Childhood Obesity

Thesis Statement:

Parents have a responsibility to prevent obesity in their children by teaching them healthy eating habits and increasing physical activities.

Introduction:

Childhood obesity, as the name suggests, refers to the state where excess fats accumulate in the body, thus being a detriment to the health and well being to the child. The methods for determining the amount of body fats forthwith is not only difficult, but also intricate and with BMI being the comparatively informal methods. BMI (Body Mass Index) is the most widely employed method for determining obesity in children who are two years of age and older. The ranges of BMI are different for children of different age and sex, and are used to determine the level of obesity one is suffering.

The issue of childhood obesity has a number of adverse effects on health of children, and some of the impacts also continue to grow throughout life. Due to the severity of the nature of the issue, it is regarded as national health concern and various campaigns (including media campaigns) are often launched to create awareness regarding the issue and minimize the impacts.

Discussion:

Impact of childhood obesity on Physical Health:

Obese children usually suffer from a number of health issues, mostly emotional and psychological problems. The condition might also get serious, and obesity might also lead towards more serious and life threatening diseases, including heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep disorders, cancer and a number of other such issues. The other feared issues include early puberty or menarche, liver diseases, anorexia, asthma, skin infections and other respiratory disorders.

Researches have also shown that obese kids are likely to retain the extra fats throughout their lives, and continue to be overweight even when they become adults. This situation sounds alarming as obesity in adults is even perilous and is the major cause of increasing mortality rate in adults.

The issue is rapidly gaining attention, as the past three decades have seen a sharp rise in the percentage of obese children in United States. The rate has more than doubled in children of two to five years and has tripled among children of six to eleven years.

Psychological Issues:

It is a common observation that obese children are always subjected to teasing and mocking by their friends, while some are also harassed and discriminated against by their family members. There is stereotyping of obese children as well, thus causing a lack of self esteem, depression and a number of other psychological disorders.

The problem exist the world over, and inhabitants of almost all parts of the world treat obese children in the same manner. The situation usually results in retraction from social circle and isolation, as the kid prefers being along rather being with bullies. There is distortion of relations with peers and sometimes even family members, along with a reduction in self esteem of the child. Both these factors contribute to generation of anxiety, depression and other such psychological issues.

Causes of childhood obesity:

Childhood obesity might be caused due to number of reasons, with the foremost one ...