Childhood Obesity in America - Research Paper Example

Childhood Obesity in America 1 Abstract The incidence rates of childhood overweight, as well as obesity in the United States, are gradually increasing. Public health specialists deliberate a host of predominant and powerful impacts beyond the control of any individual to be the central causes of childhood obesity. Therefore, it is more beneficial from a prevention and policy perspective in which people live, to consider a broad strategy, and present, device, and enforce effective health policies geared towards changing environments that are likely to facilitate the occurrence of childhood obesity. This paper has provided an overview of the various forms of practices and policies that have been suggested as parts of the sophisticated solution to the increasing challenge of childhood obesity. It reviews some of the approaches desired as well as the obstacles to overcome, so as to implement effective strategies to employ in fighting and reversing the growing childhood obesity epidemic. 2 Introduction 2.1 Background of the study Estimates show that the rate of obesity in children has doubled in the United States since 1980 (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). There has been an increase in its prevalence across lines of religion, gender, socioeconomic factors, and ethnicity. Childhood obesity has not only increased in the United States but also in countries like Germany, Australia, Brazil, and China. Overweight children have been linked to increased occurrences and earlier inception of various disease procedures such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, orthopedic problems, hypertension, depression, and dyslipidemia (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). Overweight children have also been associated with higher frequency of dangerous behaviors and poor school performance. Additionally, childhood obesity has been cited as a cause of cardiovascular risk factors such as left ventricular hypertrophy. Also, overweight and obese children often develop into obese adults with a higher risk of disability and chronic diseases. From a cost stance, diagnoses that are obesity related result into the higher utilization of services and consequently greater costs of healthcare. Costs related to negative labeling of the overweight children are rather difficult to quantify (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). However, research has indicated that the resulting impaired well-being affects the community and school resources. Childhood obesity starts earlier and may last through adulthood, and has projected implications of increased cost of health care, loss of productivity, reduced quality of life, missed work days and shortened lifespan. 3 Objective of the study The purpose of this study was to look into current policies and practices put in place by the state, federal, and individuals to curb obesity in children. 4 Literature Review According to research findings, childhood obesity rates are extremely high in the general United States population (Koplan, Liverman, & Kraak, 2005). Moreover, rates have been reported to be higher in the low-income communities as well as in the ethnic minority populations. The significant medical risks that come with childhood obesity include diabetes mellitus (type 2), orthopedic complications and reduced life expectancy for the child, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. According to Koplan, Liverman and Kraak (2005), the psychosocial effects of childhood obesity results in an overall reduced quality of life. These effects are poor self-esteem, behavioral and learning problems, and depression. Additionally, they argue that obese and overweight children are more vulnerable to social exclusion, teasing, bullying as well as many more manifestations of weight-related stigma. Komlos and Brabec (2010) argue that nearly 80% of these overweight children turn into overweight and obese adults. This implies that these individuals spend the whole of their lives dealing with this matter together with its consequences. According to Ruskin and Schor (2005), the causes of this epidemic of childhood obesity have been identified to be multifactorial. However, they maintain that the most reductive and the simplest explanation provided is the energy gap report. This means an ever-increasing state of imbalance between energy expenditure and excess intake of energy. The pertinent question that arises is, therefore, the reason for the occurrence of this energy gap and the method that can be used to remedy it. In order to remedy this situation, many scholars have proposed the need to improve the standards of nutrition for beverages and foods sold to the children, particularly in schools. For instance, the sale of sports drinks, soda, other sugary beverages and snacks with high fat and sugar content should be banned (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). These schools should also set strict nutritional standards for lunch and breakfast programs. In addition, the school wellness policies on nutrition should be written. This should cover nutrition education, physical education, and physical activity. According to Komlos and Brabec (2010), another key strategy is to mandate standardized body mass data collection and implementing risk screening of the children for diabetes mellitus. They add that the schools are also supposed to provide freely dried and fresh fruits to elementary and secondary school children. Time allotment for meals also ought to be increased (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). Komlos and Brabec (2010) further maintain that these children should be allowed to take breakfast in classes so that the teachers can monitor the nature of the foods. They also argue that increasing farm to school connections is another strategy that allows for the purchase of locally produced foods. Komlos and Brabec (2010) argue that when the issue of child obesity cropped up, there was a campaign and a bizarre that was known as verb. The centers funded this campaign for illness control. The central purpose of this campaign was to get children moving. In order to justify the importance of this strategy, it is worth noting that it is still being utilized at the congress halls. Various research findings have supported this argument by revealing that children suffer from obesity because they spend most of their times seated on their duffs, either enjoying video games or watching televisions (Komlos & Brabec, 2010). These research findings have nullified the claims that obesity is caused by the type of food that the children eat while at school. Going by this line of thought, obesity is purely not the fault of manufacturers or marketers of food. Instead, it is the parents’ faults. In the recent past, the most famous food companies strived to persuade Americans about their concern and pain regarding their increasing waistlines, particularly when it is a question about kids (Koplan, Liverman, & Kraak, 2005). A major food company called Kraft declared that it would not market its food products known as Oreos to the young children. Coca- Cola, another major beverage company, asserted that it would cease to advertise its products to children under the age of twelve. The same claims were made by McDonald's, the producer of salad (Koplan, Liverman, & Kraak, 2005). However, behind the scenes, these primary food producers operate as usual. They do this by piling pressure on the government to protect their interests. This conflict regarding what Americans are supposed to eat as well as how the government should promote food has led to a controversial example of the way the American administration interests undermine public opinion together with public health. What is more disturbing is that they achieve this using ordinary timeworn common sense. In the meantime, public opinion is firmly behind more limitations on junk food marketing to