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¶ … controversy regarding childhood obesity, as this is a pressing matter and as there are more and more cases involving children becoming obese as a result of a series of factors involving poor nutrition, little to no exercise, and a general failure to understand why it is important for them to adopt attitudes that can maintain them healthy. The percentage of children becoming obese has experienced a steady increase in recent years, this standing as proof with regard to how conditions have become critical. The increase of the number of obese children is directly proportional with the advancement of technology and fast food, taking into account that children become more and more attached to technological devices and find it easier and more enjoyable to eat fast food.
Numerous pediatricians, parents, and policy-makers have gotten actively involved in discussing the topic of childhood obesity and in finding strategies they can use with the purpose of raising the public's awareness concerning the problem. "Over the past three decades, the share of children who are considered overweight or obese has doubled, from 15% in the 1970s to nearly 30% today, while the share of children who are considered obese has tripled." (Paxon 3) The mass media plays an important role in shaping the public's opinion and during the last few years it has actually emphasized the gravity of the problem...
Even with this, results have been limited and childhood obesity continues to be a pressing problem.
Many individuals tend to focus on obesity as being a threat to their children's physical appearance instead on focusing on how it affects their health. This is largely because the contemporary society promotes material values and because children often tease each-other with regard to their particularities. Obese children are likely to be taunted in many children communities and both them and their parents become obsessed with the idea of physical appearance as being the principal reason why it is important for a person to lose weight. The fact that these people ignore the health factor in the problem is particularly important, as some might actually perform the wrong actions in an attempt to lose weight: many children end up starving themselves because they want to be 'normal' and they only manage to further aggravate the problem.
According to Olga Vaca Durr (xxi), a study performed in the 1960s involved several children being provided with pictures of other children with diverse disabilities and children who were obese. These children needed to choose between who they would most enjoy having as a friend and who they would least enjoy having as a friend. "The researcher discovered that…
Works cited:
Paxon, Christina, "Childhood Obesity," (Brookings Institution Press, 2006)
Vaca Durr, Olga, "It's Not about Childhood Obesity: It Is about Being Healthy for Life," (Inspiring Voices, 12.11.2012)
The main question revolving around childhood obesity is "When does childhood obesity become a child endangerment issue?"(Alexander, 2009) Definitions of "neglect" and "medical neglect" (parental neglect of a child's medical needs) are not universally consistent. However, there are generalised concepts and standards that are expected of parents towards their child. Failure to meet these standards may legitimately be considered neglect. Clearly not all obese children are neglected -- indeed, parents
OBESITY Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity: An epidemiological overview Community and population Childhood obesity is an increasingly serious problem in America and around the world. Obesity in all demographic categories in the U.S. is increasing; however the increase in the rate of obesity for young people is particularly worrisome. The longer an individual is obese over the course of his or her lifetime, the greater the social and financial costs. Obese persons experience school and
childhood obesity in the United States and many of the other Western nations have been growing at an alarming pace. This topic is interesting for many reasons. One such reason is that childhood obesity affects the first world at a much higher rate than developing nations. As society grows more technologically advanced and has mass produced foods then this seems to open many dietary challenges. Although food may be
Obesity in the United States The extent of the Problem Obesity as one commentator says, is not just a "matter of aesthetics" but has become a major public health problem in the United States. Similarly, Federal health officials have categorically stated that "the growing prevalence of obesity in the United States represents a significant health threat to millions of Americans." Obesity is seen by health officials in a serious light and is
Government Health Initiatives: Obesity and public health Given the rise in obesity rates in the United States, prioritizing reducing the prevalence of this illness has become a critical cornerstone of many federal, state, and local health agencies. Because the federal government encompasses the USDA and the FDA which set health and safety standards for the foods consumed in the U.S. As well as offer nutritional guidelines, the federal government can exert a
More specifically, when certain species (including homo Sapiens) consume more calories than necessary for immediate energy requirements, their digestive systems efficiently converts those excess calories into storable forms of reserve energy that are capable of being called upon in times of need (Larson-Duyff, 2005; Rinzler, 2004). In humans, excess caloric consumption increases the amount of sugars dissolved in the blood (Larson-Duyff, 2005; Rinzler, 2004). This triggers a natural insulin response