Childhood Obesity

Obesity in children is a growing epidemic. It is becoming a widespread and global issue, but specifically, it is and has been an issue in the United States. This problem is not only affecting children, but it is setting a steady lifestyle that will eventually lead to major health concerns. Currently, 1 out of 3 children that are born after the year of 2000 will develop early, onset diabetes. There are several causes as to why diabetes is and has been such an epidemic; family schedules, family values, marketing companies, school lunch programs, and the way food is processed are reasons that are just brushing the surface of this rising issue. It’s not as though families are consciously trying to put their children in a dangerous health situation, but with today’s economy and the way of life in families now, it is hard to compromise to eat healthy at times. These days, it is typical for two of the parents in the household to work, so meals are often quick, and with quickness, there is often unhealthy food available that is quick and easy to prepare. However, there are ways to be healthy by still keeping the “quick and easy” aspect alive. Also, the mindset that families “cannot afford to eat healthy,” is a mentality that many families in our nation face today with the grim economic situations that many families are going through. Educating parents and families about this topic could certainly improve the rapid growing rates of childhood obesity. A child is still a child until they are 18, and until then they are under their parent’s consent until they reach that age. Parents should do something about childhood obesity because they are essentially in control of what their children eat and because in those formative years, parents mold their eating habits, not only by direction, but by reflection.

In their article, “Parents as the Exclusive Agents of Change in the Treatment of Childhood Obesity,” Moria Golan, Abragam Weizman, Alan Apter, and Menahem Fainaru argue that parents are the most effective tool in the approach to decrease the rates of obesity in children. The authors back up there claim by giving trends, percentages, and statistics which all point to the fact that parents are the most effective way to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle for children. In order to get this point across, the authors state: “Parents and adult caregivers play an important role in the development of proper eating habits by young children. The parents’ food preferences, the quantities, and variety of foods in the home, the parents’ eating behavior, and the parents’ physical activity patterns work in concert to establish an emotional environment in which obesity may or may not be discouraged.”

According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),“Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.” With advances in technology, children are exposed to an entirely new environment that previous generations did not have the luxury of having. But is it a luxury or is it a severe tragedy that has trapped children and their parents to live a lifestyle the way companies want them to live?  It is evident that childhood obesity is a national epidemic that appears to not have an end in sight. With that said, what is being done to prevent and put a halt to the problem? Jhih-Syuan Lin and Vincent Cicchirillo, authors of “Stop Playing With Your Food,” point out that one of the ways marketers advertise a product is through interactive video games. They refer to this branding technique as “advergaming.”  In their article, Lin and Cicchirillo effectively use rhetoric in order to increase the audience's awareness of the affects that food advertising has on childhood obesity.

In their article, “Early adiposity rebound: causes and consequences for obesity in children and adults,” MF Rolland-Cachera, M Deheeger, M Maillot, F Bellisle recognize the fact that childhood obesity is becoming a more prevalent issue on a global level; they relate this to the trends with early adiposity rebound, which measures particular BMI patterns. The authors support their claim by including information and assessments of children in correspondence to their adiposity rebound, with charts included as well. They also note that the trends are directly related to the predictors of adult obesity and health risks later on in life. The authors have an informative tone and are targeting an interested audience, particularly one that cares about this issue of obesity.

In their article, “Childhood Obesity,” Jennifer Miller, Arian Rosenbloom, and Janet Silverstein address the issue of childhood obesity and claim that the environment is a major factor and concern when it comes to obesity amongst youth. The authors back up their claim by including basic environmental changes that have occurred over the past few decades, from transportation to the foods that children eat, it is evident that environmental factors have changed and are causing a downward spiral when it comes to children’s health. To address the seriousness of the issue, the authors state: “Currently, obesity is the second-leading cause of preventable death, after cigarette smoking. If our children continue to gain weight at the current rates, obesity will soon become the leading cause of death in the United States.” By focusing on childhood obesity, the authors recognize that with alterations done to a child’s environment, their overall well-being and future good be drastically improved.

In order to create a healthier environment for children and to put a halt to the increasing rates of obesity in today's youth, there must be a combined effort from the government, marketing companies, and most importantly, parents so that they make a conscious effort to mold their children’s eating habits.