Informative Speech on Childhood Obesity - Essay Example

According to the American Academy of Pediatricians, children with a BMI of over 30 are the most prone to obesity. There are other institutions that suggest that any child whose body weight exceeds the normal body weight for their age and height by at least 20% is obese. Whatever the exact definition of the condition is, obesity implies excess body fat. Why exactly has obesity become such a serious concern in the United States? You thought an extra pound or two can’t really harm a child, didn’t you?

Yes, an extra pound can cause a child serious health problems. Obesity can affect a child both psychologically and physiologically. Some of the psychological risks involved include anxiety problems, depression, and anxiety problems. The physiological risks, on the other hand, include diabetes type 2, hypertension, and heart ailments. About 45% of the latest cases of juvenile type-2 diabetes are associated with obesity in childhood. Obesity makes a child more prone to orthopedic problems. This is because a child is made to carry extra pounds of flesh that may not be manageable to their bone structure.

As a result, they might develop arthritis and bowed legs. They are also more like to suffer from skin disorders than children with normal, healthy body weights. An obese child will have more of his/her skin area subjected to folds than healthy ones. The folds in turn cause the child problems like dermatitis and heat rash. All this undoubtedly causes serious problems for not only the child but also for the larger healthcare sector. Obese kids also have more skin disorders than children of a healthy weight.

For instance, in 1979, hospital costs directly or indirectly attributable to childhood obesity stood at $35 million, but had shot to $127 million by the end of the decade. There have been suggestions and arguments from some quarters that the rise in childhood obesity cases is accounted for by naturally-occurring health conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome or hypothyroidism. We can’t rule this out because it is still under study. All children who have developed obesity symptoms should be evaluated for these two conditions.

However, most doctors are opposed to this argument, saying that Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism are very uncommon among children, and instead link obesity to societal problems such as poor/unhealthy eating habits and low physical activity. According to the latter argument, obesity qualifies as a lifestyle disease. It is a sad fact that childhood obesity is on the rise, but it is good news that the treatment of childhood obesity is simpler than many people imagine. The best treatment for obesity at the societal level is prevention.

We can achieve this by encouraging mothers to continue breastfeeding their babies for a longer period. This simply delays the introduction of the children to solid food until they have hit the six months mark. We may also consider limiting video games and television to not just toddlers, but also older children. Another important and helpful thing to do is to provide children with healthy foods that have low-fat content. Last but not least, we all should have family exercise plans that would help to enhance physical activity for the entire family, including children of all ages.

If a child already suffers from obesity, treatment would involve having a manageable weight loss schedule. An exercise plan would be helpful as well. Nutrition counseling and behavior modification therapies are the most applied, but that doesn’t mean that the other measures are any less effective. I have to say once more that the childhood obesity problem is on the rise in America. We all are at risk from the effects of this condition in one way or another. It is a problem that requires serious attention.

Children are the future of any society, and that makes it unacceptable to expose them to risky conditions that favor obesity and other problems we associate with being overweight. We should all make a resolution to advocate exercise, a healthy diet, and education. That is the only sure formula for ending the rapid rise in childhood obesity throughout America and, by extension, the world.