Obesity in Childhood as a Menace to the American Society - Assignment Example

Childhood Obesity in the US Outline Part I Argumentative Thesis: Obesity in the childhood has become a menace to the American Society 1. Introduction a) Currents statistics that concerns obesity 2. Body I. Effects of obesity a. Psychological effects II. Medical effects a. Hypertension that can lead to heart failure b. High buildup of cholesterol c. Type 2 diabetes that has become come to a menace to the children d. Heart disease (time) i. By 2020, the rate of heart disease will increase by 15% if the current trend continues ii. A healthy boy had a probability of 0.117 to develop a cardiovascular disease at the age of seven years with 4', 62 lbs. However, it is projected to rise to 0.129 with 8.6lbs. III. Financial impact i. Annual cost of obesity-related diseases is approximate $94 billion dollars ii. 15% of the cost is from the tax iii. Businesses have lost significant amounts totaling about 14 billion dollars due to medical charges, decreased productivity and absentees. 3. Conclusion The rate of childhood obesity is on the increases The condition has three major effects that make it be a concern in the society Part II: Informative essay Topic: Obesity in the Child in the USA Thesis: To inform the audience on the possible strategies of fighting obesity and the ones that has been tried. Introduction I. 20 percent of the Americans aged 4years are obese (currently) II. Childhood obesity have increased in united states, and they have affected the children in various ways III. The paper will discuss the problems that affect child obesity ranging from mental, emotional and psychological effects and the possible solutions. I will mainly focus on what has been done in America to fight obesity whether it was successful or not. Body I. Possible solutions to the problem of obesity II. What has been tried? III. Reasons as to why the strategies have succeeded IV. Challenges encountered in making enacting the strategies Argumentative Essay: Childhood Obesity in the USA Child obesity is currently an epidemic in America. According to a report given by the World Health Organization (13) in every five children aged four years tend to be obese. It is projected that by 2030, almost fifty percent of the American population in the 39 states will be obese (Kitson et al. 5). With the current trend, the number of obese persons is alarming. The paper will seek to expound on the rising health problem of obesity in Children in the United States. Obesity refers to the increased body mass which is not proportional to the body height. Obesity has led to psychological torture to the victims and mostly to the adolescents. The teens do like interacting in their social life and engaging in various activities as per their interests. The obese children have significant low self-esteem. The esteem of an individual is developed right from their childhood life. Therefore, the overweight kids rarely appreciate themselves. They feel to be abnormal compared to the other children in the society. Thus, they will feel that other children, the slim ones, are better than them hence they will find it difficult to address themselves. In addition, the obese kids will always prefer to be with their friends or being different from what they are. The situation keeps them off from other children, and they will always feel uncomfortable in the presences of their peers. Obesity limits the children from getting involved in key activities. For instance, when it comes to games like racing or doing a vigorous exercise, the obese kids are left out. The feeling is very unappealing and can make the kids to have a sensation of rejection from their friends. The peers also tease the obese children thus making them feel intimidated. Eventually, the children become psychologically affected. About 50% of the people with obesity have been found to be psychologically affected. The obese people have a problem in coordinating their thinking with their deeds. Obesity has also been found to be problematic in the society due to its therapeutic effects. Medical complications have increased, and a significant percentage is attributed to obesity. Children with obesity have developed diseases related to obesity. Some of the medical conditions are high blood pressure, increased cholesterol in the body, diabetes and heart diseases. The children with obesity have been found to have hypertension. With time, hypertension leads to heart failure hence increase the probability of losing time. The fat that accumulates in the body due to lack of exercise has a high level of cholesterol. Cholesterol is used to build vitamin D in our agencies and some hormones and bile acids (Bhupathiraju and Frank 1736). Too much accumulation of cholesterol in the body can block the arteries resulting in brain stroke heart attack for the brain will be getting little or no oxygen. Research by WHO (57) shows that the obese children have a greater chance of either dying or being disabled because of increased concentration of cholesterol in the body. In addition, children are currently having diabetes type 2. Having a child with diabetes type 2 can be strange for the disease was mainly associated with adults. Currently, it has spread to the children. The obese children are more likely to be infected with Diabetes Type 2 compared with normal children. The children with obese have a greater probability to lose of suffering from diabetes type 2. Bhupathiraju and Frank (1738) suggest that people obesity expose one to a relative risk of 87% of developing diabetes type 2 compared