Factors Affecting Childhood Obesity - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal: Factors Affecting Childhood Obesity I. Introduction: Obesity is a pathological condition which has now become a matter of globalconcern. It is a disease associated with the excessive accumulation of fats in the body of individual. Obesity is a condition which can be the base for many degenerative diseases affecting major bodily systems and an interesting aspect is that it can also affect the psychological condition of a person (Standford Hospital and Clinics 2010). The epidemic has resulted in increased number of health issues taking place in America including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension (NIH & NHLBI). Currently many schools have imposed state programs which help children to increase physical activity and have a balanced diet as per the requirements of their body. The calories that they intake are usually burnt with the help of physical activity and if this is not done then the BMI of that individual would increase resulting in obesity. The general assumption, that an obesogenic environment is inevitable, is flawed. Identifying that we are aware of what this assumption means and providing evidence that we are actually able to take charge of our evolution and not resigned to accepting an obese fate. Knowing the devastating outcomes of obesity, this research paper will help in providing a better understanding of the factors that lead to childhood obesity. In particular, the research paper concludes that unhealthy food consumption and sedentary lifestyle, two major contributory factors in childhood obesity, can be countered at an early stage with better, healthier food and more physical activities. Proposed Research Question: What do Curtin university students consider the 2 most important factors that contribute to childhood obesity? Hypothesis: Sedentary lifestyle and Food choice. II. Literature Review Food Choices: Obesity is the result of a number of factors; unhealthy dietary habits and food consumption patterns remain the most important of them. People, and specially children, are attracted towards junk food and high calorie food stuff. The consumption of calorie-dense food is identified as a highly threatening factor for increased childhood obesity (Veugelers & Fitzgerald, 2005). The most important factor that promotes such unhealthy dietary habits among the children is the exposure of high-calorie food on the television. There is a strong relationship between unhealthy food advertisement and increasing obesity among children Lobstein & Dibb, 2005). On the other hand, Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig (2002) also discuss the role of overeating due to High glycaemic index foods which end up producing a great increase in postprandial blood glucose concentrations and affect the appetite regulation. Fast food is considered as the root cause of adverse eating habits as it comprises all adverse dietary factors like saturated and trans fat, high glycaemic index, high energy density, and, increasingly, large portion size. Moreover, fast food is considered to have low amounts of fibre, micronutrients, and antioxidants which help in tackling the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002). Sedentary lifestyle: Gutin (2010) focuses on the balance between energy intake and consumption. The research concludes that the recent developments in technology have provided easier ways to entertainment. Children now consume energy and fatty diets but fail to utilize that energy in physical activities and sports. Hancox (2004) shows concern about growing ‘couch potatoes’. Hancox reveal that children’s sedentary life revolves most of the times around electronic media, including television, video games, music players, and computers and so on. They have restricted their lives to their homes and specifically their personal rooms. This inactivity is posing a threat to their life and they are found to be inactive and less likely to consume the energy, fats and proteins they take per day. Technology and sedentary activities have reduced the energy consumption in children and they take exercise, sports and other physical activities as formal procedures that are limited to the school premises. The use of cars, buses and other vehicles have also made this problem difficult to control (McLennan, 2004). Advertising: An advertisement, these days, requires creativity, humor, eye-catching and memorable events and attractive slogans (Sutherland and Sylvester, 2000 pp. 207-230). Some argue that advertising is correlated with the consumption patterns i.e. decreased advertising leads to reduced consumption levels and vice versa (Saffer, 1996). Another argument that clearly indicates the existence of a relationship between advertisement and consumption rates is the reduction in consumption levels on implementation of advertisement bans (Bang, 1998). An experimental research conducted by Harris, Bargh and Brownell (2009) suggests that children and adolescents are more influenced by advertisements than adults. Authors carried out two experiments to evaluate the behaviors of both children and adults after watching television advertisements. The eating behaviors were analyzed and the results concluded that children’s junk food intake increased by 45% after advertisements. On the other hand, adults were more motivated to take healthy meals rather than junk food (Harris, et al., 2009). The group that is badly affected by media exposure, television programs and advertising campaigns are youngsters. Many researches and surveys are conducted to understand the effects of food, alcohol, smoking and general advertisements on children and their behaviors. The food advertisements lead to a great change in children’s food choices and intake (Hastings et al., 2003; IOM, 2006; Story & French, 2004). Other studies examining the correlation and quasi-experiments reveal that more exposure to media leads to greater consumption of unhealthy dietary habits among children (IOM, 2006). Overweight Parents: Morgan et. al., (2010) extended the study of factors that contribute to obese children and evaluated the success of ‘Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids’ program. The study concludes that engaging fathers in physical activities and other interventions have a positive effect on the whole family. This factor, however, is neglected by the health promotional departments and programs. In addition, the genetics of obesity in parents also have an influence on the children’s likelihood of being obese. Obesity of one or both