Childhood Obesity In Children

More research is needed to examine whether food advertising is a causal factor for increased risk of obesity. Experimental and epidemiologic research, including longitudinal designs, is needed to study the effect of food advertising on children's food choices, eating behaviors and body weight. Studies need to include the various marketing channels used to reach youth, such as television, schools, and the Internet, as well as different age periods, such as early childhood, middle childhood, and

In the United States, a crisis is breaking out known as the Obesity epidemic. For the first time in history, it is possible for the children of this generation to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Millions of Americans are exposed to ads that are luring them into eating the cheap, fast food of billion dollar companies such as McDonald’s. Obesity has established itself as the fastest growing disease in the nation and continues to make an impact on the general population. The issue of Obesity is directly related to todays technology through television, cell phones, video games and all of sorts of new gadgets.

This disorder has grown tremendously, multiply in children and even quadrupled in teenagers over the past few decades. Obesity is a condition were a person is significate over-weight for his or her height and weight, too much body fat can lead to long term healthy problem such as physical, mentally and emotionally if treatment is not applied. Obesity is mostly effecting children ages 2- 19 years of age, about 1/3 of children under the age of 11 years old are obese. In the years of 2016 about 41 million preschool children were considered obeses. Childhood obesity is obtained through food addiction, which one consumes a large portion at one time. Obesity can occur for varies of reason such as lack of physical activities, Genetics, certain medications

The previous paper presented an overview about obesity rates in children. It looked at the health and economic issues that arose from obesity in our society. The prevalence, etiology, consequences and treatments for childhood obesity were explored. In the second paper the aim is to explore the theories and intervention strategies currently used to treat individuals, families and groups experiencing this condition. Research evidence will be presented to support the effectiveness of the current practices and policies to ameliorate this condition.

Why is it very common in the twenty-first century to see obese or overweight children in America? The answer is simple: fast food is convenient. Fast food restaurants are located just about everywhere, and it is extremely simple to find one on every corner. In his article “Don’t Blame the Eater”, David Zinczenko explains that growing up “lunch and dinner…was a daily choice between McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Pizza Hut” (241). The author indicates that these are still the only available options for children to get an affordable meal. Zinczenk explains that fast food has not changed. It is still cheap and not nutritious. The author goes on to demonstrate that it was fast food that led him to childhood obesity. In his

Up until the late 1990s, seeing an obese child was extremely abnormal because children’s main form of entertainment was playing outside. The rate of childhood obesity drastically increased due to the fact that children’s main form of entertainment has shifted from outdoor activities, to vast outlets of easily accessible technology. Children are also being served a variety of unhealthy meals from fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s or Taco Bell. Unfortunately, most parents do not know the underlying truth about what they are feeding their children and often choose the cheapest route for feeding their families. Research indicates that the corpulence of today’s youth is becoming severely problematic, and drastic steps are being taken to solve the obesity concern in adolescents.

Childhood Obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic that has lasting psychological effects because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers lives’ today. Obesity in children is an ongoing concern which many people have to deal with. Obesity is the condition of being overweight. It affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents (“Ebbeling”). Your weight is the result of many things working together-the choices you make, your environment, your metabolism, and your genes.

Fast food companies do not hold back, and they take full advantage of this by advertising their fattening food products that appeal to the children. The American Psychological Association website explains that “Research has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity” (“The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity”). This direct relationship shows the harboring effect that advertisements have on childhood obesity. This also affects the child psychologically. “Most children under age 6 cannot distinguish between programming and advertising and children under age 8 do not understand the persuasive intent of advertising” (“The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity”). Without even realizing it, children are channeling in on these persuasive and luxurious looking advertisements. One tactic that some fast food restaurants use is the inclusion of a free toy with a kid’s meal. “For more than 30 years, McDonald’s has included toys alongside children’s Happy Meals. And for more than 30 years, the rates of diabetes and obesity in children have steadily increased” (“Childhood Lost”). By promoting their business with bribes like this, unhealthy eating habits form, which can result in obesity problems. The fast food industries know that children are vulnerable, so they target them with these bribes. “Happy Meals are marketed as explicitly for children, and then children are rewarded with toys for consuming the high amounts of fat and sodium” (“Childhood Lost”). This is a crafty technique that some fast food restaurants use to sell off their products. Children are too young to realize the effect the advertisements have on them and the long term consequences that may come with