to the people with a body mass index below 22. The fat in the abdomen inhibits the body’s sensitivity towards insulin. Therefore, the cells become dysfunctional and thus insulin resistance in the body. Thus, the obese children have had a higher probability of developing diabetes type 2. Increased number of children with diabetes has mainly attributed the disorder with obesity. The rate of heart diseases amongst the teenagers has been on a gradual increase for the decades. The trend in the past 10 years is alarming. World Health Organization (14), predicts that the rate of heart disease will increase by 15% if the trend of people with obesity continues to increase (Rutter 650). In the last five years, a by the child had a probability of 0.117 to develop heart disease at the age of seven years with 4', 62 lbs (Rutter 653). However, today a boy child aged seven years old has a probability of 0.129 with 8.6lbs (Rutter 654). The American children aged 13 years of age with 24.7lbs as extra weight have a higher chance of having coronary diseases compared to their slender age mates (Rutter 655). The cases of the coronary disease have increased due to an increase in the number of children with obesity. The cases have mainly been reported with the boys. Thus, the boy child with obesity has a greater chance of having coronary disorder compared to the obese girl child. Subsequently, obesity poses financial problems in America. The cost incurred by the Americans in treating and managing the children with obesity is approximate $94bilion. 15 % of the cash is from the tax paid by the citizens. The cash used in controlling obesity could be utilized in improving the economy of America if people were responsible for their children feeding habits. In addition, obesity has led to great losses in organizations. Firms have reduced their level of productivity as the employees spent working hours to take care of their obese children. Consequently, some companies do pay hospital bills for their staff and families. A significant number of firms have spent a lot of money on hospital bills for the children with obese. In conclusion, the childhood obesity has been on the increase in the society. The current trend shows that the rate of obesity amongst is not likely to reduce any soon. The factors that have rendered obesity to be problematic in America are the psychological, medical and financial effects. Therefore, I would recommend experts and the government to look for a solution to the problem to either keeps it at minimal or eliminates it. Causes of Obesity The general cause of obesity is excessive eating with no exercise. According to Thompson (13), the human body needs an average of 2000 to 2500 calories for its normal functioning. Poor feeding habits cause obesity. For instance, people are too much in junk foods, fries, sugary drinks and excessive consumption of alcohol. The junk foods have high levels of calories, and if one does not exercise, they end up gaining extraordinary weight. Consequently, people are rarely being involved in physical activity. Most children are addicted to computer games, and once they are out from school, they are fed with junk foods left to sit next to their computers. According to Thompson (20), the current lifestyle has exposed the children to a greater risk of becoming obese. Obesity can also be genetic even though it happens in rare cases. Some people claim that their obesity is inherited from their parents, but truly, any weight can be lost to some extent. Prader-Willi syndrome is a genetic disorder, and it causes obesity. Some types of medication do lead to weight gain (Bhupathiraju and Frank 1730). For instance, there are drugs used for diabetes a, epilepsy, antidepressants and schizophrenia have an impact on weight gain. In addition, some medical conditions such as underactive thyroid gland and Cushing syndrome back the development of overweight. Informative Essay: Obesity in the Child in Us Obesity is a health condition that involves excess adipose tissue due to accumulated fats in the body. Obesity has been a menace to the American Society for the last two decades. More than 30 percent of the adults in America are obese. According to World Health Organization (12), 20% of kids aged four years and below are estimated to be obese. Thirty-five percent of the youngsters aged 10-18 years are obese. It is true that each one of us is anticipating having at least a child and you would not wish to struggle with obesity. I have collected information and data concerning obesity. I would like to share facts about obesity and the possible solutions to the problem. We would also discuss the measures that have already been taken. Besides, I will evaluate the success of the actions. Consequently, I will be addressing the challenges that have been faced in an attempt to implement the measures. Possible Measures in Solving the Obesity Menace Despite obesity being a problem to the Americans, some options can be applied to reduce or eliminate the problems caused by obesity. There is no one best method to handle obesity. The condition can be handled according to the cause and the severity of the situation (Rutter 657). The first solution can be a reduction of the size of sugary drinks. Sugary drinks do cause the development of obesity. The parents should be advised to reduce the number of sugary drinks they give to their kids. Sugary drinks have a significant contribution towards the development of obesity in childhood (Thompson 84). Therefore, reducing the intake can help in reducing the probability of the children developing obesity. Otherwise, the