Childhood Obesity, the parent's role in prevention Research Paper

Childhood Obesity, the parent's role in prevention - Research Paper Example With the changing trends and lifestyle, obesity in children is increasing day by day. Traditionally kids were more involved in outdoor activities which would require physical effort and strength. But the introduction of various video games, internet, children movies and other technological advances has made children couch potatoes. With lesser amount of physical activity comes more weight gain and lethargy among children. Statistics show that about 15% of children between 6-11 years and adolescence between 12-19 years are overweight in the United States. These statistics are set to grow as children indulge in unhealthy eating habits and lesser physical activity. Obesity is one of the greatest health challenges and brings many risks to a child life. Apart from looking out of shape, obese children face many health issues from early ages as compared to their lean friends. â€Å"In the short term, overweight and obese children are more likely to develop certain gastrointestinal, cardiov ascular, endocrine and orthopaedic problems than their lean peers that may exacerbate in the long run.† (Hills, King, and Byrne, 2007) The problem of obesity in children is difficult to handle. For a child, strict diet is not an option for weight loss because he needs all food sources and appropriate nourishment for his body. Another problem that hinders obesity management is the lack of data available for obese children. Very few countries publish data showing obesity in children and thus there is a lack of public and strategic health programs in schools reinforcing a healthy lifestyle. Looking at some of the available figures for childhood obesity gives us an idea of the overall health level for children. â€Å"The figures presented here are based on the latest and most reliable available, some of which were previously published in 2006 by Wang and Lobstein: Table 1.1 Estimated prevalence of excess body weight in school-age children in 2010 Region Obese Overweight (includin g obese) America 15% 48% Middle east & N. Africa 12% 42% Europe & Former USSR 10% 38% West Pacific 7% 27% South East Asia 5% 23% Africa Less than 1% Less than 5% Countries in each region are according to World Health Organization Source: Wang & Lobstein† (Waters, Swinburn, & Seidel, 2010) The causes of obesity in children are wide and debatable. Some attribute the childhood obesity to pure genetic behaviour say that childhood obesity s transformed from one generation to the other and there is not much prevention in this case. According to the people who label childhood obesity as genetic phenomenon, a child cannot escape from gathering excess fat in his body because of his genetic tendency and metabolism rate. However, there are people who believe that obesity comes from the way of life that is built up in the very early ages of a child’s development. According to them if a child is made to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet, he can not only overcome the g enetic label of weight gain associated with his family but also remain fit and healthy avoiding many diseases associated with weight gain. The group of people, who are of the opinion that the child’s way of living is the major reason for the excessive weight gain, argue that at many times you will see lean and fit parents having overweight and obese kids. In that case one can see that overweight is not inherited but acquired through a poor and unhealthy lifestyle.