Position paper of a debate - Essay Example

Debate on child obesity Childhood obesity has increased more than three times over the last thirty years. In the United States of America, an estimate of seventeen percent of children and adolescent are obese. These obese children are at high risk of getting various health problems that may occur during their youth or at adulthood. They are likely to suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, obese children undergo a lot of psychological torture leading to depression, alcohol, drug abuse and other health issues.

As a result, childhood obesity causes over 300000 deaths every year (Allison et al.1534). The annual expenditure for childhood obesity is approximately $ 100 billion (Bandini & Dietz 648). Studies have shown that when a child is obese at the age of between 10 year and 13 years, there is more than 80 percent chance of becoming obese when he or she grows to adulthood. But with exercise, proper nutrition, and support, such obese children can lose weight and live a healthy life marked by healthier habits (Anderson 461).

There is need for parents to explore ways of dealing with obesity and help their obese children lose weight.Parents should take advantage of all the opportunities to raise the children’s self esteem. They should not feel ashamed to come up with a health fitness topic. This should be sensitively done so as not to make the obese child view it as an insult. Parents should talk to their obese children openly, directly and without being judgmental or critical (Ball et al. 20).It is important for parents to be sensitive to their children’s feelings and needs.

Becoming active is a key lifestyle change that an obese child should undertake. They should be given support and guidance by their parents on the best and comfortable physical activities to engage in. The efforts made by these children towards reducing their weight should constantly be praised (Arslanian & Suprasongsin 157). Celebrating any incremental changes and not rewarding the efforts with food is very important for the parents. Parents should further take an initiative of talking to these children about their feelings.

This helps them to find means of dealing with their emotions that do not entail eating. By doing so, the child will be able to focus on the positive goals such as running the necessary number of rounds in a gym class as a way of losing the excess weight (Adiar &Gordon 644).Transitioning a child by parents from an obese condition to a state of a well balanced weight should not be taken to be as hard as everyone makes it to look like. Changes in lifestyle play a vital part in care givers and parents helping their children attain an appropriate body size (Ball et al. 20). Building family health does not necessarily mean having a balanced weight among all the family members.

A degree in social science, nutritional certifications and fitness instructors training is neither a requirement in creating family health. There is need to let go weariness, frustration, confusion and despair and grab a hold of the simple methods of dealing with obesity in the family. Real healthy results come from eating real food in a real tasty manner. Children should be taught to eat naturally and help his or her body properly attain comfortable fullness (Bandini, Must & Dietz 1140)..ReferencesAdair, L.S., and Gordon-Larsen, P.

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