How would you feel if you were told your ten-year-old child was dying because of heart disease? Or better yet, heart disease that could have been prevented. What if your child's routine check up with the pediatrician reveled he/she was in the 90th percentile for weight. Predicting the weight to only double in the next few years if your child remained in the current trend of eating habits and activity level. How would you feel if due to your child's weight his peers were bullying him? Causing low self-esteem and poor grades in school. if only you were more aware of how your influence as well as the television industry was exposing your children to unhealthy food choices causing them to desire sugary, high calorie, non-nutritious foods, leading to childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity is a major health concern. In 2014, more than one third of children were obese or overweight. This means that one in three families are affected by childhood obesity. The increase in prevalence of childhood obesity has caused American's to be more worried today than ever. Overweight or obese children can be traumatized physically and emotionally. Why should we allow our children to experience adult physical and emotional problems? Scarring them for life.
Childhood obesity leads to complex medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, asthma, breathing problems, sleep disorders, early puberty, low self-esteem, depression, and learning problems. Childhood obesity can be avoided. We have the power to change the environmental factors that are affecting our children. We must take into consideration how greatly the impact of parental/family influence makes on our children. Children imitate their parents, if a child is raised observing their parents eating fruits and vegetables, they will learn that it is normal to consume these healthy habits. Physical activity is another important factor, the physical activity of our youth has decreased in the last decade. Just look around you, our TV's are remote controlled, providing entertainment at just a fingertip away. Computers are portable, providing on the go entertainment. One can drive up to a restaurant and get food within five minutes. In the past, schools had mandatory physical education. These are just a few examples of how our society has become more sedentary, helping our youth to become obese.
Another way to solve the childhood obesity epidemic is to place limits on the types of Tv advertisement our society is being exposed to overall. Nutritional restrictions must be configured on all food and beverages advertised on TV. If restrictions were fixed on all TV commercials and only healthy alternatives were being advertised, the childhood obesity epidemic will decrease. This change as well as education parents on the effects of sedentary lifestyles will help to make an impact on our obese children. As nurses it is our duty to spread the work on the detrimental effects of childhood obesity. Education our patients on prevention and lifestyle changes will help change the obesity epidemic.
I don't think it's strictly a matter of choice. Of course they could have chosen to eat and exercise differently but I don't think it's simple for everyone. One thing I believe is that our food culture is horrible for some metabolisms. We're all thrown into it together and some metabolisms are completely unforgivable.
I just can't be self righteous about it, I was given something I didn't earn, and if I throw a little effort into it I get pretty immediate results.
I agree with your statement. Perhaps blaming it all on choice was too broad of me. But is an important factor.
I actually have trouble pinpointing an specific food culture for the US. I see a mix of so many varied food cultures that is hard for me to see a main one.
Could you please expand on that part, i am curious about it?
I agree with your statement. Perhaps blaming it all on choice was too broad of me. But is an important factor.
I actually have trouble pinpointing an specific food culture for the US. I see a mix of so many varied food cultures that is hard for me to see a main one.
Could you please expand on that part, i am curious about it?
Starbucks on every corner selling addictive high sugar caffeinated drinks that pull people in at least daily. I literally used to drink 2-3 macchiatos every day, I got so hooked on them with the combo of caffeine and sugar. Plus unlike any other place, Starbucks had the cool factor for quite awhile.
Everyday and weekend sports feeding kids (and parents) in the drive thrus, fast food everyday after school and on weekend plus cases of Costco processed snacks between drive thru runs. It's been years but I used to think Nutrigrain, fruit leather and granola bars were healthy snacks and they were so affordable bought in bulk.
Schools, where the *educated* run things and serve more highly processed crap.
Though it's turning around, our govt and medical organizations pushing low fat cereal, low fat milk, rice and pasta as healthy foods while perpetuating carb cravings and IR with the insulin swings it creates.
Also allowing our food manufacturers to load everything, including products pretending to be healthy, with HFCS, salt, MSG..is it no wonder how we as a society developed terrible food cravings and habits?
For some of us, food addiction hasn't become a problem, others could fight the additions and break the cycle, others blessed/cursed with risk factors that make it the most difficult challenge of their lives.
Who would have thought that limiting the type and amount of food would be so hard? People who work hard and accomplish feats such as completing nursing school while juggling kids and bills but cannot seem to achieve weight loss? You cannot just call them lazy or weak willed.
Why is San Francsico thin? They are not all wealthy and educated. But going to their one Costco or any store is not simple, most homes and apartments do not have large pantries, there are no drive thrus, Starbucks are everywhere but espresso is cool not Frappacinos. They have a few fast foods scattered here and there but have you ever tried to get to one? The parking alone will send you home. Public school kids actually walk blocks to school, I fell over when I learned my SO's kids walked all over, but but how dangerous is that??! When was the last time you heard of a kid abducted/assaulted in SF? Meanwhile the middle class are lined up in drive thrus on their way to canned exercise.
