Child Obesity, Which Has Become an Epidemic

¶ … child obesity, which has become an epidemic in the current epoch of technological advancements and innovations. Since obesity is escalating at an unprecedented rate specifically amongst the teenagers and children; thus, thus research proposal intends to carry out a comprehensive research to identify its causes.

This paper highlights the plan of the research process in detail that include the aims and objectives of the study, methodology, data collection techniques, risks involved in carrying out the research, ethical and legal considerations, and strategies that can ensure the validity and effectiveness of the research.

Research Design and Data Collection Techniques Research Timeline Strategies to Ensure Validity and Efficacy of the Study Ethical and Legal Considerations Barriers to carry out the Research Study Conclusion References Introduction By looking at the historical context, once can simply claim that being fat was considered a symbol of being healthy. However, this perception over time has changed because health of people on a global basis has become an emerging as well as escalating issue in the contemporary times.

The core focus in the current times is on the well-being of the populace, which facilitates the inhabitants to lead an affluent and flourishing lifestyle (Waters, Swinburn, Seidell & Uauy, 2011). Considering the health issues related to fatness, obesity has emerged as an endemic and grave concern that is being largely witnessed amongst the youth of the communities all over the world.

Obesity is an acute state wherein the child becomes excessively overweight as the unwanted fats within their body accumulate that causes the body to increase in volume (on an extreme level) (Cameron, Hastings & Ellison, 2005). From the research carried out in the past, it has come to notice that this phenomenon is a complicated one that typically causes deteriorating impacts on the health of the sufferers'.

Indeed, the statistical records have also presented alarming facts where more than one-fourth of the population of the United States is likely to suffer from obesity. This population largely includes the children of the American society, which also makes them more vulnerable to be obese throughout their adulthood (Smith, 1999).

Aims and Objectives of the Study As the statistical records of obesity have elucidated the fact that this health enormity is rapidly rising; thus, it has become imperative to carry out a research process to make people aware of its dramatic impacts and how it can be eliminated from the community. In this regard, the thesis statement is 'Childhood obesity in American society is rising at an unprecedented rate, which has become an epidemic with enduring health effects'.

With respect to the subject matter of obesity, the researcher intends to carry out a comprehensive process of investigation with the following aims and objectives: To identify the root causes of obesity amongst the children of American society To discover the impact of advertisements of fast food industry on obesity To discover the impact of physical activities on childhood obesity To classify various health impacts of childhood obesity To determine the possible solutions to overcome the health concern of childhood obesity Methodology The research methodology is a systematic approach and a synthesis of both qualitative and quantitative research, since the primary goal of the study is to determine different aspects of obesity.

Research Design and Data Collection Techniques With respect to the subject matter of this study of childhood obesity, both qualitative and quantitative research techniques would be used to carry out the research process. The amalgamation of both techniques is required in order to collect valuable, extensive, exposed and comprehensive data from the identified target audiences. In order to acquire meaningful and worthwhile information, it is essential that the data collected is valuable (in the form of numerical data as well as the experiences or observations of the target population).

The quantitative research data collection technique is simply based on close ended questionnaires. These questionnaires would be designed to determine the causes of childhood obesity wherein the children would be involved to answer the questionnaires (Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). In addition, another questionnaire would be designed for the parent population to identify not only the causes of childhood obesity but also to determine the impact of physical activities and advertisements of fast food on obesity.

Nevertheless, the qualitative research process would include a detailed interview with the target population of health care professionals. This open-ended interview would be conducted to gain their perceptions about childhood obesity (Merriam, 2009). Moreover, the target audience would also be interviewed to determine how this epidemic of obesity can affect the psychological health of the children that usually have a lasting impact and how it can overcome or be prevented.

Pertaining to the research study on childhood obesity, parents, children, and health care professionals have been considered as the primary target audience of the research process that is the best match population group from which valuable data can be collected. Moreover, the sample size of the population of the children as well as parents would be hundred, while the health care providers would account for ten professionals. Research Timeline This research study would be executed in a period of fifteen weeks.

The first two weeks are the initiation period in which the researcher would formulate the plan for research and will require time to design the questionnaire and interview questions. However, one week to two weeks is required to distribute the questionnaires, and simultaneously, qualitative data would also be collected. After that, almost two weeks are required to analyze the data collected. The last two weeks would be utilized to present the findings of the data.

Below is the demonstration of the project planning: Task Name 1 Literature Review / Formulation of Plan 1st week 2 Submission of Research Proposal 2nd week 3 Qualitative Research Process 3-4th week 4 Analysis of Data 5-7th week 5 Quantitative Research Process 3-4th week 6 Distribution of Questionnaires 5-7th week 7 Collection of Questionnaires 8th week 8 Analysis of Questionnaires 9-11th week 9 write and present Draft of Dissertation with findings of analyzed data 12-14th week 10 Final Submission 15th week Key: task milestone Strategies to Ensure Validity and Efficacy of the Study Validity, efficacy, and cost effectiveness of the study are few of the significant components that should not be overlooked; otherwise, the research process can fail to accomplish the desired goals and objectives.

However, distribution of covering letters amongst the participants is one of the strategies that can develop their confidence and ensure the validity of the research. Moreover, this would also help in acquiring complete cooperation from them that can lead to true, exact, effective and valuable data collection. The covering letter should enclose information such as aims and objectives of research, potential benefits or damage that can result from the study and so on.

In this manner, this cover letter would serve as a source of conviction for the respondents Confidentiality of the information is another considerable aspect that needs to be considered during the course of the research. In this regard, the researchers can make the target audience sign the letter of confidentiality that can ensure that the data provided by them would be valued to a great extent and would not be disclosed in public.

The researchers should make the target audience believe that the analysis and findings of the research would be shared with them, as it plays a substantial role in delivering more accurate information by the respondents. Ethical and Legal Considerations With respect to the subject matter of childhood obesity, it is significant to take into account the legal and ethical considerations while carrying out the research process. This perhaps would lead to precise, more accurate, and exact information that is required to bring into surface.

As an ethical consideration, the researcher should make the respondents very much comfortable that cannot lead them to believe that they are being exploited with the information that they would provide to the researchers. A positive relationship needs to be developed before the research process is conducted, and that respondents' personal dignity would be highly regarded during the research process. The researchers are key responsible people to ensure that the make the respondents feel that their information is being respected and is of great value to their research process.

In fact, the information that they would provide would not be transferred to any other organization or research process without their consent and their data would be kept.