Essay on childhood obesity

GENERAL PURPOSE:

SPECIFIC PURPOSE:
THESIS SENTENCE:
Childhood Obesity is medical condition which is characterized by accumulation of access fats in the body of a person. It is a very dangerous experience which can jeopardize the health of a child. More importantly, the effects can be felt even during adulthood. Medically, obesity can be determined by measuring the amount of Body Mass Index (BMI) of a patient. According to a series of researches so far done, obesity can be caused by a combination of genetically, environmental and medical factors. It has posed a very great threat in the lives of many people ( Dietz, W. H., 2007). Often, it extends to adulthood where it may be a prerequisite cause of complications such as stroke.

Introduction

– Facts
– Definition
– BMI equals to or greater than the 95th percentile
– Determination
– BMI for children with two or more years
– It is proved when the BMI is not within the normal range even if it is dependant on one’s age and gender
– Records
– More than 10% of children suffer obesity
– Thesis Statement: childhood obesity has become so rampant in the modern society. Although it has very many causes, the fact is that people have to be blamed for their destructive lifestyle. Children have grown up to be what they observe in their respective families. There is need to create a conducive environment for children (Rudolf, M. C. et al., 2005).

Body

– Causes
– Inheritance
– A child may inherit the genes of obesity from its parents. It is more about genetics
– Diet and eating culture
– Consumerism has altered the life of human beings today
– Many children eat fast foods such as snacks and sugar laden soft drinks
– Children are exposed to fast foods because they are sold within their reach-at home, in the streets and at schools
– Morphology
– Many children get exposed to obesity as a result of their body structure
– Some children are naturally fat and have a lot of calories in their bodies
– Natural selection
– Some children suffer obesity as a result of natural selection
– Effects
– Psychological Effects
– Obesity causes emotional torture on victims
– They are detached from the rest of the society
– They are often stressed
– Obese children suffer stigmatization from their respective families (Kopelman, P. G., 2005).
– They are jeered by their peers hence becoming unhappy
– It causes depression
– It leads to low self esteem on the victims
– It is a major cause for anxiety in children
– Medical Effects
– Childhood obesity has long term effects on children
– They are stigmatized by other people who call them as abnormal human beings
– Childhood obesity can persist during adulthood and graduate to adulthood obesity
– Childhood obesity is associated with a lot of medical conditions
– It causes diabetes
– It can lead to a stroke
– It is a major cause for the high blood pressure
– It causes liver and heart diseases
– Can eventually result into type 2 diabetes
– It causes eating disorders
– Also causes sleeping disorders
– Can result into asthma
– Mortality
– Obesity experienced during adolescence can be a major cause for high mortality rates during adulthood
– Preventive and Control Measures
– Public Awareness
– Parents to be educated on exactly what to do
– Mothers should undergo pre and post natal counseling sessions
– Mothers should breast feed their babies as recommended by their physicians
– Mothers should control their eating habits
– Lifestyle change
– Diet
– People should stop using fast foods which are the major causes of obesity
– Children’s diet should be strictly regulated and closely monitored by their parents
– No child should be exposed to fast foods especially in their schools (Deurenberg P. et al., 2002).
– Family should change its meals to influence the attitude of their children while they are still young
– All the fast food stores in schools and adverts in the media should be highly controlled
– Physical Fitness
– Children should be encouraged to take physical exercises in a regular manner
– Children should be encouraged to engage in more mobile activities such as soccer and running
– Children should not engage in immobile games such as watching television and playing computer games
– Medication
– Childhood obesity does not have a known medical cure
– Orlisat can be used for adolescents ageing 16 years and above
– Sibutramine can be used for adolescents with the age of 12 years and above

Conclusion:

– Conclusively, childhood obesity can attack anybody
– Consumerism has put people in a greatest danger for contracting it
– There is need to create a public awareness to sensitize people on the importance of controlling this condition
– Obesity is risky because it can expose people to many dangers such as high blood pressure and stroke
– Control is better than cure.

Works Cited

Deurenberg P. et al. (2002). ” Body mass index as a measure of body fatness: age- and sex-specific prediction formulas” Br. J. Nutr. 65 (2): 105–14.
Dietz, W. H. (2007). ” Long-term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents. A follow-up of the Harvard Growth Study of 1922 to 1935″. The New England Journal of Medicine 327 (19): 1350–5.
Kopelman, P. G (2005). Clinical obesity in adults and children: In Adults and Children. Blackwell Publishing.
Rudolf, M. C. et al. (2005). ” Childhood obesity”. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 90 (3): 1871–87.