Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents and Educators - Essay Example

It is not normal for a child to be extremely beyond his or her expected weight (based on age and height), no matter how seemingly innocuous it is. In fact, parents and early childhood educators must work together to curb this frightening and unhealthy trend. But what exactly is childhood obesity? First of all, it is, indeed, normal for children to gain weight. What should be of concern, however, is a child whose weight far exceeds what is expected, based on the child's height and age. This excessive increase in weight may be caused by too much food intake and a too little exercise (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008), just like in adults.

Though it may also be genetic or hereditary in some cases, for most children, it is the imbalance caused by excessive caloric intake and little to no exercise that leads to obesity. The fact that obesity is less likely to be hereditary, however, does not excuse parents from the issue of childhood obesity. Children rarely make their own food choices (i.e. grocery shopping, etc.) and eat largely whatever they have grown accustomed to at home. The family's dietary background, therefore, plays a large role.

A child whose family routinely purchases and stocks their pantries with unhealthy food is more likely to become overweight (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008). Children's attraction to sweets and fatty food may be difficult to curb, given their taste, yet parents can easily limit children's access to these kinds of foods by becoming more aware of what they purchase. Moreover, parents should oversee and ensure that a child does not practice a sedentary lifestyle. With the lure of television and video games, it has become more difficult for parents to encourage their children to play and exercise.

This sedentary lifestyle, however, is also a significant risk factor that may lead to childhood obesity. Apart from the parents, children are also the responsibility of early childhood educators. Outside of the home, children spend the rest of their day in school and are most likely to come across a varied type of food in the institution. In the past, school cafeterias were shown to lack the proper dietary offerings at lunch. In fact, many of the food in these cafeterias were less than satisfactory and often supplemented the child's desire for sweets and fatty foods.

These meals were generally too high in fat and sodium content (Aratani, 2008), and the children were exposed to such foods day in and day out. Even with parental restrictions against unhealthy food, children faced with such tempting yet unhealthy treats would undoubtedly be influenced to eat them. Moreover, children can be the target of marketing and promotions that would only worsen their tendency to be overweight. For example, the documentary “Super Size Me” (2004) showed how children can be targeted by corporations that offer unhealthy foods.

McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and other fast-food companies see young children as a very important demographic, and may in fact specifically target them as the foremost customer crowd. As the documentary showed, children are so familiar with these brands that they are likely to be “infatuated” with the concept and the food, despite its very unhealthy nature.It is, therefore, the responsibility of both parents and early childhood educators to be more vigilant in keeping children's diets healthy.

Though corporations and advertisements may target these young children, adults can easily control and govern their food intake through nutritious home meals and healthy school offerings for lunch. These two institutions – the home and the school – are the most important in a child's life. These institutions shape the child and are therefore responsible for preventing childhood obesity. Try as a child might, cutting off access to unhealthy foods is a possibility for parents and early childhood educators to work hand in hand to prevent childhood obesity.