Joyce M.

Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page 1 oI 7

CHILDHOOD OBESITY AN EVER GROWING COMPLEX ISSUE
As we have studied this issue oI childhood obesity, it is understood there are many Iactors to this
complex issue. While reading and discussing this inIormation I have Iound some key areas that
are overlooked. There have been many studies on childhood obesity but it seems like a catch
phrase Ior all the obese people in the US. I am looking at this issue through the lens oI a Woman
oI Color Irom the generation oI 1957 with a demographic location oI Southeast region oI the US
although being born in New York City Harlem, and South Bronx. These are some oI the issues I
have witnessed on this issue.
What causes childhood obesity? According to the Surgeon General`s oIIice Childhood Obesity
is caused by a conglomeration oI reasons including but not limited to:
O nergy imbalance. This involves eating too many calories and not getting enough
physical activity.
O Body weight is the result oI genes, metabolism, behavior, environment, culture, and
socioeconomic status.
O Behavior and environment play a large role causing people to be overweight and
obese. These are the greatest areas Ior prevention and treatment actions.
(Surgeon General, 2000)
nergy imbalances is a soIt way oI saying you must move in order to balance the Iood intake and
energy output.
LIFSTYL AND BLIF SYSTMS
Fighting childhood obesity in these generations today will have to be combated with more than
giving people access to healthy Ioods or telling them they must move more. Real liIetime
changes will have to happen and belieI systems must shiIt. When you intend to reach any group
Joyce M. Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page oI 7

oI children especially with childhood obesity it is imperative that they access the adults who are
the caretakers oI the children. Unless you reach those parents and caretaker`s belieI systems Iirst
they would have no reason to change their liIestyles
So, what are belieI systems? BelieI systems are kind oI like the "operating system" that all oI the
other "soItware" in the brain runs on. And the unique thing about belieI systems is that they are
simply perceptions that a person has chosen to accept as being truth. ven more importantly,
when understanding this, people can choose to change belieI systems that no longer serve them.
When looking at most belieI systems, they seem to come Irom past experiences and the
meanings Iolks attached to those experiences. Many times people have belieI systems that aren't
even theirs. They`ve accepted them Irom parents, teachers, and people in the community,
religion, our culture, and don`t even question why we believe many oI them. People iust accept
them, and then operate our lives based on those belieI systems.
SAFTY ISSUS
In many neighborhoods and communities it is simply not saIe Ior children to play outside. Some
would say this is a socioeconomic issue but whether or not that is so, the reality is iI there are
gunshots being Iired in the streets where a person may live then it is not saIe. There is also the
raping and bullying that happens where children play that have reached epic proportions, these
days.
How widespread is bullying?
Studies show that between 15 to 25 percent oI U.S. students are bullied with some Irequency
('sometimes or more oIten) while 15 to 20 percent report that they bully others with some
Irequency (Melton et al., 1998; Nansel et al., 2001). Rates oI bullying are higher among younger
Joyce M. Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page oI 7

students; almost 43 percent oI 6
th
graders report having been bullied, compared to about 24
percent oI 12
th
graders (U.S. Department oI Justice, 2007).
In a 2009 nationally-representative sample oI youth grades 9-12, 19.9 reported being bullied
on school property in the 12 months preceding the survey. The prevalence was higher among
Iemales (21.2) than males (18.7) (aton et al., 2010).
In 2007, about 32 oI students aged 12 to 18 reported being bullied at school during the
school year. The most common types oI bullying at school included being made Iun oI, being the
subiect oI rumors, and being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on. Only about a third oI victims
notiIied a teacher or another adult about it (Dinkes, Kemp, & Baum, 2009).
Among children and youth aged 17 and younger, about 1 in 5 report being physically bullied,
and about 3 in 10 report being teased or emotionally bullied in their liIetime. (Find Youth InIo)
This bullying transcends the school grounds and moves into the neighborhoods and
communities, taking on uglier Iorms than most people living in much more decent conditions
ever realize. This is deIinitely a deterrent Ior most people who would love to send their children
out to play.
As Iar pedophiles, a perIect example oI how scary it is Ior parents who live in neighborhoods
which are predominately where people oI Color live here is iust one zip code statistics in
Tallahassee, Florida an area known as Frenchtown, so you could wrap that picture in your mind.
City Data says 'According to our research oI the Florida and other state lists there were 74
registered sex oIIenders living in the zip code 32303 (Tallahassee, Florida) ' (City Data, 2010)



