Obesidad Del Nino

Marly Santa
Professor Crilly
ENC1102
2 May 2012
CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in today’s world. Every year the rates of children suffering from obesity increase to up to 30%, and it is not only here in the Unites States but worldwide. Even though scientist and doctors have found the cure, or more exactly ways to solving this epidemic, this is not enough ifparents or the community itself are not involved in helping solve this. Obesity in children not only provides economic and health problems, but also psychological problems such as depression and others. This issue is not only affecting our present but it is also the door that is open to affect our future, knowing that children are the future generation if we don’t teach them how to prevent this issueit will continue going on for many generations to come. Childhood is a growing problem, and the causes of this come from TV channels announcing fast foods, loss of physical activities and up to being the parents fault for not instructing their child on how to eat properly.

Childhood obesity is a condition in which a person’s weight is more than 20% greater than is recommended for his or herheight and age. The increase of childhood obesity during the past few years has surprisingly increased, and this has gained attention from parents and health care providers. The problem to this issue is not that there is no way of solving but that it calls for an effort from children, parents, doctors and even schools. Health care providers have shown an interest in this matter specifically becauseas mentioned before, it deals with the future of the country. “Today’s overweight and obese children will turn into tomorrow’s overweight and obese adults.” (Anderson and Butcher 2) Children are the next generation and if they are not prepared enough to start to cut with this pattern, then the future generations will be the same, with no change or no possibility of getting better with time. Themain point of health providers is to show and teach not only children, but all the community that there are ways to solve this issue, and that by getting involved we can start eliminating this epidemic that has become so usual in today’s world.

Studies show the increasing percentages of overweight and obesity in children from ages 5 to 13 years old. “From the year 2002 to the current year 2012,United States shows a growth of 8% in childhood obesity. In this year, about 42.3% of kids in United States are obese or overweight.” (McCrorie 25) This statistics only show the growing percentage in the United States, meanwhile other countries count with less percentage of growing and other that are higher. Asia, is an example, during the past 10 years childhood obesity has increased 52%

Manythings, people and places also contribute to this growing in childhood obesity. Food advertising, schools, and mostly parents contribute in one way or the other to increase obesity in children. Food advertising make children get interested in foods that are not healthy by just trying to make it seem fun, schools offer a variety of food but none of them been healthy has they should be. A school menunormally consists of food such as pizza, hamburger, macaroni and cheese, sodas, and many things like this. But surprisingly the number one contributer to this epidemic is parents; kids would normally eat what their parents offer them and what they have taught to eat as they have been growing up. United States is a rushed country, and sometimes parents in their rush don’t take the time to reallychoose healthy foods for their children but instead they would buy any fast food that would just make children be full, not knowing all the consequences this will bring.

Food advertising plays an important role in the growing of childhood obesity. According to Vicky McCrorie, “Majority of people in Europe feel that food advertising has a significant effect in children’s behaviors.” (22)...