Childhood Obesity in the USA.edited.edited
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Childhood Obesity in the USA
Obesity is a global issue affecting many children. In the United States, the statistics
depict that over 19 percent of children were obese in 2022 (Tsoi et al.,p17). Obesity starts from
being overweight and no action is taken to manage the weight. Numerous factors contribute to
obesity in children including lifestyle, genetics, and certain medications among others. The other
major factor that contributes to childhood obesity is the community environment that shapes the
children and the behavior they develop. Although obesity is a complex issue in the US caused by
lack of physical exercise, genetic factors and nutrition, it can be deterred by adopting healthy
living.
Arguments
Lack of physical exercise like running, playing football, or riding bicycle among other
activities may lead to a child becoming overweight, and later obese. Physical exercises are
important because they help one to be fit and prevent several diseases. Exercise also helps the
body to utilize the energy stored thus releasing the extra weight and maintaining a suitable
weight.
The second cause of obesity is caused by environmental factors like emotional distress
and psychosocial factors (Jebeile et al., p10). Sometimes the children develop coping strategies
such as stress eating that lead up to overweight and consequently obesity. The environment also
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includes the prevailing culture and lifestyle of eating processed and sugary foods which increases
the risk. Parents and children should be encouraged to adopt good cultures and lifestyles to
enhance the deterrence of obesity among children.
Medical issues can also lead to overweight and eventually cause obesity among children.
Medication that affects corticoids has been known to contribute to cases of obesity among
children.
When children are under medication some of them can become overweight and
eventually obese because of the side effects of some medicine. In most cases, doctors
recommend various processes that can be taken to prevent the negative effects of medicines, or
they recommend other alternatives.
Solutions
There are various solutions to childhood obesity. One of the solutions is physical
exercise. It helps the body to utilize the energy stored thus releasing the extra weight and
maintaining a suitable weight (
Dietz & Louise, p325). Children should engage in physical
activities to help them reduce weight and become fit. Parents can motivate their children to play
by providing a conducive environment to play football, ride bicycles, and run in the field. A
conducive environment should be developed in neighborhoods to encourage children to take part
in physical activities like cycling.
The other solution is checking on their nutrition. A balanced diet allows children to
consume nutritious foods that promote good health and thus reduce the risk of being overweight
(
Dietz & Louise, p325). Nutritious foods should be availed to achieve a balanced diet. The other
important factor is stress management which is common among adolescents who lack the coping
skills that are healthy for them. Eating disorders arise due to poor coping with stress among
children (Anderson et al., p20). Teaching them proper stress management techniques helps them
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to develop a positive relationship with food and also reduce endocrine diseases that arise due to
reaction to stress hormones.
Counterarguments
Some opponents argue that children are already exposed to physical exercises as they
walk or perform other activities. However, it is important to note that physical exercise ought to
be done in a way that help children become physically fit, and achieve the set goals; which can
include reducing weight. Some children stay indoors instead of playing with their peers in the
field. Encouraging children to play is crucial in eliminating cases of obesity.
Moreover, some people argue that children should not be forced to eat certain types of
food because of the nutritional value but should eat what they like. Although individual freedom
is assured there is a need to protect children from consuming any food without checking for their
nutrients and other important aspects in order to ensure that they get a balanced diet to prevent
cases of obesity among children. Therefore, the government should play a critical role in helping
the vulnerable people in society to achieve the best nutritious food.
In conclusion, although obesity is a complex issue in the US caused by lack of physical
exercise, genetic factors and nutrition, it can be deterred by adopting healthy living. Numerous
factors contribute to obesity in children including lifestyle, genetics, and certain medications
among others. We can deal with obesity issues by taking various precautions like physical
exercises, giving children nutritious meals that promote good health and reduce risks of being
overweight, observing a balanced diet in children, and stress management. Action should be
taken to encourage healthy living in children and prevent obesity.
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Works Cited
Anderson, Patricia M., Kristin F. Butcher, and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach. "Understanding
recent trends in childhood obesity in the United States."
Economics & Human Biology
34
(2019): 16-25.
Dietz, William H., and Louise A. Baur. "The Prevention of Childhood Obesity."
Clinical Obesity
in Adults and Children
(2022): 323-338.
Jebeile, Hiba, et al. "Obesity in children and adolescents: epidemiology, causes, assessment, and
management."
The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology
(2022).
Tsoi, Man-Fung, et al. "Prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States in 1999–2018: A 20-
year analysis."
Obesity Facts
15.4 (2022): 560-569.