Introduction
Childhood obesity has a very great impact on the physical and psychological health of a children, adolescents and adults. This condition is associated with abnormal glucose tolerance, hypertension, infertility and hyperlipidamea. Furthermore, obese children tend to suffer from depression, which is a psychological disorder. As statistics show prevalence of childhood obesity in the country, are there viable measures which can remedy the situation. This research paper is aimed at examining the impact/effects of childhood obesity upon the personal and/or social development of the affected, from a tender age through adolescence to adulthood. Suggestions and remedial measures on how to prevent this health problem are also discussed. This paper also enlightens the affected parents, custodians, guardians and even teachers on how to handle childhood obesity and how they can participate to put it to its lowest levels.
Background Information
Childhood obesity has of late become a serious public health problem in the world and more specifically in Europe and North America. In USA in particular this problem has been prevalent over decades while efforts to combat it have been ongoing. The Childhood obesity is a medical state that is known to be grave, and mostly affects children and adolescents. This medical condition occurs as a result of a child being above the normal weight with regard to his or her height and age. Childhood obesity becomes a problematic circumstance since the extra pounds are more often than not an entrance door to the child's health difficulties and problems some of which become fully noticeable in adulthood. Examples of these health problems, originating from childhood obesity include high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. In addition, childhood obesity causes poor self-esteem and also depression to the affected child (MFMER, 2010). In spite of the efforts that have been put in place to eradicate childhood obesity there has been a continuing trend of new cases reported by the year. This calls for workable solutions to the ever challenging causes of childhood obesity as they have remained unsolved by current measures.
Causes of Childhood Obesity
Obesity is more of a consequence of unhealthy lifestyle than it is a genetically predetermined condition. Genetics and hormonal are just some causes of the aforementioned childhood health predicament but this can also be accelerated by unhealthy lifestyle. Other causes of obesity during childhood include: sedentary lifestyle, diet, home environment, medical illness, developmental factors and psychological factors. To begin with, sedentary lifestyle as a cause of childhood obesity has lately been as a result of the modern digitization, mechanization and automation. These make the children physically inactive since they hardly engage in physically involving activities. The affected children are always busy playing computer games, watching television or even playing video games and as such they remain stationary (Dietz, 2004). The three have led to reduced parental attention since the technology has been greatly embraced to replace most of the cares towards the child which ought to be parent-performed. Heightened obesity prevalence has also been reported on those children who are driven to school and at the same time have very little or no time to engage in physical education and sports. On the part of diet, modern parents have run for high energy rich foods which have been christened junk foods and examples may include calorie-rich drinks and calorie-dense prepared snack. The reasons that most parents give in defence is that these foods are not only readily available but also cheap. The children consuming these foods hardly gain in health they contain high calorie count but are very low in nutrition count. The consumption of these unhealthy quantities of dietary fat, especially among the adolescents, has so far been propagated by the many, almost everywhere, fast- foods restaurants and other convenience stores.
When it comes to genetics, if it happens that either of a child's parent or even both have a problem of obesity, it is very likely that the children will inherit this hereditary condition. This may also be an extension from the family ties. Other causes, as earlier mentioned, include the psychological factors. Loss of self confidence among children, as a result of stress at school level, makes them to become more emotional. And as thus, the child becomes more emotional in eating since eating is associated with a person's emotional moods (Khilawala, 2010). Notably, cultural background has also equally played a part in promoting obesity and overweight among children. This is based on the fact that the cultural environments of these children have overtime dictated the children's daily choices of both food and lifestyle.
Determination of Obesity
It is of great importance to note that not all children that have been weighed and found to have some extra pounds are obese or even overweight. Health or lack of it thereof among children can not therefore be presumed. These extra pounds may have been as a result of some of the children having body frames that are larger in comparison with the average ones. It is also notable that at the various developmental stages of a child, normally these growing children have different body fat amounts. As thus, mere look at the child's weight may not necessarily be enough to tell of his or her health concerns. Therefore, for verification purposes, a medical practitioner has to play a key role to assist in determining whether or not a child's weight calls for any health attention. The doctor ascertains the facts by calculating the child's Body Mass Index, abbreviated as BMI. The BMI helps in determining whether the child is overweight with regards to his or her age and height or not. It is after this that the doctor can determine the child's percentile meaning, with the aid of the growth chart, by making comparisons of the observations with those of other children with the same age and sex as the one being examined. Illustratively, a child in the eightieth percentile has a lower BMI as compared to others of like sex and age. Child obesity and overweight can easily be identified from these growth charts since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DCD) has come up with the cut-off points. For instance, a child is regarded to be overweight if the BMI-for-age lies between 85th and 94th percentiles while above these, the child is gazed at to be obese. Since having a body frame that is larger than the average or even being muscular are not factored in by the BMI, the medical practitioner has to put into consideration the growth and development of the child (Dietz, 2004). Therefore, diagnosis and proper remedial actions ought to be sought always parents suspect their children are suffering from obesity if success against the pandemic is to be realized.