kids are supposed to be trained on how to take fresh juices and to take fruits. Additionally, the people should mind about their diet. A significant number takes much junk foods and fries. The foods have a lot of calories and fat. If one has the large input of the junk foods, they should be advised to carry out exercise. To solve the issue of the junk foods, the restaurants selling the junk foods such as McDonald’s should operate under regulations. For instance, they can be advised to change their business and start preparing healthy meals. Thus, restaurants can turn to vegetables and other types of foods. On the other hand, each should mind about his or her diet. Having a balanced diet can be instrumental in preventing the development of obesity. Children will hardly prepare a meal for themselves. Therefore, the parents should be responsible for the food they feed their children. The other possible solution to the problem of obesity is enacting laws that will govern the fast food companies. The business has made a substantial contribution to the increased rate of obesity. They should be regulated on what they sell to the customers. Most people who have developed obesity are fed from the first food businesses (Robertson 15). Additionally, there can be campaigns geared towards combating the condition of obesity. The campaigns should focus on encouraging people to do exercises to keep fit. If children are encouraged to have physical activities, they will burn the calories in their bodies. Frequent exercise helps people to fight the development of obesity. People who regularly do exercise irrespective of their diet have an insignificant probability of developing obesity. The health organizations and agencies in collaboration with the federal and the state government can come up with weight loss programs. Some people are overweight, but they have no idea on how to reduce their weight. In addition to the government-initiated strategies, there are personal strategies such as increasing fiber in one’s diet, commitment, setting realistic goals and taking exercise. The individual strategies have been more efficient compared to the government-initiated ones. The Successful Strategies in Weight Reduction Different strategies have been employed to fight the problems caused by obesity. Some of been successful while others have been futile. The successful strategies include personal commitment towards weight loss, setting realistic goals by an individual, refreshment of diet and taking plenty of fiber (Kitson et al. 10). The different strategies can be successful because it is out of a person's desire and interest to lose weight. The procedures initiated by the government towards preventing obesity have had an insignificant impact (Robertson 17). For instance, setting laws that will govern the first food companies will have a little impact on the feeding habits of the people. The strategy can only be effective if every other person in the States is supporting it. Coming up with weight loss programs can be a good an idea. Having the program is a government idea but getting involved in the exercise is out of a personal will. Strategies that have been Tried and the Challenges Facing Them Several approaches have been used in an attempt to reduce weight. Some have been successful while others have failed. Every attempt made either with positive or negative results has faced some challenges. The personal strategies, which are the most successful, have been met with contests. Defies include, some people find it hard to change from their regular diet to a new diet. The transition period is as challenging as one can even miss meals. Committing oneself to exercise is a challenge to the victim. Bearing in mind that the person has been living a life full of luxury, they will experience muscle strain. Thus, unless an individual is determined, they can hardly keep on exercising. The government strategies of having the fast food firms operating under laws will have little impact. Consequently, the introduction of loss eight programs failed too. The challenges facing these strategies are the acceptance from the citizens. Banning the fast food business from selling their core product would be a threat to the firm. People were reluctant because they knew that the firms were going to close down. Consequently, a bunch of employees lose their jobs. In conclusion, obesity has a problem with the American child. Strategies have been set aside to combat obesity. Some plans are personal while the government initiates others. The government policies have had a little impact on fighting obesity due to increased number of challenges. On the other hand, the personal strategies have been successful, and the determined individuals can tackle the challenges that face them. The government and the people should look for better ways that will help in fighting obesity in the American society. Works Cited Bhupathiraju, Shilpa N., and Frank B. Hu. "Epidemiology of obesity and diabetes and their cardiovascular complications." Circulation research 118.11 (2016): 1723-1735. Kitson, Sarah, et al. "Interventions for weight reduction in obesity to improve survival in women with endometrial cancer." The Cochrane Library (2017). 5-12 Robertson, Aileen. "Obesity and inequities. Guidance for addressing inequities in overweight and obesity." (2014). 9-21 Rutter, Harry. "The single most important intervention to tackle obesity…." (2012): 657-658. Thompson, Tamara. Childhood Obesity. 2016. Print World Health Organization. "Population-based approaches to childhood obesity prevention." (2012). Read More