As fast food Industries expand throughout the United States, Americans have chosen to eat unhealthy food saturated in fat. Obesity has become an epidemic in the united states in the 70s impacting the common American family because of the lack of the healthier resources. Fast food company use marketing strategies to target the younger generation by building fast food companies in small towns which destroys any opportunities for the younger generation to eat local unprocessed foods. Obesity is the current issue America is facing and it appears to be growing each day. Many blame fast food who have attracted the public with advertisements containing foods, saturated with chemicals and fats. Propaganda and commercials are the most common advertisements to target the younger

Obesity is the condition of being grossly overweight. For the past decade child obesity has been stable 17%, affection 12.7 million children of the ages 2-19 years old. The beginning of an unhealthy life is first learned at home. When children begin to start learning about different food and portion size they look to their portion size they look to their parents. Starting children off on fast food at a young age to teach them, that is okay for example to have fries all the time instead of vegetables. With parents not taking responsibility for not teaching their children healthy eating habits school meal programs. The research Mary Eberstadt of (“Hoover Institution, a public policy research center devoted to advanced study of politics, economics,

According to WebMD, one third of children in the United States are overweight or obese. The number of obese children continues to rise. Over the past 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity has doubled. Due to being obese there are many health factors that obesity will affect such as, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, early heart disease, diabetes. Many co-morbid conditions like metabolic, cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurological, hepatic, pulmonary, and renal disorders are also seen in association with childhood obesity. There are ways to prevent obesity among children.

As stated by the world of kids, “Currently, an estimated 1 billion people – that’s a little over 1 in 7 – are overweight, and at least 300 million of them are classified as clinically obese.” Even though the commercials for fast food are increasing, fast food advertisements do not contribute to obesity in children because children live a sedentary lifestyle and parents fail to provide a balanced diet. In a recent study Fast Food commercials seem to have risen in the past decade (childhood).

A recent study revealed that 89% of food targeted to children consists of high levels of sugar, fat, and sodium (Harris et al., 2009). These exposures create lifelong eating behaviors and health choices for children (Harris & Graff, 2011). These commercials also have an effect on the increased rate of childhood obesity (Harris & Graff, 2011). The obesity rate is grown rapidly in the Unites States of America; approximately 25 to 40 percent of teenagers are overweight (Rees, 2004). Obesity can cause adolescents to have low self-esteem, be conscious about their body image, and can also result in teasing and bullying by peers (American Psychological Association,

Fast food advertisement agencies take advantage of the ignorance of children to scam them into wanting unhealthy meals. Each year, the fast food industry spends over $3 million of advertising targeted towards children. Half of television advertisement is used during children’s shows and with cartoons. Out of all the factors

About a third of children in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese, and researchers believe television advertising is a significant contributing factor (4). Exposure to television advertising is basically universal and the ads present foods as desirable and attractive. Children have been shown to be far more receptive to television advertising messages than classroom lessons (3). It leaves a harder lasting impression on them because the food products are presented in a cool, fun way that attracts children. Most of the time, children would pick foods that they may not even like, simply because they think it’s the cool thing to eat and once a kid gets his mind set on what they want, it is very hard to steer them away from wanting it. Television ads for foods geared toward children are usually fun, and bright with animations and lots of cool characters that the children can relate to. This directly influences the child’s food preference and unfortunately most of these ads are for processed, unhealthy food products like cereals, snacks, fast food, and soft drinks. In the U.S., there are few restrictions on food ads, but that's not the case in the U.K., where junk food can't be marketed on children's television (4).