Struggling With Obesity? Here Are Resolutions

An obese child sitting and barely able to move because of the size of his body.

Are children in America overweight? Are they obese? To answer these questions there needs to be further studies and research. I have researched that there are many reasons that cause obesity in children. Furthermore, obesity is on the rise and Americans are battling many issues with it. One issue is their cost of living. The problematic occurrences of obesity are so high that something needs to be done in order to fix this crisis. If American’s made a routine of eating family dinners, cut back on watching the television and gaming time, and got a good night’s sleep, then obesity would be a lot less common.

Reasons for occurrence

There are multiple reasons as to why obesity occurs. In one study, by Biotech Business Week editors titled “Obesity; New Obesity Data Have Been Reported By Researchers At University Of Yamanashi, Medical Department” stated, “children whose mothers skipped breakfast were likely to become overweight” (Biotech Business Week 1). Furthermore Biotech Business Week states, “maternal sleep duration of less than or equal to 8 hours a day negatively affected childhood overweight” (Biotech Business Week 1). In these two quotes it shows that not eating breakfast or getting enough sleep could make the child overweight in their childhood. Mothers can manage both aspects of obesity; when mothers find out that they are pregnant, they only need to manage these two attributes for nine months in order to save their child(ren) from childhood obesity. These two aspects can be managed in a few ways. First of all, mothers should make sure that they are eating a balanced breakfast. Also, when mothers are tired then they need to go to sleep or take a nap as soon as possible so that the baby can develop. Making sure that you go to bed by a certain time to receive more than eight hours will positively affect the baby. They will be less likely to have childhood obesity by doing these small routintes.

This child is so obese that he can barely do a push up.

Issues with Obesity

There are numerous issues with obesity ranging from genetics to the environment. A few of the issues can be supervised in order to prevent a child from having childhood obesity and/or even diabetes. After a recent study by Community Pharmacy they made an article titled, “Childhood Obesity: A Public Health Problem.” It said, “studies of twins and adopted children suggest a genetic link with obesity. Adult identical twins have extremely similar adult weights even if they are reared apart, while fraternal twins differ much more” (Community Pharmacy 1). Later in the same article it said,

“the common sense view is that children get fat because they eat too much. Yet there is accumulating evidence that excessive food intake is not the only, or necessarily, the most important factor for childhood obesity. Studies have demonstrated that if both parents are obese they are more likely to have children who are overweight than parents of normal weight” (Community Pharmacy 1).

When parents can acknowledge that they are obese then they can help their children. If a parent does not know that they are obese then they can go to the doctor to find out. Then, the doctor and the parent(s) can figure out what meals to eat in order to stay as healthy as possible. Once the parents are eating well then when the children are growing up then they will also be eating healthy food. Also in the article it states that, “environmental factors also have a role in causing obesity; many studies show that obesity is influenced by lifestyle and eating habits. For example, obesity is rare among the populations of developing countries, where dietary fiber intake is high” (Community Pharmacy 2). Since this quote brings up fiber, parents are able to realize that they need to place more fiber in their diet. Fiber is shown on the Nutritional Information on most foods. Having a high fiber will help the children’s metabolism so they eat less. Also, fiber makes you feel full so the children will not have to eat as much which keeps the children away from overeating.

In another article called “Obesity And Diabetes; Highmark Provides Pediatricians With Resources To Combat Childhood Obesity” prepared by Drug Week editors states,

“childhood obesity causes lifelong illness, leads to serious health complications in young adults and can lead to premature death in adulthood due to medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. In addition to its significant human toll, childhood obesity alone costs the nation's health care system some $14 billion annually” (Drug Week 1).

Many American’s do not know that obesity causes all of these health issues. If American’s want to know more information about what kinds of illnesses that obesity can cause, they could do research or go to their doctor and see if they can prevent any of the illnesses. However, even the individuals that do know that obesity can cause all of these issues still are not willing to change their diet in order to prevent these horrible illnesses. In another part of the article it stated, “data shows that children diagnosed with obesity are two to three times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than non-obese children, making health care costs for obese children about three times more expensive than an average-weight child” (Drug Week 1). Hospital bills are very costly and many times they are not covered by their insurance companies. If children are not obese from the beginning then they will not have the possible bills that could occur from childhood obesity.