children. This is particularly in schools. Research reveals that over 80 percent of American citizens believe that it is the responsibility of the public schools to control children’s access to junk or unhealthy foods such as fast foods, snack foods and sugary drinks (Komlos & Brabec, 2010). A thorough government response can, therefore, undoubtedly save the sympathy of many American citizens. The increasing gap between the needs of the public and the government’s protection of the significant food profits is a strong example of the deterioration of democracy in the state. Still, there is nothing like bad or good food. Food ought to be balanced. Although many people believe that diabetes in children is caused by consumption of certain types of foods, this belief is merely null and lacks substantial scientific proof and support. Therefore, the prohibition against marketing such junk food products to the children of considerable ages is not the most appropriate way of dealing with the issue. Instead, parents should be accountable of their children’s undertakings. Specifically, besides providing a balanced diet, they should always take it upon themselves to ensure that their children perform regular physical exercises. Interestingly, the matter about marketing of junk food and its connection to obesity has become a crossover subject between blue and red states. This mostly concerns young children. The issue has been shared by individuals across the political spheres (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). As a result, some conservatives, like the Texas Agriculture the Eagle Forum and the California government officials have advocated for limiting junk food marketing to young children (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). This strategy is likely to be among the reasons the government officials of New York has turned to be vibrant on the subject of junk food marketing to the kids. Although New York administration has not involved other external agencies in this matter, it advocates for self- regulation of these food industries. Parents are, therefore, urged to be aware of the effects of these foods on their children. 5 Findings of the study One significant finding concerning the cause of child obesity in the United States is attributed to the lack of responsibility among individuals. People are blamed for lacking the will power, in addition to their failure to resist foods with high calories plus the love of inactive entertainment (Koplan, Liverman, & Kraak, 2005). In the case of children, the parents are to blame for failing to control the behavior of their kids. The remedy for this epidemic seems obvious. Therefore, people should stop consuming so much food and at the same time and exercise more. Although the emphasis on individual responsibility can be significant in a treatment framework, society-wide efforts to transform the behaviors of individuals using education have not been successful (Koplan, Liverman, & Kraak, 2005). As a result, public health specialists have put into consideration, a variety of predominant and powerful practices that are beyond the control of any individual to be the major causes of alarming childhood obesity. It is, therefore, more convenient to examine ways of curbing the gradually toxic environment, from a prevention strategy point of view. 6 Discussion Since child obesity has majorly been attributed to the lack of responsibility among individuals, numbers of state, organizational, federal and local policies, strategies have been suggested over the past years to look into environmental changes aimed at combating childhood obesity. These systems can be broadly categorized as physical education and activity, school nutrition and training, advertising to children, as well as other general strategies that can affect adults and children (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). Firstly, schools are perfect environments for making changes that will assist children in forming lifelong and health-giving habits. However, in the recent past most schools in the United States have supplied high calorie and nutrient poor food beverages to the children (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). Initially, milk obtained from cafeteria and drinking water drawn from the fountain were the only beverages availed for students in the school in the United States. As a result of diminishing resources, many administrators resorted to new cost effective methods of satisfying the children’s needs. As a result of seeking branding and market opportunities, beverage and food industries came in to offer these alternative services by supplying schools with apparently lucrative contracts. They offered sugar-sweetened beverages, candy and salty snacks to these children (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). These types of food are harmful to children’s health since they result in risks for childhood obesity. The focus of classroom celebrations in schools should be switched from food to activities (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). This helps in reducing the excess consumption of unhealthy food products by the children. In addition, teachers are supposed to be prohibited from rewarding children with candy. Instead, they should use foods of low fat and sugar content (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). Since physical activity substantially prevents childhood obesity, the time to be spent on physical education in these schools is supposed to be increased. These activities allow the children to burn the calories, hence reducing chances of suffering from obesity (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). To further enhance physical activities, the school should develop walk to school programs and establish school athletic facilities preferably in the evening. This should be open to the children and the community (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). 7 Conclusion Child obesity being an increasing epidemic in the United States, various steps are being taken to curb child obesity. These strategies mainly revolve around improving the diet among the children, mainly in their schools. Banning junk food, as well as the sugar-sweetened drinks advertisement in schools, books, scoreboards and vending machines, is critical in reducing chances of childhood obesity (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). The school menu should be labeled with nutrition information such as trans-fat. Enforcing obesity stigma and anti-bullying laws are a significant way of reducing the psychological effects of obesity victims (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). The improvement of access to healthy food among the low-income localities is also vital. Taxes should also be levied on soda as well as other manufactured low nutrition foods. This assists in earmarking funds for carrying out research on obesity (Veugelers, & Fitzgerald, 2005). The school also ought to fund intervention and education through nutrition Medicaid, behavior management, activity, and supporting overweight children. Schools are also supposed to encourage doctors to engage parents in talks on diet, children’s diet, as well as the level of activity. References Komlos, J., & Brabec, M. (2010). The trend of mean BMI values of US adults, birth cohorts 1882–1986 indicates that the obesity epidemic began earlier than hitherto thought. American Journal of Human Biology, 22(5), 631-638. Koplan, J. P., Liverman, C. T., & Kraak, V. I. (2005). Preventing childhood obesity: health in the balance: executive summary. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(1), 131-138. Ruskin, G., & Schor, J. (2005). JUNK FOOD NATION Who's to blame for childhood obesity?. NATION-NEW YORK-, 281(6), 15. Veugelers, P. J., & Fitzgerald, A. L. (2005). Effectiveness of school programs in preventing childhood obesity: a multilevel comparison. American Journal of Public Health, 95(3), 432. Read More