Childhood Obesity: Breaking the Cycle

allnurses Guide · May 12, 2015

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.

Ok so I am fat because I have only half a colon and don't digest food right. I eat very healthy and exercise. My husband is fat because he likes to eat. Our son is not fat at 13 he is trim, in good athletic condition etc.... I keep the house stocked with healthy foods as well. I don't need govt sponsored socialist reforms to tell me how to parent my child. Have you seen what they are doing in the Netherlands? Government mandated diets and exercis for all children ages 8 to 18 - including Govt mandated bedtimes, no second helpings, no complex carbs or dairy before noon. There's something like 12 or 13 patenting standards that parents must adhere to. That is socialism. This is America a free country with rights and responsibilities. Let the government take over and the next thing you know we have the Hunger Games.

Sheesh

Hppy

Libby1987 · May 12, 2015

Despite what I think in general, I can't ignore what my niece just told me about her daughter's little friend. Obese at 10 yrs old, stay at home devoted mom who gives her obese young daughter soda and other crap every day like a staple. She can't ride her bike a half block, she can't physically play with the other kids but has to sit and watch. She just 10 yrs old and her mother is the cause. I would have the govt get all into her business, it's as much as abuse as neglect is.

allnurses Guide · May 12, 2015

Despite what I think in general, I can't ignore what my niece just told me about her daughter's little friend. Obese at 10 yrs old, stay at home devoted mom who gives her obese young daughter soda and other crap every day like a staple. She can't ride her bike a half block, she can't physically play with the other kids but has to sit and watch. She just 10 yrs old and her mother is the cause. I would have the govt get all into her business, it's as much as abuse as neglect is.

So what is the govt supposed to do? Fine a single mother who is probably already strapped for cash? Make her miss work to take parenting and nutrition classes telling her to make foods she most likely thinks she can't afford, or worse yet take the child and throw her into an already overburdoned foster care sytem where she will likely eat the same way. History has showned you can't regulate people out of bad habits. AS soon as the boot is off their neck they will return to what they know. The Government is already too involved in the lives of citizens - when they come into my home and tell me I can't give my child a coke or Mc Donalds cheeseburger that's way over stepping their mandate.

I know lets mandate all people of childbearing age be chemically sterilized until they can prove they have the knowledge and financial resorces to raise a productive member of society. If they slip through the net and manage to breed anyway let's throw them in jail and place the kids in education centers - it's a slippery slope...........no hard firm answers. Of course we could make such BAD parents candidates for retro-active abortion, but we still have to worry about what to do with the kids. Are you prepared to take one in?

All tongue in cheek but I think you can see the problems with over government involvement.

Hppy

Libby1987 · May 12, 2015

What is the govt supposed to do? Re childhood abuse and neglect in general, I don't know. Re nutrition, come down hard on the crap food industry, treat them like tobacco and tax the hell out of it and campaign against it.

My example is a two parent household SAHM who can afford to feed her children differently.

Sometimes I don't know why I care to the point I do. My family is lean and long lived without chronic illness. We won the genetic lottery and have the means to take care of ourselves. I just feel some sort of responsibility to the kids who aren't born into good circumstances.

Red Kryptonite · May 12, 2015

, come down hard on the crap food industry, treat them like tobacco and tax the hell out of it and campaign against it.

So you want the government actively attacking legal businesses and trying to make them fail? What happens when they decide to go after a business class you like? Do you even realize the utter creepiness of what you're advocating?

As a consumer, I have the right to go get a box of hot, salty McD's fries any damn time I want, and jack-booted government thugs and their morally self-inflated supporters shouldn't have the right to stop me just because some people are too stupid not to eat them every day.

Libby1987 · May 13, 2015

Waiting for tobacco to fail... still waiting..

dammit, all of my moral self inflation not even working.

Speaking of moral self inflation and wanting to control others, how's the passing of the same sex marriage thing going?