If a child's weight is affecting their function, then by all means have a discussion with your pediatrician about it. But if otherwise healthy children grow out before growing up, there is no need to call the food police. (The food police already exist in public schools, anyways)
I liked your entire post but wanted to respond to this. Schools are under the gun via "the food police" already. Here in California, vending machines with soda and candy and other non-nutritious stuff are gone! We had a food policewoman . .err. . .auditor come recently to check out whether our district was doing things in accordance with all the rules and regs passed by the government bureaucracy.
Personally, I think expanding the government into every nook and cranny of American lives is a misuse of what our government is supposed to be about. And I don't think banning commercials will do a gosh-darn thing about obesity. But that's another story.
I think this is mainly about food choices by parents. I live in a rural area too with a great abundance of healthy choices available but many parents still choose to go to a fast food place instead of packing a healthy lunch for their athlete.
There is a split in my own family where a diabetic member buys a child anything the child wants regarding food. And the child usually makes the choice for a burger, fries, and milkshake.
Starbucks on every corner selling addictive high sugar caffeinated drinks that pull people in at least daily. I literally used to drink 2-3 macchiatos every day, I got so hooked on them with the combo of caffeine and sugar. Plus unlike any other place, Starbucks had the cool factor for quite awhile.
Everyday and weekend sports feeding kids (and parents) in the drive thrus, fast food everyday after school and on weekend plus cases of Costco processed snacks between drive thru runs. It's been years but I used to think Nutrigrain, fruit leather and granola bars were healthy snacks and they were so affordable bought in bulk.
Schools, where the *educated* run things and serve more highly processed crap.
Though it's turning around, our govt and medical organizations pushing low fat cereal, low fat milk, rice and pasta as healthy foods while perpetuating carb cravings and IR with the insulin swings it creates.
Also allowing our food manufacturers to load everything, including products pretending to be healthy, with HFCS, salt, MSG..is it no wonder how we as a society developed terrible food cravings and habits?
For some of us, food addiction hasn't become a problem, others could fight the additions and break the cycle, others blessed/cursed with risk factors that make it the most difficult challenge of their lives.
Who would have thought that limiting the type and amount of food would be so hard? People who work hard and accomplish feats such as completing nursing school while juggling kids and bills but cannot seem to achieve weight loss? You cannot just call them lazy or weak willed.
Why is San Francsico thin? They are not all wealthy and educated. But going to their one Costco or any store is not simple, most homes and apartments do not have large pantries, there are no drive thrus, Starbucks are everywhere but espresso is cool not Frappacinos. They have a few fast foods scattered here and there but have you ever tried to get to one? The parking alone will send you home. Public school kids actually walk blocks to school, I fell over when I learned my SO's kids walked all over, but but how dangerous is that??! When was the last time you heard of a kid abducted/assaulted in SF? Meanwhile the middle class are lined up in drive thrus on their way to canned exercise.
Thank you for your explanation. I agree with your points, location does makes a difference. Indeed americans consume too much processed food.
Diet and exercise may present an incomplete picture when it comes to kids becoming overweight or obese. A new study suggests family-related factors also play a role, particularly for girls.
The study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine last month, examined three types of family stress to understand which, when experienced repeatedly, are linked to being overweight or obese at age 18. They included family disruption and conflict — events such as a mother divorcing or remarrying, a parent being sent to jail, the death of someone close, or the child suffering violence; financial strain, measured in part by living below the poverty line or a mother's long period of unemployment; and maternal poor health, which included a mother's binge drinking, drug use, and depression.
Analyzing longitudinal survey data on nearly 4,800 adolescents, the researchers found that girls who experienced family disruption and conflict or financial strain repeatedly between their birth and age 15 were more likely to be overweight or obese at age 18. For boys, maternal poor health was linked to being overweight or obese at 18.
The study did not explore the reason for the gender differences. Yet the findings align with those from earlier research showing that family instability and economic adversity seem to place girls — but not boys — at greater risk of obesity during young adulthood.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I can totally believe that. I work in a clinic where there is a very high rate of dysfunction, broken families, mental illness and drug use. I firmly believe from my observations that obesity is often closely linked with depression, life dissatisfaction, poor coping, and high childhood stressors.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I think possibly the disconnect is in how one defines "breakdown of the family". I don't consider single parents/divorced parents as "broken." That's not what I'm referring to.
The quote above directly mentions parental divorce and relationships that come after parental breakup and stress the kids. I don't know how much more direct that can be.
The quote above directly mentions parental divorce and relationships that come after parental breakup and stress the kids. I don't know how much more direct that can be.
But single parents can and do have functional relationships. The break down comes from the stress of disfunctional relationships. Non traditional relationships can and do work functionally.
come recently to check out whether our district was doing things in accordance with all the rules and regs passed by the government bureaucracy.
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I agree with your statement. Perhaps blaming it all on choice was too broad of me. But is an important factor.
I actually have trouble pinpointing an specific food culture for the US. I see a mix of so many varied food cultures that is hard for me to see a main one.
Could you please expand on that part, i am curious about it?