Childhood Obesity as One of the Leading Healthcare Issues - Assignment Example

? AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY 19 April Outline Thesis: Although food advertising, lack of exercise and proper nutrition are all blamed for the increase in childhood obesity, parents are ultimately responsible for the health of their child. I. Parents fear the intervening in their child’s life regarding food and eating would result in their losing their child’s love and appreciation. A. Parents need to realize that their child’s health issue needs to be identified and confronted. B. This intervention should be done by the parents since they are the ones whom the child can trust and gain support from. II. Some parents feel that their overweight children will grow out of their weight problems as the years go by. A. Children normally gain weight throughout their early years of childhood because it is a necessary part of the growth process. B. However we cannot depend on the child’s routine growth spurts to compensate for the child’s weight problem. III. Some parents feel that their child may seem overweight based on growth charts but it is not really a weight problem since everyone in their family is ‘big boned’. A. Focus should be on the growth and body mass index charts. B. One cannot rationalize the overweight issue of a child. IV. Parents are responsible to adapt healthy meals and exercise routines to help their children to lead healthy lifestyles. Parents should therefore lead by example. Childhood obesity is one of the leading healthcare issues facing children and adolescents in America today. Nearly 10% of children below 2 years and 21% of children between the ages of 2 and 5 years are classified as being overweight for his or her age and height (Ogden et. al., 242). Childhood obesity has been found to be more prevalent among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic preschool-aged children compared to non-Hispanic white children (Anderson et. al., 344). The extra pounds in children often lead to health issues that were once common among adults like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self esteem and depression in children. Although a lot has been blamed on television food advertising (Mehta, 535), spending too much time in front of the T.V. or computer, lack of exercise and proper nutrition, one cannot ignore the fact that parents are ultimately responsible for the health of their child and they need to set examples and encourage their children to choose a healthier lifestyle. Some parents do not agree with this idea because they maintain that their children should grow up being independent and have the freedom to choose what they want to eat or what they want to do. They claim that if they intervene in their child’s life regarding food and eating, it could make matters worse or lose their child’s love and appreciation (Natenshon, 2). They also fear that they may interfere with their child’s privacy and developing autonomy by stepping in to rectify an eating problem in the making. However, parents need to recognize that their child’s health issue cannot be resolved unless and until it is identified and confronted. And who better to do it than someone whom they can trust and gain support from – the parents! In fact, some health care professionals also believe that parents should not be involved in their child’s treatment for eating disorders. They express concern about the issues of separation/individuation and the need for protecting the child’s privacy. But this stance too frequently blinds them to the need to educate and guide parents through family therapy, where they become mentors to their child and provide a supportive environment to their child to assist in the recovery process. These professionals must understand that the most successful separation takes place through healthy bonding between parents and children. Studies have shown that working with parents to prevent obesity in the early years can place young children on a lifelong trajectory toward good health (Dolinsky et. al., 41). It has also been found that when adequate limits are imposed during the growing up years by parents, children learn to internalize the controls they need, to ultimately learn to regulate themselves (Natenshon, 2). After seeing the evidence from these research studies, there is no way I can agree with the proponents of treating obesity in children by methods that do not involve their parents. Opponents of this idea claim that their overweight child will ‘grow into’ the excess pounds that he has. They put forth this idea because they feel that their overweight children will grow out of their weight problems as the years go by. It is true that children normally gain weight throughout their early years of childhood because it is a necessary part of the growth process. However, that is not something that we can count on. In fact, if parents depend on their child’s eating habits and activity level, the child will most likely continue to gain weight and not lose it as he grows (American Academy of Pediatrics). We cannot depend on routine growth spurts to compensate for a child’s weight problem. Therefore, this argument does not hold true when seen in light of the current trends in childhood obesity and overweight problems. Some parents also believe that although their child seems overweight according to growth charts, it is not a weight problem at all because their entire family is ‘big boned’. Pediatricians have often quoted parents saying, “We’re not worried about our child’s weight. Everyone in our family is big, and we’ve always been like this” (American Academy of Pediatrics). However, parents need to keep their focus on the growth and body mass index charts.  If the weight of a child exceeds the normal range for his/her age and height, then the child meets the criteria of being overweight or obese. This is not something that one can rationalize. Although there are certain metabolic or hormonal (endocrine) imbalances that are responsible for weight problems, they are responsible for less than 1% of the cases of childhood obesity (American Academy of Pediatrics). Therefore, parents need to take an active role in the life of their child and speak to their child’s pediatrician if they have any concerns about their child’s health. More often than not, a child’s excess weight is associated with poor eating and activity habits that parents can help address through their active participation. It is interesting to note that there are also parents who believe that “Because their child is heavy, he/she actually needs to eat more food to stay healthy” (American Academy of Pediatrics). Many parents therefore end up giving bigger portions to the heavier children because of their physique. But nothing could be more counterproductive. Therefore, parents should depend on the growth charts and the pediatrician’s advice to make sure that their child is consuming portion sizes that allow him/her to