Joyce M. Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page oI 7

MPLOYMNT WORK SCHDULS: SHIFT WORK AND LONG WORK HOURS
We live and work in a 24/7 economy. What does around-the-clock economic activity mean Ior
workers who provide their labor in the evenings, nights, and weekends? And what does it mean
Ior Iamilies? Parents who are single or even couples oItentimes have to work two and three iobs
to make ends meet. In most situations because oI all the dangers oI the streets again many
parents do not want their children outside iI they are not home. When those same parents come
home they are so exhausted Irom the stress oI their work day.and extended work day they oIten
stop and get something to eat Irom Iast Iood restaurants or they make some really quick
processed Iood Ior their Iamilies.
According to CDC
About one-IiIth oI employed Americans work most oI their hours in the evening or night, or
have a rotating or highly variable schedule. Many more work some oI their hours, but not most,
in the evenings or at night. About one third oI employed Americans work Saturday, Sunday, or
both weekend days. Together, about two-IiIths oI employed Americans work nonstandard
schedules. Men are somewhat more likely than women to work nonstandard schedules, and
minoritiesparticularly blacksare more likely than non-Hispanic whites.
Weekend work among dual-earner couples is also very common. More than two-thirds oI all
dual-earner couples included at least one spouse working Saturday or Sunday. The ratio was
closer to one-halI oI all dual-earners with children under Iive. And again, the low-income
couples showed especially high percentages.
Single mothers are more likely than married mothers to work at nonstandard times. (They also
work longer hours.) About one-Iourth oI single mothers with children worked nonstandard hours
and more than one-third worked weekends. For single mothers with children under age Iive,
Joyce M. Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page oI 7

these ratios were higher: one-Iourth and two-IiIths, respectively. The ratios were even higher Ior
low-income single mothers. (Presser, 2004)
TCHNOLOGY
With technology today where you are almost always iust a phone call, email, or text message
away, people are spending less physical time with their loved ones and more time chained to
employers and or schools. With less and less people skills in real liIe many have turned to social
networking on the world wide web. This means more sitting and less moving Plus with the
enormous amount oI inIormation online it almost seems like research is really what most people
spend a lot oI time doing and do not realize this.
With the games many children and adults play online at home and now they can compete
virtually it is an endless amount oI time spent sitting in Iront oI a computer.

ADDICTIONS & SUBSTANC ABUS
In the real world the subcultures many do not want to talk about how people are using substances
to alter their moods. When using such substances adults will oIten, eat more because their
thoughts are altered and they are not as careIul as they would be iI they were not high on
something. Also this is yet another deterrent Ior people not wanting to send their children
outside to play because oI all the drug usage and dope pushing in the neighborhoods and this is
not iust in neighborhoods oI color this transcends socioeconomic boundaries.
MNTAL HALTH
Many people who are obese are suIIering Irom some Iorm are depression, and oIten times other
issues that never come up in these discussions about obesity.
Joyce M. Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page oI 7

Some research suggests that depressed persons are more likely to develop the metabolic
syndrome that oIten accompanies excess weight, especially when this weight is concentrated
around the waist. People may console themselves with "comIort Iood", which is usually high in
Iat, sugar, and calories because they are anxious, lonely, angry, or suIIering Irom low selI-
esteem. There is a characteristic type oI depression with symptoms that include lethargy and
overeating. Like most mind-body interactions, obesity can lead to ill health, which is linked to
depression and anxiety. (Medical News Today, 2004)
SUMMARY
In conclusion, there are many reasons Ior childhood obesity but it does not start with the
children. It must start with the adults in charge and their liIe styles and belieI systems. There are
saIety issues, employment issues, technology reasons, substance abuse issues, and mental health.
It is a societal issue and the main people who beneIit Irom it are the merchants, the medical Iield
and everyone else who makes a proIit oII oI people in pain.

Bibliography
City Data. (2010, April). #egistered Sex Offenders in Zip Code 32303. Retrieved February 9,
2011, Irom City Data: http://www.city-data.com/soz/soz-32303.html#ixzz1DXgPc8VX
Find Youth InIo. (n.d.). How Widespread is the Bullvig Problem. Retrieved February 9, 2011,
Irom Find Youth InIo: http://www.IindyouthinIo.org/topicbullyingwidespread.shtml
Medical News Today. (2004, October 3). Health News. Retrieved February 9, 2011, Irom
Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/14355.php
Presser, H. B. (2004, April 29). National Institute for Occupational Safetv and Health. Retrieved
February 9, 2011, Irom Centers Ior Disease Controll (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/workschedules/abstracts/presser.html
Joyce M. Brown
ProIessor Colova: Global Seminar
FAMU Spring 2011 Childhood Obesity

Page 7 oI 7

Surgeon General. (2000, December 7). %he Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Prevent and
Decrease Overweight and Obesitv. Retrieved February 6, 2011, Irom OIIice oI the Surgeon
General: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/