Eugene 1

Childhood/Teen Obesity is Out of Control: How Can We Stop This? Many children are failing the standard for healthy eating habits, which is the reason for obesity. One of the biggest health problems we face today in this generation. Obesity is a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat, defined by genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting. There are numbers of reasons why you can develop diseases, just by eating unhealthy food. The life of obese children and teens can be very hard; due to excessive eating, no physical activity, and genetically handed down. Some sources point to a decline in amounts of physical activity among young people as the main cause (James). Another lifestyle factor that contributes to childhood obesity is that more parents doesnt provide home-cooked meals, leading to fast-food or restaurants which is high in fat (Bernard, 25). One source explains that obesity most probably results from the interaction of an individuals genetic makeup with environment in which the person lives (Smith, 82). Also, this is an important topic because it is a big issue now. Childhood obesity can be reduced, but it would take a lot for someone to really want to be healthy again. The term overweight refers to too much body fat, and technically has nothing to do with an individuals amount of body fat. This can be very embarrassing but its just someone way of life, this is how they choose to remain. For example, someone could have higher weight due to having lots of muscle mass. In consideration of this, one source points out that it is probably more accurate to say that someone is over fat when referring to a condition of having too much body fat (Insel and Roth, 237). The prevalence of obesity in America rose 1 percentage points between 1991 and 2003, especially among African-Americans and young Mexican-Americans (James). Another study was conducted comparing the time period of 1988-1994 to 1999-2000. Between these two periods,

Eugene 2

the percentage of overweight children rose an average of 4.1 percentage points for groups of kids between the ages of two and nineteen. The most extreme cases were found among MexicanAmericans and African-Americans (Odgen). Obesity is a condition that is associated with having an excess of body fat, defined by genetic and environmental factors that are difficult to control when dieting. Are There Any Dangers of Childhood Obesity? The dangers of obesity are many. Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, and death at a young age just to name a few. Now, the background on type 2 diabetes; it was something normally found in adults 40 and older, but due to obesity and teens being less active its becoming common amongst children. The dangers of obesity are many. Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, and death at a young age just to name a few. Over time, however, the body cant make enough insulin to control its blood sugar level. Studies of methods to control blood sugar in diagnosed teens 10-17, proved that type 2 diabetes not only progresses faster in teens but its harder to treat also. This illness brings forth another, hearth disease/heart attacks. Although it may not have an immediate effect on them, studies show that 70 percent of obese teens/children 5-17 have at least one risk factor of heart disease. Without change in eating habits and weight they would only become more vulnerable to these risks. Risks that will put them in heart attacks and stroke situations. These risks also exposes them to cancer and the possibility of death at an early age. Teens who are obese are more at risk of death by the age 60 than those of normal weight. Obesity is the second main cause of death in America, smoking related diseases being the first. Death can be a very scary sight, but if you decide to be healthy then you wouldnt have to worry about that being a risk for you. Its frightening how severe this is in children, study author Dr. David M. Nathan. I fear that these children are going to become sicker earlier in their lives than were ever seen before. In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr. David Allen of the

Eugene 3

department of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison, writes: Fifty years ago, children did not avoid obesity by making healthy choices; they simply lived an environment that provided fewer calories and included more physical activity for all. Until a healthier eat less, move more environment is created for todays children lifestyle interventions like that in the study will fail. How Will Reducing Obesity Help in a Major Way? Due to obesity, there are many factors that can reduce/prevent you from obesity; for example: eating healthy, exercising, and therapy. Teens have become overwhelmed by this social media, video gaming systems, and televisions. This inactive lifestyle that they embrace, consequences in an increased weight at a young age. Obesity can be prevented with a combination of proper diet and enough exercise. Just 30-60 minutes a day can help tremendously. There is also something called The Dietary Guideline for Americans and it provides ways to go on diets (eating healthy). Parents can promote a healthy lifestyle for their children, going out to do physical activities with their children, go to therapy to show that there are ways to reduce the obesity rate. Maybe Your Genes Can be the Cause of Obesity! Like many other medical conditions, obesity is the result of an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves. Behavior and metabolism are two key factors that affect an individuals weight. Both can be influenced by genetic factors or by other factors (Smith, 65). Behavior can be affected by genetics if a person I genetically weird

Eugene 4

to prefer certain activities like reading or siting at a desk or certain sugary or fatty foods(66). Depending on you medical situation and other scientific studies, obesity can be handed down through your genetic history. Yet, teens at the present time are ore inactive than ever, which contributes to the obesity rate being so high. Consequently, having relatives that are obese can increase ones risk for being obese. This can be a greater chances of being obese than eating unhealthy food, it may not be an upright thing but its something that one have to deal with. Assessing the Risks We all have been informed about the corrupt things that can happen if eating unhealthy foods, but is this really the cause of obesity? Yes, unhealthy foods is the cause of obesity but its not the only reason behind obesity. Dr. Thomas Farley of Tulane University states that Americans lifestyles are not oriented toward physical activity and that it is easier for Americans to eat unhealthy foods than to prepare nutritional meals (Tulane). Research suggests that on average kids now do not necessarily intake more calories than kids in past decades, but they are taking in foods that are higher in fats and sugars (Smith, 83). Its not really about the quantity but the quality of the food that the kids receive. Another cause of obesity is the portions of foods that are given, things rarely come in single sizes. Theyre making meals super-sized, candy bars are now king-sized. Your body can only intake a certain amount of food at a time, when you eat large amounts you are likelier to overstuff yourself making calories store themselves as fat. On the other hand, being inactive also contributes to being obese.

