Child Obesity Research Paper

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Child Obesity Child obesity is a growing problem in the world. Children are growing up and becoming overweight before they’re near adulthood. It is a problem for them for both health and psychological reasons. Kids with weight issues can develop issues with their organs, especially the heart, far earlier in life than would occur naturally. They can also develop significant problems like asthma and diabetes. These children and teens, sometimes, also have issues in school with teasing or bullying. This can damage their psychological development. Even the children who do not become obese adults have “cast a shadow over their adult health, due to metabolic changes that start at an early age.” (Haymarket) Children should not have to go through this kind of trouble in life and for the most part child obesity is preventable; some kids have a naturally slow metabolism, unfortunately. There are many ways to prevent childhood obesity. There are also many ways to fix it. Children should be limited in their TV viewing times and time on computers, starting at the preschool age. This would prevent children from lacking the proper amount of physical activity. This same method should be applied to mealtime; children should not watch TV while eating. “There are other studies in older children that show that while watching TV, children are not good at reading their own satiety cues.” (The Globe and Mail, Sheryl Ubelacker) Another possible solution to child obesity would be parents convincing their children to have more play time. Active play has been shown to be better for children and their health than structured exercise. Children should view play as fun, rather than “good for you” as it makes it more appealing. Counseling is also a method that could be used to help kids with weight management. For children who haven’t become obese yet, it could deter them from going down that path. For those who already are obese, it could help them with problems they have developed from it and help them get onto the right track. Counseling would likely be used in conjunction with the other possible methods. As a child grows older it becomes harder to limit their access to TV and other inactive activities. Starting this kind of strategy would be best at the youngest age possible. Kids that are already used to having to near unlimited use of TV or other electronics would find it harder to enjoy activities that would benefit their health. This is why teaching a child at early ages to enjoy play and activity. These lessons could also be incorporated with preschool lesson plans as kids in this age group are more easily taught to enjoy active play. Simply limiting a child’s access to TV and electronics would not be enough to steer them into a healthier path. There are still so many things they could do that would not prevent or help with obesity. This kind of plan would have to be used in conjunction with one that would promote some kind of physical activity and healthy eating. That brings up the next strategy. Children should be encouraged and raised to enjoy being active and playing. Playing has almost no real negative possible effects, except maybe the occasional scratch or bruise. Kids who play keep their body weight and health in check far better than those who spend all day on a couch or chair. If a problem would have to be stated, it may be that many parents do not take the time to support activity like this. This is another thing that is harder to teach to older children, so starting young would again be the best option. This strategy would not necessarily need a companion strategy like the others, but watching a child’s diet would likely best be coupled with it. Counseling could have many good effects for the child, especially those who are already obese and have social problems from it. One possible outcome would be the child understanding that they have a problem that needs attention. Group counseling could even offer kids
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