Essay about Childhood Obesity Rates

Submitted By AshleyBourdon1
Words: 1116
Pages: 5
Open Document
Ashley Bourdon
Childhood Obesity Rates
Children today seem to be more lethargic than ever. When I was 10 years old, I remember spending my free time outside. I loved playing outside and being active, as did just about every other 10-year-old I knew. Today, the average 10 year old is spending their free time using modern technology, whether that means video games or their mobile device. This means less time spent exercising and more time on the couch. Times have changed, and this is seen in the growth of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious health concern currently on the rise in American culture One is considered obese when their body mass index (BMI) exceeds 30. Obesity is harmful to one’s health. It can lead to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, asthma, and other health concerns (Froschauer 7). Obesity can be caused by a number of things such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, family history, medications, overeating, and several other attributes. In the past three decades the rate of obesity in children has risen immensely. In fact, according to Tammy Esteves’ article, the rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. have tripled throughout the past thirty years. Today, nearly one in three children are considered overweight or obese (71). Why have childhood obesity rates increased over the past three decades? Three of the main possible causes for this increase are family demands and eating routines, household income and increased availability of sugary drink options.
Work demands on parents can create a challenge for creating healthy eating routines, both for dual career and single parent families. In the past three decades, more women are employed than ever. In most cases, this creates a dual career family, or a family with two working parents. Dual career families often have to invest in childcare for before or after school or both (Anderson 340). Not all daycares are regulated to provide healthy food options or structured physical activity. Also, after working all day, it can be challenging for two working parents to create healthy eating habits and encourage regular periods of active playtime. (Anderson 340). The same holds true for single-parent families. The challenges can be amplified when the responsibilities fall on the shoulders of one parent. Mealtimes are important when it comes to forming routines. It is also important to take note of what America’s children are routinely being fed. Studies show that families who eat their main meal together four or more times a week are more likely to have children who are average in weight and consume more fruits and vegetables (Fiese 365). In some instances, busy working parents will resort to fast food when in need of a quick and easy meal. Especially in the weakened economy, parents are working longer hours to earn more money and buying fast food not only because it is speedy, but also because it is cheap. Unregulated mealtimes and eating fast food can certainly take a toll on creating healthy habits for families.
Household income also has an enormous effect on childhood obesity. There is a direct correlation between the amount of money a family has and obesity. As the household income decreases, the percentage of overweight and obese children increases (Perpich 30). Unfortunately, the healthiest foods are generally more expensive than junk foods. Several people simply cannot afford to eat healthy because of these high prices. This makes it easier to buy more unhealthy food since it is significantly cheaper. In Tammy Esteves’ article she mentions a woman saying to her friend, “I can buy two boxes of fruit snacks for what it would cost me for one small serving of fruit” (71). This makes it apparent that money plays a big role in the foods American’s consume. Unfortunately, too many Americans cannot afford to eat healthy. “Children residing in lower income communities exhibit poorer dietary and physical
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about Childhood Obesity Rates

Obesity: Obesity and Childhood Obesity Rate Essay

Obesity is an epidemic that is sweeping the nation and growing exponentially. Currently more than 500,000,000 adults worldwide are suffering from obesity. Most people look at obesity as only being caused by overeating, but there are many other factors that contribute to the spreading of obesity. One in particular is technology. Between the last 100 years and now technological advances have played a big part in the climbing obesity rates and will continue to do so in the future. In the past, many…

Words 804 - Pages 4

Obesity: Obesity and Childhood Obesity Rates Essay

Obesity: Government or Personal Responsibility? As of 2012, there are 33,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the world (How many are there). Because of evidence that obesity is a serious health problem facing children today, school officials and food manufactures want to provide children more nutritious food. Obesity has become a global epidemic. Some states have tax on soda and some are considering this. Unless obesity is shown as a matter of personal responsibility, we should not blame fast-food restaurants…

Words 1207 - Pages 5

Summary: The Epidemic Of Childhood Obesity

squeezed out of the curriculum. Changes such as these have made a significant impact on our nation’s health, and contributed to the epidemic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has been called “one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century” (WHO, 2015). The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has been tracking childhood…

Words 291 - Pages 2

Childhood Obesity Research Paper

Childhood Obesity ENG 122 English Composition II October 5, Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity has become a serious health concern in the United States. Obesity rates have doubled in children from the ages of 2 – 11 and tripled in teens ages 12-19 (American Psychological Association 2014). This statement is not surprising considering that the lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits together causes childhood obesity, which can be the leading factor in the increase in childhood…

Words 2599 - Pages 11

Essay on Middle childhood Obesity

Middle childhood Obesity Gavin Herbst July 9, 2014 2014Summer.SOCW3500.WT1: 2014 Summer Hum.Beh.&Soc. Env. SEC.WT1 I. Introduction Problem Statement The Health Recourses and Services Administration (HRSA), which is a division of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services; defines childhood obesity as body mass index (BMI) at or above the gender- and age-specific 85th and 95th percentile. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) states that childhood obesity has reached epidemic…

Words 3035 - Pages 13

Childhood Obesity: Article Analysis

by the cost of obesity, obesity costs state Medicaid programs $5 million+ each year. The healthcare costs about $770 per person per year, most people that are obese don’t have the money to get healthcare. As the numbers of americans who are obese rise so does healthcare. Consequently obesity does not only run in adults but also in children. There have been arguments on how schools have an input on childhood obesity. Since the 1970s childhood obesity has tripled, about one in five children in school…

Words 616 - Pages 3

Health Care For An Increasing Obese Population

paper is to examine the increasing cost of medical care in relation to obesity and come up with possible solution to the problem. My research consisted of three articles, Obesity and the Rising Cost of Healthcare in America, Price tag for childhood obesity: 19,000 per kid, and U.S. Economy has a weight problem as cost of obesity mount. Obesity and the Rising Cost of Healthcare in America The author of this article explains how obesity puts a huge strain on the U.S. economy and the health care system…

Words 910 - Pages 4

Childhood Obesity: A growing Epidemic in the U.S. Essay

http://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/205094903/13D9F2B535F289AC2EB/8?accountid=11789 Executive Summary Childhood overweight and obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are also psychological effects which are obese children are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image…

Words 500 - Pages 2

Childhood Obesity Research Paper

The solution to the increasing rates of childhood obesity is to require kids to participate in extracurricular activities or sports that keep them physically active. This not only needs to be enforced by the schools in which the kids attend, but also by their parents. This will solve the problem by keeping children active on a regular basis, which is key to maintaining a healthy body weight. Most children spend countless hours watching TV or playing video games, instead of playing outside or staying…

Words 782 - Pages 4

My Paper Childhood Obesity Parent Involvement

Childhood Obesity: Parental Involvement Childhood obesity has become a more common issue in today’s society than ever before. The subject has taken a forefront of attention in both the home and in the schools. A healthier lifestyle for young children should be taken more seriously. First, in order to introduce the issue of childhood obesity, the actual definition must be understood, being obese and being overweight are not the same exact thing. Childhood obesity is when the BMI is at or measured…

Words 1824 - Pages 8