Effects of Childhood Obesity on Health
Childhood obesity as very bad consequences throughout a victim's life hence it ought to be eradicated. The very first predicaments that befall an obese child are psychological and emotional. Besides, the same can lead to other health complications and diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep problems, cancer, disease of the heart and many more disorders, such as menarche and liver disease. Eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa, are also a resultant of childhood obesity. Among the respiratory complications associated with childhood obesity include asthma and cardiovascular disease among others. Other physical problems associated with childhood obesity include problems of the joints and muscles, which is as a result of the body mass that is overweight and also the suffering child tend to lack stamina. According to the work of various researchers, overweight children end up being overweight adults. Moreover, if the levels of obesity tend to heighten during the adolescence stage of growth, the mortality rate in the adulthood is definitely high.
Some scholars and researchers have published reports which highlight that most of the adolescents are suffering to what they refer to as "the disease of the 21st century." This is due to the almost routine activities of watching the television, spending most of their times on their cellular phones and playing video games, all of which have need of lower metabolism and negligible physical activity.
It cannot go unmentioned that children who are obese suffer from teasing especially from their peers. As some are harassed, others are even discriminated against to the extent that also members of their families are equally involved in the act of harassing and discrimination. As the harassment goes on it may result to not only low esteem but also depression. Self esteem of those between the ages of eleven and sixteen years of age has been destroyed by bullying. The affected child may end up shying away from others, which later matures to the child being lonely. In addition, the child may opt to engage in various anti-social activities such as drug and substance abuse. There is a high probability that these psychological effects result to a terrible blow in the child's entire life.
In a study aimed at determining the relationship between peer relations and obesity, it has been found that most of the obese or overweight females are less likely to date. Moreover, there is a high probability that the same are victimized by the female colleagues who are non-overweight. The obese males, on their part, have testified of more blatant unfair treatment and as thus, they have continually experienced lesser satisfaction when it comes to dating as the average peer males. Overweight males and females have fewer opportunities to involve themselves in happy relationships. It is undoubted the obese and overweight adolescents are rarely given chances to participate in extracurricular activities especially in their various institutions of learning since they are socially isolated. The extremity of isolated leads the affected persons to be hopeless and their likelihood of committing suicide is very high.
In academics, most of the overweight pupils and students have been reported for having recorded the least of the marks, more specifically in Mathematics subject and also in reading in comparison with their colleague students who are not overweight. In addition, the overweight adolescent girls are almost always held a grade behind and being poorer performers academically, than the average weight girls. On the other side of the overweight adolescent boys, they think about themselves as being poor and more often than not end up dropping out of school. All down-pinning acts seem to follow the obese persons even in their areas of career. For instance, most of the youthful ladies have ended up in self employments. Others have even volunteered in unpaid work, given that they are very much dissatisfied with their line of career.
Remedial Actions
According to the works of many medical researchers and scholars, they principal strategy for the control of this childhood epidemic is preventing it. This includes both primary and secondary prevention of obesity. The child's BMI ought to be determined in good time so as to identify those children that are at risk of being overweight. For instance, a yearly increase in the child's percentile is a clear indicator that the child is at a peril of being obese or overweight. This can therefore be followed by measures such as enhancing eating habits that are healthy by offering foods that are nutritious; like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. The caregivers can even take the initiative of modelling healthy food patterns for their children by stating a limit on the choice the child can make. Still on dietary issues, the child's caregivers ought to see to it that they are not involved positive or negative behaviour reinforcement rigorous food-related struggles with the children. It is not advisable that food be used as either a reward or punishment to the child.
Emphasis ought to be put on promotion of a healthy lifestyle. This may involve, for instance, campaigning for feeding on fresh fruits and having exercises in the open. These initiatives can greatly boost in the development of stronger muscles, heart and lungs. Physical activity should also be promoted customarily. This physical activity should encompass play that may not be necessarily structured in school, at home, throughout the community and in child care facilities. Parents ought to take caution on the time their young ones are spending on the television and video games by putting a time quota of a maximum of two hours every day as was argued by Blasi (2003). Administrators in various learning institutions should also play a key role in decreasing the availability of both foods and beverages that are considered to be of a lesser nutritious value. Moreover, the institutions' dependence on vending machines, school stores and snack bars as a source of revenue should be discouraged and instead, programs on physical education emphasized.
From the above discussion, it is true that childhood obesity is a chronic health disorder with many causes. Moreover, it is evident that its impacts and/or effects both physically and psychologically are wanting and long term. Prevention measures have to be keenly factored in combating this pandemic among children before the situation escalates as they grow into adulthood. Potential and effective ways forward can be actualized so that an enabling environment is built. Crucial in this endeavour is addressing diet and physical activity issues. The prevention strategies ought to originate from the homes and be extended to the various learning institutions as well as other social settings. Learning institutions and other stakeholders should also address on the issues that depress the students; the harassment which makes them to become hopeless and see to it that they create confidence on the victims. The country needs a healthy future generation for prosperity therefore ensuring obesity is eradicated is a priority in the present.
