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Emily Piazza
Dr. Sean M. George
English 1010D.03
8 November 2015

Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity rates in the US have nearly tripled since the early 1970s. More
than one in five children between the ages 2 and 17 are now considered overweight, or
obese. Over weight children are at a higher risk of becoming overweight, or obese adults
placing them at a risk of developing chronic diseases. In this essay I will be discussing a
few different causes and health risks linked to childhood obesity, and how to help prevent
them.
There are many health risks that are involved in childhood obesity, the most
common cause are genetic factors. When children are overweight they are at a greater
risk for developing serious health problems as adults including heart disease, and type II
diabetes. If you have heart disease you are at a high risk of having a heart attach due to
high blood pressure and high cholesterol, or fat in you blood stream that clogs the arteries
going to your heart. They some times have to do a minor surgery to remove blockages in
your arteries due to high cholesterol, and insert things called stents. A stent is a balloonlike tube they put into your artery that helps keep that artery open so another clog doesnt
form. When they put a stent in the doctor makes a small opening in a blood vessel in the
groin, neck, or arm. Then the doctor threads a thin flexible tube called a catheter up
through your artery with a deflated balloon-like tip into the troubled artery. Then the

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Doctor inflates the balloon to keep the artery open and removes the clog. One of the
other health risks is type II diabetes. You can develop type II diabetes by eating a poor
diet, and diets high in glucose also known as sugar. The Disease Control Prevention
estimates that over 29 million children in the United States have some form of diabetes.
When this happens your cells stop responding properly to insulin and sugar is unable to
get it from the blood to the cells. The unabsorbed glucose starts to build up you your
blood because the cells stop absorbing it giving a high blood sugar reading. Having any
form of diabetes can result in heat disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness,
nervous system damage, amputations, and dental problems. There are so many heath risks
involved with obesity thats why its so important that we watch childrens health habits
and educate them properly.
One of the reasons childhood obesity rates are on the rise is because of the
increase of technology. Now-a-days kids are a lot less active then they used to be due to
technology. Instead of kids getting on their bikes and going outside, they much rather say
indoors and play with their ipads, cells phones, computers, and video games. According
to Doctor Angela Fals of the American Academy of Pediatrics, children and adolescence
should spend a maximum time of 1-2 hours of screen time per day, but the average child
is estimated to spend upwards 7 hours a day watching TV, playing video games, or using
the internet. Parents are now using technology as a babysitter for their kids, and are not
giving them the attention they need. Instead of parents encouraging their kids to go
outside and play, they just turn on the TV and let that keep them entertained. Since
childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic in the US, the popular cartoons kids watch
now encourage kids to get up and get active. The cartoons will have the kids get up and

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dance with them, or have them copy certain movements they are doing. In a way its kind
of sad that they are relying on a cartoon to help kids get exercise because parents arent.
Kids are recommend to get one hour of physical activity a day, if parents would
encourage their kids, and help them get active maybe childhood obesity rates would
decrease.
Another factor that plays a really big role in childhood obesity is eating habits.
Infants only eat when they are hungry, and stop eating when they are full. Due to bad
eating habits taught to children by their parents, the good habits are changed into ones
that match their parent habits. A study conducted at the university of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill by Barry Popkin, the professor of nutrition found that, poor eating habits
linked to obesity are learned in the childrens homes. Fast food does contribute to obesity
as does diets low in vegetables and high in preservatives served at homes and in schools.
Parents dont take the time to make their kids healthy home-cooked meals; they dont
have the time, nor want the mess. Its easier for them to go through a dive-though
somewhere. What they dont realize is for one thing the food isnt healthy for them
because if the preservatives, and lack vegetables and fruit; also they are teaching their
kids bad eating habits. Pretty much everything kids learn throughout their lives comes
from their parents. For example I grew up in a home where my parents taught me how to
eat health starting from a young age. Still to this day more often than not I choose healthy
options in my food choices. I have some friends who did not grow up with their parents
teaching them how to eat healthy. I have really noticed their differences in food choices
compared to mine. According to the text book Scientific Foundations of Nutrition (p 248)
When children have no obese parents children have only a 10% chance of being obsess.

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When a child has one obese parent their chances of being obese increase up to 40%, and
with two obese parents their chances soar to 80%. Thats because the obese parents are
not teaching their kids how to eat right and have a lot of unhealthy food around the house
for the kids to eat. When kids are younger they dont understand what health risks are, or
what is healthy food, or non-healthy food. I do think it is the parents job to teach their
kids how to eat healthy. However, when kids get old enough to understand what healthy
and non-healthy food is and they grow into adulthood, it is ultimately their decision
whether or not they choose to change their eating habits.
The last factor I am going to discuss is how genetics contribute to childhood
obesity. Looking back at the Scientific Foundations of Nutrition text book (p 247)
Even when identical twins are raised apart, they tend to show similar weight gain
patterns, both in overall weight and body fat distribution. Researches suggest that genes
account for up to 70% of weight differences between people. Our genes help determine
metabolic rate, fuel use, and differences in brain chemistry; all of which affects body
weight. Depending on genetic traits we inherit from our parents, some of us are more
prone to weight gain than others. Some kids have a naturally lower rate of metabolism.
With todays diet and exercise their metabolism will stay low; and they will keep gaining
weight. They also might inherit a leptin hormone deficiency, which will interfere with
insulin production. Lepin is a hormone than is released by the fat cells in the body that
signals the brain that you are full. When you dont have enough leptin in your fat cells the
hormone wont be released triggering satiety, or the feeling of fullness. When people are
obese they have extra of built up adipose tissue also know as fat. This build up is a result
of an imbalance of energy intake, and energy expenditure. This is highly heritable and

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arises from the interplay of multiple genes and environmental factors. (EBSCOhost
Genetic & epigenetic approach to human obesity). Genetics play a bigger role in obesity
than people realize. There is no medical fix to change a persons genes, but they are some
ways to lessen the genetic affects.
There are many, many things that increase childhood obesity risks. Some are a
bigger contributor than others, but they all have big affects. I think as long as we educate
children correctly childhood obesity can be decreased, but the education has to start with
the parents. Some of the fast food restaurants have changed their menus, and put the
calories but their meals. At McDonalds they have changed the kids meals to try to help
with this on going epidemic. They give kids a smaller amount of French fries, a choice or
juice or milk instead of soda, and they now give kids apple slices or yogurt. Now that
there are changes being made, its up to the parents to encourage kids to make better
health choices.

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Works Cited

Doctor Angela Fals. Childhood obesity And Technology- whats the

connection? https://www.floridahospital.com/blog/childhood-obesity-technology-whatsconnection. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.

Alexander Klausner. Study reveals parents poor eating habits are to blame for
childhood obesity. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2540248/Study-revealsparents-poor-eating-habits-blame-childhood-obesity-NOT-fast-food.html. Web. 15 Jan.
2014.
Gordon, M. Anne, M. and A. L. Collene. Scientific Foundations of Nutrition
Energy Balance and Weight Control (Chapter 7 p 247-49) 2015 McGraw Hill
Education LLC. US.

Rao, K. Rajender, Nirupama Lal, and N. V. Giridharan. "Genetic & Epigenetic

Approach To Human Obesity." Indian Journal Of Medical Research 140.(2014): 589603. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.