Running Head: NUTRITION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1

Nutrition and Childhood Obesity

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Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 2

Nutrition and Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity rates have increased over twenty years of time in different parts of the world.

The real definition has changed recently due to research that scholars have done in investigating

the matter. The disorder of increase in body fat that is further than excess in the body hence

leading to other health problems can be a clear definition of obesity. The major causative agents

of the condition are the intake of excess food, susceptibility to some genetic make-up and

inadequate exercises of the physical body. Health complication that emerges from obesity

include type 2 diabetes, some specific cancer diseases, diseases of the heart, depression, etc.

Scholars in different parts of the world have conducted research studies and have written articles

based on their findings on the obesity concept. According to Daniels (2006), seventeen percent

of the children diagnosed with obesity in the USA are a part of twenty percent of children who

reside in households affected by food insecurity issues. Therefore, a relationship between the

insecurity of food and obesity has emerged. The scenario created further urges of more research

on the relationship between obesity and the insecurity of food. The results showed that fifty

percent of the children almost fitted in the overweight group whereas other were already termed

as obese. Also, it was found that eight percent of the children diagnosed with obesity emerged

from families of low income hence causing the food insecurity crisis. Moreover, analysis from

Bivariate shows that concrete differences did not exist between kids from families with a security

of food and those without.

Flegal (2006) reflects obesity emanating from children in minor ethnic backgrounds in the united

states. He also sheds the lights of the complications caused by obesity and conducts a study on

the type 2 diabetes. By carrying out nutritional surveys of health nationally, it was found that the

individuals from ethnic minorities were greatly affected by the overweight cases. The results
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 3

indicated that blacks were largely affected since sixty percent of the examined population tested

positive for obesity. The case was extreme in the Mexican American who yielded a percentage of

two hundred and twenty-seven. Furthermore, a comparison was done to white children, and a

figure of thirty-three percent was reported. The results showed a conclusion that, ethnic

differences in type 2 diabetes occurrence have become rampant in the overweight and normal

groups of individuals.

In another research conducted by (Rawlings ,2009) shows how the United Kingdom government

has played a major role in combating obesity occurrence in children. Practices on the same

problems have been implemented to halt the overweight phenomenon starting from the school all

the way to the residence of the children. A thorough research was conducted in a school and a

number of families on the eating habits. Although parents and children were fond of making their

feeding decisions, their capabilities to comprehend the practices were imperfect in several ways.

It was revealed that the places that the children occupied influenced their feeding habits greatly.

(Larson, 2007) implies that obesity and its resulting complications to children have a significant

relationship with the environment and the choices made around it on food-related health issues.

The research was conducted to examine the environmental factors that had an influence on

feeding on the physical, social and the more extensive environments. According to the study

used undertaken in the past decade on the same issue, it was found that the intake of different

diets was due to several factors of the environment.

Obesity in childhood is a fundamental topic of study since cases of body overweight among

children has a significant social impact on their lives. Children who are already obese are prone
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 4

to victimization based on relationships and overtness. Bullying and teasing is a precise

definition of physical abuse. The phenomena have adverse effects based on the children self-

esteem levels such as drug usage and addiction to control the bad feelings. The boy child is more

exposed to such malpractices than the girl child. Healthwise, complications resulting from

overweight bodies are essential to consider on. As mentioned earlier, fat accumulation on most

vital organs of the body can lead to imbalances of the metabolic processes of the body (Hannan,

2007). Heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. are some of the conditions that result

from overweight bodies. However, proper physical exercises can counter the overweight

problem of the body resulting from overfeeding or by the vulnerability of some genes in the body

through inheritance.

Many studies have been conducted on the concept of obesity based on who it affects and why.

Overweight conditions are not specific to a particular subgroup in one way or another. It depends

on nutrition and health factors among the existing groups of individuals. It may include children,

adolescents, the youth, adults and the old aged. The financial status of individuals is another

factor to consider when reflecting on the target group of obesity and its health-related issues.