parents has a significant effect on their offspring’s obesity risks mainly due to the genetics they share and the environmental factors that their families encounter (Whitaker, 1994). On the other hand, McLennan (2004) reveal that although genetics play a vital role on the probability of children’s obesity problem, the overall impact of genes on the increasing obesity rates is significantly lower. In addition, maternal smoking during pregnancy is also linked to higher obesity rates in their offspring (Leary et. al., 2006). Lack of physical activity Gutin (2010) suggest that lack of physical activity end up creating fat tissues of the energy being taken. Gutin (2010) suggested that rather than limiting energy intake, there is a need to increase physical activity to improve the situation of the obesity prevalent disease. The study conducted by Wareham, Sluijs and Ekelund (2005) also suggested a strong relationship between inactivity and increased obesity rates and recommended that on average five sessions of minimum 30 minutes of moderate activity per week should be carried out to control the bodyweight. Arterburn (2006) proposes a study which is useful in understanding the efficiency of interventions like behavioral interventions, diet, multifactorial interventions, and physical activity, which are of particular importance when researching the cures for obesity. III. Methodology: In order to complete the research paper, a survey questionnaire will be designed to get the views of the students of Curtin University about the major factors that contribute to childhood obesity. The questionnaire will contain the following variables: Food choices, sedentary lifestyle, advertising, overweight parents and lack of physical activity. A section will be prepared to get knowledge of the students’ recommendation about tackling the obesity issue. Thirty questionnaires will be provided to the participant group of students studying at Curtin University. The participant group will contain students of both genders to assess the perception of both gender groups about obesity problem and their recommendations. IV. Timetable for completing the work Task Time Period Submission of the Research Proposal Submission of individual Literature Review Designing the Questionnaire Trialing the Questionnaire Distribution of Questionnaire Analyzing and Accumulating Data Power Point Presentations Submission of Final Research Report V. References: Arterburn D. E., 2006. “Obesity in children.” BMJ Clinical Evidence 05:325. http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ (last accessed 24 August 2010) Bang, H. K. 1998. "Analyzing the impact of the liquor industrys lifting of the ban on broadcast advertising". Communication Abstracts. 21 (6). Ebbeling CB, DB Pawlak, and DS Ludwig. 2002. "Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure". Lancet. 360 (9331): 473-82. Gutin, B. (2010, July). Diet vs exercise for the prevention of pediatric obesity: the role of exercise. International Journal of Obesity  aop (current). Hancox B. 2006. “Growing ‘Couch Potatoes’: Television, Computers and Childhood Obesity: A response to Gard (2004)” Children Issues: Journal of the Childrens Issues Centre, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2005: 32-36 Harris JL, JA Bargh, and KD Brownell. 2009. "Priming effects of television food advertising on eating behavior". Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association. 28 (4): 404-13. Hastings, Gerard. 2003. Review of research on the effects of food promotion to children. Glasgow: Centre for Social Marketing, University of Strathclyde. promotion to children. Retrieved February 20, 2006, fromhttp://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/foodpromotiontochildren1.pdf Institute of Medicine (2008). National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Food Marketing and the Diets of Children and Youth. Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? J. M. Mcginnis, J. Gootman, & V. I. Kraak (eds.). Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Leary, Sam D, George Davey Smith, Imogen S Rogers, John J Reilly, Jonathan C K Wells, and Andy R Ness. 2006. "Smoking during Pregnancy and Offspring Fat and Lean Mass in Childhood". Obesity. 14 (12): 2284. Lobstein, T., and S. Dibb. 2005. "Evidence of a possible link between obesogenic food advertising and child overweight". Obesity Reviews. 6 (3): 203-208. McLennan J. 2004. "Obesity in children. Tackling a growing problem". Australian Family Physician. 33 (1-2). Morgan, P. J., D. R. Lubans, R. Callister, A. D. Okely, T. L. Burrows, R. Fletcher, and C. E. Collins (2010, August). The healthy dads, healthy kids randomized controlled trial: efficacy of a healthy lifestyle program for overweight fathers and their children. International Journal of Obesity  aop (current). Leary, Sam D, George Davey Smith, Imogen S Rogers, John J Reilly, Jonathan C K Wells, and Andy R Ness. 2006. "Smoking during Pregnancy and Offspring Fat and Lean Mass in Childhood". Obesity. 14 (12): 2284. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U.S.). 1998. Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: the evidence report. NIH publication, no. 98-4083. [Bethesda, Md.?]: National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Saffer, Henry. 1996. "Studying the Effects of Alcohol Advertising on Consumption". Alcohol Health and Research World. 20 (4): 266. Story, M., & French, S. (2004). Food advertising and marketing directed at children and adolescents in the U.S. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 1, 3. Sutherland, Max, and Alice K. Sylvester. 2000. Advertising and the mind of the consumer: what works, what doesnt, and why. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. Stanford hospital and Clinics. (2010). Health Effects of Obesity. Stanford University. http://stanfordhospital.org/clinicsmedServices/COE/surgicalServices/generalSurgery/bariatricsurgery/obesity/effects.html Veugelers, P. J., and A. L. Fitzgerald. 2005. "Effectiveness of School Programs in Preventing Childhood Obesity: A Multilevel Comparison". AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. 95 (3): 432-435. Wareham, Nicholas J, Esther M F van Sluijs, and Ulf Ekelund. 2005. "Symposium on Prevention of obesity: Physical activity and obesity prevention: a review of the current evidence". Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 64 (4): 581. Whitaker, R C, J A Wright, M S Pepe, K D Seidel, and W H Dietz. 1997. "Predicting Obesity in Young Adulthood from Childhood and Parental Obesity". The New England Journal of Medicine. 337 (13): 869. Read More