Eugene 5

Our teens/children are not becoming obese solely off oversized portions, but the inactive lifestyles they lead to take a toll also. Television and video games are what children take place in during there off time instead of playing in outdoors activities or exercising. Physical education in schools has also cutback, thus adding an aid to the problem. If you and I both know this, what makes you think the people behind television ads dont? Well they do. They lure these kids and their parents in by making every unhealthy snack or fast food look deliciously good and worth the money. Studies have found a link between increased advertisements for food that is not nutritious and the growth rates of child obesity. They are advertising sugary, high calorie, fatty foods and not telling anyone about the risk of consuming them. This is what parents dont realize when they put fast food over a healthy, home cooked meal. Also the number of sodas that you drink can cause you to become obese, you dont have to stop drinking them; but you should watch how many you drink because it will catch up to you in the long run. A recent study showed that third- and fourth- graders spend on average 22-24 hours a week watching television (James). Other studies provide an understanding that the amount of physical activity should equal to how much to watch television/play video games. The deterioration of neighborhoods can also be a reason behind living an unhealthy lifestyle because parents do feel that it is safe for their children to play outside (Smith, 87). The environmental factors are pretty much the same as the causes; but there can also be a contrast between the two. An environmental factor could be that there isnt enough room/play are for the children. Maybe there is an after school activity that your children might want to participate in, but you wouldnt be able to pick your child up because you work late and there is no other transportation possible. So your child is left

Eugene 6

at home playing video games or watching television. In fact, it might be hard for child to intake healthy food is because theyre putting vending machines full of unhealthy snacks making it hard for someone to be healthy. Another argument would be that there are limited access to healthy affordable foods, one may not have access to places that offer healthy foods. An experiment was conducted showing that when children ate foods with a low glycemic index for breakfast, they were not as hungry at lunch and ate less. But children who ate the same amount of breakfast but substituted foods with high glycemic indexes for foods with low ones, they felt hungrier come lunch time (Can Low Carb). The Emotional Factors Being a child and obese at the same time can cause one to be emotionally unstable. One minute theyre feeling good about themselves, then the next minute its like the world is against them. Its the stress that they go through that make them feel this way. There is very little love shown to obese children, from family members to peers they are rejected and showered with harsh words and hatred. Their self-esteem can be lowered because they feel like they cant do what a normal weighed child could do, causing them to be depressed. Feeling unloved or unwanted as an obese kid can lead to stress. When one stress it releases cortisol, a hormone that makes us crave fatty sugary foods, this will make matters worse. This is said because some kids resort to eating as a way to cope with the stress in their lives. This is an escape for them temporarily due to the release of serotonin, a chemical in our body that makes us feel good. But when that feeling is gone, its back to reality and they have to face the world yet again.

Eugene 7

Facing these challenges day in and day out takes its toll. Going through a full day of school being called names, being bullied for being overweight could make one hate themselves. They become dissatisfied with their health, their self-esteem is low and unhappiness with their appearance can force them into depression. One study shows that one-third of kids ages 12-17 who are obese will suffer from depression. This is a sad case considering that age group is what most would say are worry free years. As a result, the goal in fighting the rate of childhood obesity in the future is to provide more healthy snacks and food places, more physical activities, and less hours spent watching television. Hopefully, these treatments can prevent children from being obese and also parents should spend more time providing home cooked meals so its a less chance that the rate will increase. There need to be more healthy food available like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; things that can help not hinder your body.

Eugene 8

Works Cited Bernard, Sarah. Baby Fat. New York 23 Feb. 2004: 22-27. Can Low Carb Breakfasts Help Children Control Their Weight? Child Health Alert 21(Dec. 2003). 22 Mar. 2004 http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=11597548&db=hxh. Insel, Paul M., and Walton T. Roth. Core Concepts in Health. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. James, Kathy Shadle. Healthy Families Healthy Bodies Preventing Obesity. Health Source Consumer Edition 25.5 (Oct. /Nov. 2003). 22 Mar. 2004 http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth?A=P|F=Y|ID=136|REL=HSL|URL-http://www.nclive.org/cgibin/nclsm?rsrc=2 Ogdon, Cynthia L., et al. Prevalence and Trends in Overweight among US Children and Adolescents, 1999-2000. The Journal of the American Medical Association 228.14 (9 Oct. 2002). 22 Mar. 2004 http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/228.14/1728. Smith, J. Clinton. Understanding Childhood Obesity. Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1999. 23 Mar. 2004 http://www.netlibrary.com/EbookDetails.aspx. Tulane University Expert Available to Comment on U.S. Obesity Epidemic. Ascribe & Fitness News Service (12 Aug. 2002). 22 Mar. 2004 http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth?A=P|F=Y|ID=136|REL=HSL|URL=http//www.nclive.org/cgibin/nclsm?rsrc=2.