maintain an average weight. As highlighted above, it is very important for parents to be involved in the child’s habits involving eating and physical activity to ensure their child’s well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little may lead to overweight and related health problems that may follow children into their adult years. Hence parents need to take an active role to help their child and the whole family to learn healthy eating and physical activity habits that can last a lifetime. Following are some of the ways parents can help their child in addressing their obesity issues (National Institute of Health): Parents need to tell their child that he or she is loved, special, and important since children’s feelings about themselves are often based on how they think their parents feel about them. Parents should buy and serve more fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned, or dried). They should also involve their children when they go shopping for groceries by letting their child choose the fruits and vegetables at the store. Parents should make sure that their child eats breakfast every day since it provides the child with the energy he or she needs to listen and learn in school. Skipping breakfast can leave the child hungry, tired and looking for less healthy foods later in the day. Parents should set a good example before their children. When the child sees his/her parents are physically active and that they have fun doing it, the child is more likely to be active throughout life. Parents should also encourage their child to join in sports activities like soccer, dance, basketball, or gymnastics at school or at your local community or recreation center. In conclusion, a child may be surrounded by unhealthy choices of food and activities. They may spend less time exercising and more time in front of the TV and computer but it is the responsibility of the parents to prevent their child from falling into unhealthy routines. Parents have the responsibility to adapt healthy meals and exercise routines since helping children lead healthy lifestyles begins with parents who lead by example. Works Cited American Academy of Pediatrics. Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions. April 16, 2011 http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/obesity/pages/Childhood-Obesity-Common-Misconceptions.aspx Anderson, S.E., Whitaker, R.C. “Prevalence of obesity among US preschool children in different racial and ethnic groups” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2009) 163(4) 344-348. Dolinsky, D.H., Siega-Riz, A.M., Perrin, E., Armstrong, S. “Recognizing and Preventing Childhood Obesity”. Contemporary Pediatrics (2011). 32-42 Mehta, U., Mehta, K. “When two sides go to war: Newspaper reporting of ‘television food advertising restrictions’ as a solution to childhood obesity”. Health, Risk & Society (2008) 10(6) 535-548. Natenshon, A.H. Myths and Misconceptions About Eating Disorders. April 17, 2011 < http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/myths-and-misconceptions-about-eating-disorders/menu-id-58/> National Institute of Health. Helping your child: Tips for parents. April 17, 2011 < http://win.niddk.nih.gov/Publications/child.htm> Ogden, C.L., Carroll, M.D., Curtin, L.R., Lamb, M.M., Flegal, K.M. “Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008”. Journal of American Medical Association (2010) 303(3) 242-249. Annotated Bibliography American Academy of Pediatrics. Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions. April 16, 2011 http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/obesity/pages/Childhood-Obesity-Common-Misconceptions.aspx This article gives an in-depth insight into some of the common ideas and misconceptions that parents have about childhood obesity. This article was very helpful in separating facts from fiction and encourage parents to be more involved in addressing their child’s obesity issues. Anderson, S.E., Whitaker, R.C. “Prevalence of obesity among US preschool children in different racial and ethnic groups” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2009) 163(4) 344-348. This article reveals some of the current trends in childhood obesity pertaining to racial and ethnic groups. The study was very detailed and focused on the preschool children in the United States. The prevalence rates of childhood obesity based on race and ethnicity was very informative in understanding the current scenario of the issue in U.S. Dolinsky, D.H., Siega-Riz, A.M., Perrin, E., Armstrong, S. “Recognizing and Preventing Childhood Obesity”. Contemporary Pediatrics (2011). 32-42 This article provides in-depth information about risk factors for obesity. One can draw a lot of inspiration from this article especially from the portion that emphasizes early identification and prevention being the key to address childhood obesity. Mehta, U., Mehta, K. “When two sides go to war: Newspaper reporting of ‘television food advertising restrictions’ as a solution to childhood obesity”. Health, Risk & Society (2008) 10(6) 535-548. This article analyzes the debate over restricting television food advertising as a solution to preventing childhood obesity. It was amazing to learn the strong arguments and strong language that dominated the debate which still remained polarized between the health professionals and Federal Government and the Food Industry. Natenshon, A.H. Myths and Misconceptions About Eating Disorders. April 17, 2011 < http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/myths-and-misconceptions-about-eating-disorders/menu-id-58/> This article was very informative about the myths about eating disorders and things that one needs to know about children at risk for eating disorders. This article is very helpful for parents, educators and health care providers. The information about parenting issues regarding childhood obesity very informative. National Institute of Health. Helping your child: Tips for parents. April 17, 2011 < http://win.niddk.nih.gov/Publications/child.htm> This article clearly emphasizes the need for parental involvement in addressing their child’s obesity and overweight issues. The article also provides a lot of information about how the parents can help their child, be supportive and encourage healthy eating habits. It also highlights the need for daily physical activity and discouraging inactive pastimes. This article encourages parents to be role models for their children. Ogden, C.L., Carroll, M.D., Curtin, L.R., Lamb, M.M., Flegal, K.M. “Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008”. Journal of American Medical Association (2010) 303(3) 242-249. This article was useful in providing the most recent estimates of high BMI among children and adolescents. The information regarding the trends in prevalence of high BMI in children and adolescents between the year 1999 and 2008 was very useful to understand the depth of the issue of childhood obesity that the country is facing. Read More