Childhood Obesity - Research Paper Example

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). Importance of the Problem of Childhood Obesity Obesity is the result of a number of factors; unhealthy dietary habits and food consumption patterns remain the most important of them. . 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).

Method of data collection In order to carry out a qualitative analysis of the problem childhood obesity and the role of media (particularly of advertisements) on its prevalence, the research papers from various sources will been used. The journals of health, behavior and physical activity as well as reviews of important researches will be included in the research paper. Search engines that are used include Google and the online libraries including EbscoHost and Jstor are being used to gather information from credible journals.

Preliminary Results Obesity is a disease state which is now turning into a matter of global concern because of the increase in the statistics associated with the pathology. This condition serves as an underlying cause for many degenerative diseases which include diabetes mellitus and diseases of the major organs systems of the body. Obesity is a condition which is not restricted to adults but it also affects a large number of children as well. This