, and some schools have implemented changes in the availability of healthy foods. (Allen, Taylor, & Kulper, 2007). The most effective means of helping teenagers control their weight has been a combination of nutritional education, exercise, and problem solving. One study concentrated on nutrition education that focused on making healthier choices concerning fast food. Participants were first asked to choose a meal from a fast food restaurant. Then, they participated in a 30-minute educational program about making healthy eating choices. Students were asked to choose items from the fast food menu again, after they completed the educational session. (Allen, Taylor, & Kulper, 2007). The results of the study were that the mean value of seven tested nutritional values decreased after the educational program. However, only those for calories, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and fiber were statistically significant. This was a small experiment, with only 10 participants, which is a limitation that must be recognized. However, it still indicates that nutritional education may help adolescents make better decisions at fast food restaurants thereby reducing their risk of obesity. (Allen, Taylor, & Kulper, 2007). Conclusion Adolescent obesity is a growing problem. Obesity in children and adolescents leads to problems throughout the community. Because obesity is so closely related to health, teenage obesity is setting the stage for future generations to be less and less healthy, despite amazing advances in medicine and technology. Among the factors that contribute to adolescent obesity, there are at least two distinct categories; those that are innate and most likely genetic, and those that are from external influences. Studies have shown that race/ethnicity and gender are related to whether or not in individual is going to be obese. Perhaps those with higher risk factors should have access to more educational obesity prevention programs. Cultural influences determine many of the choices that adolescents make. Food choice and exercise are not immune from this. Popular culture exposes teenagers to unhealthy foods and lifestyles through the mediums of television, film and video games. The environment in which an adolescent lives also has implications on whether or not they are likely to be obese. Strategies for preventing adolescent obesity are most effective if multi-faceted. Since teenagers always look to each other for how to behave, peer education programs may be more effective than programs run by authority figures. References Allen, K., Taylor, J., & Kulper, R.. (2007). Effectiveness of nutrition education on fast food choices in adolescents. The Journal of School Nursing, 23 (6), 337-341. Escobar-Chaves, S. & Anderson, C.. (2008). Media and risky behaviors. The Future of Children, 18 (1), 147-180. Thulitha Wickrama, K. A., Wickrama, K. A. S., & Bryant, C.. (2006). Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35 (4), 647-657. Read More