Sadly, in an article titled, “Child Of Three Dies From Being Obese” by Helen Puttick, it states,
“a three-year-old child died from heart failure brought on through obesity, it emerged today. Ministers and food industry chiefs were facing mounting pressure after a damning report condemned them for failing to tackle Britain's obesity epidemic. The Commons health committee warned that obese children could become the first generation to die before their parents” (Puttick 5).

Knowing that a three year old child died from heart failure due to obesity, is hopefully impactful enough that parents and caregivers will make sure that they’re children are healthy. Further in the same article by Puttick, she states, “Dr Sheila McKenzie, a consultant at the Royal London Hospital, also told of four children who required ventilator assistance at home for sleep apnea. She described them as "choking on their own fat"(Puttick 5). These children are so overweight that they are not able to breathe on their own. It has gotten to the point that they need ventilators in order to keep them alive. If children keep eating this much food then they probably will not be able to ever breathe on their own.

This is an obese child eating McDonald's, part of a family routine.

Number of occurrences

It is important to know the amount of people that are affected by childhood obesity to understand how much of a concern it is. In an article titled “National League of Cities; National League of Cities Commends First Lady's Work to Reduce Childhood Obesity More” by AIDS Weekly editors, states that, “more than 12 million children and adolescents are considered obese, putting these children at higher risk of developing serious health problems later in life” (AIDS Weekly Editors 1). This quote does not even tell you how many children will probably be affected by childhood obesity in the future. However, it is a large enough number for people to recognize this dilemma and that there needs to be a solution.

This child has been obese most of his life and now it has taken control of his life.

Childhood Obesity Managed By Routines

A promising solution is stated by Nadja Popovich in the article “Fighting Childhood Obesity Should Be Part Of Family Routine.” Popovich asserts, “kids who make a routine of eating family dinner, cutting down TV and gaming time, and getting a good night’s sleep are 40 percent less likely to be obese than those who practice none of these habits, a new study finds” (Popovich 1). Furthermore, Popovich argues:

“even after the researchers adjusted for other factors, such as race and ethnicity, maternal obesity, and household income, the results remained pretty consistent. For Popovich, this means that these routines may have the opportunity for universal impact, not just in one group” (Popovich 2).

The results of this recent study could impact all Americans. These three solutions are very manageable and extremely beneficial. A few ways to implement these routines are to have a family meeting and discuss them or talk to a dietary specialist. Having a family meeting will help because the family can discuss times that are available for family dinners so that it happens every night. Also, there could be restrictions put in place so that there is a certain amount of time that the children can watch television or play games. Then, once that is in place, the family could discuss when everyone should go to bed so that each person gets a better night’s sleep. Another thing the family could do is discuss their meal plans with a dietary specialist. The specialist would be able to discuss the foods that the family should and should not eat while still incorporating foods that the family likes.

Childhood Obesity Caused By Adult Obesity

Although obesity could be managed by eating family dinners, cutting down TV and gaming time, and getting good nights sleep, there are other approaches to overcoming obesity. An article called “Obesity; Data On Obesity In Women Discussed By Investigators At Menzies Research Institute” by Drug Week Editors took a study on men and women aged 24 to 34 that were obese. “The researchers concluded: ‘The proportion of adult obesity attributable to childhood obesity was 6.4% in males and 12.6% in females. Obesity in childhood was strongly predictive of obesity in early adulthood, but most obese young adults were a healthy weight as children’” (Drug Week Editors 1). This study shows that obesity can start young and predict what will happen in the future. Focusing on this attribute will help the children of the future and their weight.

Conclusion

Through this article it is obvious to show that childhood obesity is a growing problem. However, there are many solutions to take in consideration when trying to conquer obesity. Some of the best solutions entail, better sleeping habits, knowledge of eating tendencies to know what to change, and paying attention to your environment. Parents need to acknowledge if they are obese and to take care of themselves and their children so they do not end up with horrible health problems down the road. Knowing the risk factors Americans should take control of their lives. Together, we need to know what our family history is. We also need to have better food available that is high in fiber and low in fat. Furthermore, children should be weighed yearly at school to make sure that they are not becoming overweight or obese. However, if they are on that path then they need a special regimen set in place to lose the weight they need to lose and be a healthy individual. There should also be more recess and physical activity in schools to keep them as active as possible. This physical activity should last all the way throughout grade school. Most grade schools stop recess at fifth grade but still continue with physical education. If recess is still not going to be in place after fifth grade then the physical education classes need to be longer and more rigorous. If Americans were to step up and take control of their weight and their family then we would be in a much healthier country. It is time for America to get fit!