Increase in Obesity among American Children
One major trend among children in the United States today is obesity. The trend has considerably grown in recent years and will keep on growing if we do not aware people of the serious medical risks involved. According to the article “Obesity: A Weighty Issue for Children,” “The number of overweight and obese children in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades” (Schmidt). Obesity is not just a few extra pounds, but on average the ten percent of extra weight on a person depending on their height and body type. The condition of obesity most commonly begins in childhood between the ages of five and six. According to an article written by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “Studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of ten and thirteen has an 80% chance of becoming an obese adult.” We need to teach children to avoid the extra sweets to have a healthy lifestyle.
Obesity is a condition we can avoid if we all make an attempt to eat healthy and exercise. A person gets to an obese stage if he/she eats more calories than the body burns. Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The ranges of both overweight and obesity are calculated using your height and weight by BMI (Body Mass Index). If a person’s BMI calculates between 25.5 and 29 a person is considered overweight and if a person’s BMI is 30 or greater that person is considered to be obese. A healthy weight should be a BMI of 18.5–24.9.
Many factors are considered to be causes of obesity among children. The causes are complex and include genetic, biological, behavioral, and cultural factors. According to the American Academy, “If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that the children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, the children have an 80 percent chance of being obese.” Parents have the greatest influence on their children; children eat whatever their parents give to them. Many children have poor eating habits and they over eat the types of food that are not good for them. Some children are considered couch potatoes because they lack physical activity. These children tend to be attracted to watching their favorite shows on T.V. and play video games all day long. Statistics show that the number of children who attend daily physical education classes have decreased from 18.3% in 1995 to 12% in 2001. Medical illnesses and medications could also be causable factors.
Some children are attracted to eating and over eating food to pleasure themselves to deal with stressful life events or changes; parents being separated, divorced, moving to a new home, deaths, or abuse. As children get older, some develop a low self-esteem. Other children are obese because of their family history. A third grader was taken away from his parents because he was obese; he weighed over 200 pounds. The child had suffered from a weight-related health issue of losing weight, but his mother didn’t help her child lose the pounds. The Department of Children and Family Services asked court for custody and brought the child to a foster home. These children are not aware of the serious issues; they need to be taught that over eating is not good.
During the years 2007-2008 an estimated 16.9 percent of children from ages 2-19 years old are obese in the United States. According to one study “Half of the U.S. children/adolescents overall will become overweight around the year 2070” (Beydoun). This is a serious matter. Obese children like to eat or drink things that are high in calories, salt, sugars, and fat; consuming the wrong portion size. All children like to eat food that is advertised especially ones that come with toys. Many tend to persuade their parents to buy them McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or cereal to get the toys that come inside. A recent article was published by The New York Times stating that San Francisco’s McDonald's restaurants were going to ban the free toys that come with the happy meals. Even though McDonald's is trying to make the meals healthy, they still do not meet specific nutritional standards. The New York Times mentions “The toys are the only reason kids want Happy Meals and the only reason parents buy them” (Storm). Many times a child that is obese eats too much fast food. An average happy meal including a hamburger, french fries, and a chocolate shack is 700 calories. Another issue is children drink too much sugar soft drinks. More than half of U.S. middle/ high school’s vending machines and school canteens offer sugar drinks that are unhealthy. Once obese children consume these things they do not make an attempt to pursue in any physical activities. Everyone should have at least sixty minutes of aerobic physical activity each day.
The condition of obesity has many risks and complications. Children are not aware of what could happen to them if they over eat and do not exercise. They feel that food makes them happy and they will eat until they are over filled. Children that are obese have a high risk of having high blood pressure and cholesterol that could end up turning into cardiovascular disease. Consuming a lot of sugar products could have a risk of impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and be diagnosed with type II diabetes. Being obese could enable a person to have breathing problems, having a high chance of being diagnosed with asthma and sleep apnea. The extra weight added to one’s body may create joint problems and musculoskeletal discomfort. Social and psychological problems could also be a risk which may make an obese child be discriminated by others and have poor self esteem that could continue in the future. In some cases some children have tragically died from being obese. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year.” This issue can be solved to better the children of tomorrow.
Obesity affects so many children in this country; with help and guidance they can make themselves healthy. Children that are obese can start with a weight-management program to lose the extra weight. They can change their eating habits by eating slow and develop a routine. Parents can have plan meals and make better food selections for their kids. These meals should have a reasonable portion and consume fewer calories. Having a lot of energy, children should have an increased amount of physical activity to be in shape and be sociable. Parents should know what their child is eating at school. Children should be at the dining room table to eat as a family instead of watching T.V. Parents can try to avoid constantly buying fast food as a reward and buy it once in a great while. The obese child should also attend a support group to give confidence in him/herself. Children are the future of tomorrow let them know the risks and get them involved in physical activities to avoid obesity.
Works Cited:
· Schmidt, Charles W. "OBESITY: A Weighty Issue For Children." Environmental Health Perspectives 111.13 (2003): A700. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 9 Dec. 2011.
· Storm, Stephanie. “Toys Stay in San Francisco Happy Meals, for a Charge.” New York Times on the Web 30 Nov. 2011. 9 Dec. 2011 <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/business/toys-to-cost-extra-in-san-francisco- happy-meals.html?_r=2&ref=mcdonaldscorporation> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/business/toys-to-cost-extra-in-san-francisco-happy-meals.html?_r=2&ref=mcdonaldscorporation
· “Obesity In Children And Teens.” 2010. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 3 Dec. 2011 <http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/obesity_in_children_and_teens>
· Beyboun, May. Caballero, Benjamin. Kumanyika, Shiriki. Liang, Lan. Wang, Youfa. “Will All Americans Become Overweight or Obese? Estimating the Progression and Cost of the US Obesity Epidemic.” Research Journal Obesity. (2008). 3 Dec. 2011
<http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n10/full/oby2008351a.html>
· “Overweight and Obesity.” CDC. 2011. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 3 Dec. 2011 <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/solutions.html>
Post Write:
- I feel like I strongly made my point. I stated that in recent years there has been an increase in obesity among American children. This trend has doubled in two decades. I added that a third grader was taken from his parents because of his obesity and the McDonald's restaurants in San Francisco are banning the free toys that come with the happy meal.
- I don’t know if I should be more precise with the anecdotes I included.
- 1) Did the anecdotes help with understanding the trend?
2) Does this analysis let my readers be aware of the issue, the increase of obesity among American children?
Hi Melanie:
ReplyDeleteYou do have a clear trend, and you do document the existence of that trend with credible evidence: good.
You also have a good deal of relevant information in your analysis--good, again.
But I sense a real problem of focus and organization. So much is going on that I'd like you to focus on one idea at a time, making sure that each paragraph sticks to that particular topic sentence. See my comments below for examples of straying from your focus.
So, I suggest that you identify one cause at a time and spend a paragraph on that cause; do the same with effects (use those terms, by the way,for your reader's sake).
I think this has potential but needs to be reined in a bit.
I'd rather you given the author's name rather than the title of the article, or just refer to an expert and then properly cite the source using in-text citation: the article “Obesity: A Weighty Issue for Children,”
You might want to begin this paragraph with a topic sentence that raises the causes of obesity in kids: is a condition we can avoid if we all make an attempt to eat healthy and exercise
I'm not sure of the relevant, nor do I see a source cited (troubling): The ranges of both overweight and obesity are calculated using your height and weight by BMI (Body Mass Index). If a person’s BMI calculates between 25.5 and 29 a person is considered overweight and if a person’s BMI is 30 or greater that person is considered to be obese. A healthy weight should be a BMI of 18.5–24.9.
you've changed subjects in this paragraph--Some children are considered couch potatoes because they lack physical activity. These children tend to be attracted to watching their favorite shows on T.V. and play video game
why not devote a separate paragraph for this cause?
I'm not sure why this passage is placed where it is: During the years 2007-2008 an estimated 16.9 percent of children from ages 2-19 years old are obese in the United States. According to one study “Half of the U.S. children/adolescents overall will become overweight around the year 2070” (Beydoun).
--as to your list of Works Cited, you do a good job with MLA but will need to omit the URL's and will need to alpbabetize your list.
Talk Back:
ReplyDelete- I provide a clear trend and documented that the trend exists with credible evidence. I also include good relevant information to my analysis. Once you read my analysis, you see there is a problem of focus and organization. I focus on so much information; I should focus on one item at a time, making sure that each paragraph sticks with its original topic. You see that it has potential but it needs some adjustments. I should focus on the author’s last name or the expert, rather than the title of the article: “Obesity: A Weighty Issue for Children.” You suggest I start this paragraph with a topic sentence that raises the causes of obesity in kids: is a condition we can avoid if we make an attempt to eat healthy and exercise. You do not see the relevance or source cite: The ranges of both overweight and obesity are calculated using your height and weight by BMI (Body Mass Index). If a person’s BMI calculates between 25.5 and 29 a person is considered overweight and if a person’s BMI is 30 or greater that person is considered to be obese. A healthy weight should be a BMI of 18.5–24.9. I switched subjects in this paragraph: --Some children are considered couch potatoes because they lack physical activity. These children tend to be attracted to watching their favorite shows on T.V. and play video game. I may want to add a separate paragraph for this cause. You are not sure why I place this passage where I placed it: During the years 2007-2008 an estimated 16.9 percent of children from ages 2-19 years old are obese in the United States. According to one study “Half of the U.S. children/adolescents overall will become overweight around the year 2070” (Beydoun). I include a works cited list, but I must put it in alphabetical order and add the URL’S
- One thing that I thought would work well is adding current events like when a third grader was taken away from his parents because he was obese, in paragraph four : “A third grader was taken away from his parents because he was obese; he weighed over 200 pounds. The child had suffered from a weight-related health issue of losing weight, but his mother didn’t help her child lose the pounds. The Department of Children and Family Services asked court for custody and brought the child to a foster home.” I also included that McDonald’s restaurants in San Francisco banning the free toy that comes with happy meals, in paragraph five “A recent article was published by The New York Times stating that San Francisco’s McDonald's restaurants were going to ban the free toys that come with the happy meals. Even though McDonald's is trying to make the meals healthy, they still do not meet specific nutritional standards. The New York Times mentions “The toys are the only reason kids want Happy Meals and the only reason parents buy them” (Storm). I want to know if it was a good idea to add this information and if I placed it in the right spots.
- I learned that I have to keep a clear focus and organize my information so my reader will be able to understand my argument. I can use this method in my future literature pieces to make my writing flow.