Origin of individuals from different ethnic groups has a major impact in matters arising from

body overweight. Studies reveal that obesity in the ethnic minority individuals, especially adults,

remains a factor of risk in the diagnosis of diabetes. Control of the body weight and advancement

of the financial status of individuals the individuals do not exhibit a change in efforts of

regulating the body weight. A perfect example is in the united states. Based on the three

NHANES surveys conducted in the states, individuals were classified in into body mass index

groups that examined their height and weight (Carroll, 2002). Individuals with weight below

eighteen kilograms were termed as underweight. Normal weight ranged from eighteen to twenty-
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 5

four kilograms. Overweight ranged from twenty-five kilograms to twenty-nine kilograms while

obesity ranged from thirty to thirty-five kilograms. Conditions of severe obesity cases were

grouped under the body mass index bracket of thirty-five kilograms and above. The families who

were financially unstable were at a higher risk of contracting obesity in their lifetime. Poverty

hinders chances of acquiring healthy foods to children. Hence, even if the children transform

financially later in the years, they are prone to contract health problems which are mental of

physical resulting from their childhood experiences.

In my point of view, childhood obesity and overweight situations are essential aspects to

consider for the healthy life of the future generation. For the effects of obesity and body

overweight to be combated, proper health habits must be put in place (Curtin, 2006). Financial or

socioeconomic conditions of the low-income families should be transformed early enough to

avoid obesity in children. The health sectors have a major role to play in the environment to

ensure that factors that lead to obesity are regulated. Health problems caused by increased body

mass index on children are too expensive to cure than preventing. Some are fatal to the extent of

causing death. For instance, cancer being one of the significant consequence obesity may easily

reduce the essential life quality required by growing children. In my research study on nutrition

and its relationship to obesity, I realized that there are factors that influence the poor feeding

habits in my field of study hence resulting in obesity. The physical environment was one of the

factors. The research showed that poor neighborhoods were at a higher risk of being victimized

by obesity. It was as a result of the poor campaign on food health-related issues in the

community. Another factor that led to poor feeding habits was the poor placement of healthy

food stores in the area. In a scenario where an individual would have to use some means of

transport to access a particular store that supplies a healthy diet would lead to the creation of
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 6

cheap, unhealthy ideas of feeding. Hence, some stores of food that were closer provided low-

quality diet which was much cheaper. Therefore, through the two situations, it was easy to

answer some of the causative agents of childhood obesity. In the conclusion of my study, the

respective governments and health organizations have a major role to play in availing healthy

food facilities in a proper distributed manner in the states. The public health departments should

regulate the sale of unhealthy meals. Proper transit systems would be important in assisting the

individuals to access groceries that offer healthy food. All the mentioned practices aim at

reducing and controlling obesity among children and other individuals in the existing age groups.

Conclusions based on other research studies conducted by scholars exhibit good impressions on

combating the overweight problems as well. In my perspective, based on the study of nutrition

and child obesity, I strongly agree with the conclusions generated by other scholars. McDowell

(2006) suggests that more studies relating to consequences created by obesity should be

conducted. Revelations of proper and healthy lifestyles should be done toward the ethnic

minority groups that are prone to obesity complications. Campaigns should be conducted on

proper feeding habits to regulate obesity among children. Normal individuals should also take

great care to prevent the enlargement of the number of existing scenarios. According to Hedley

(2004), the government should address the phenomenon of food insecurity to the financially

unstable families. Also, the able families should avoid some food options such as snacks and

soda to reduce the rate of obesity level that has increased in recent years.

Other than studies on matters pertaining the relationship among health factors resulting from

food nutrition in individuals of different age groups, socioeconomic status and ethnic groups of

origin, further research can be done on other concepts. For instance, it would be important to

focus on food nutrition in patients suffering from various diseases. Such patients require diverse
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 7

diets in their nutrition as a requirement for the improvement of their health situations. Such topic

would shed much knowledge on future scholars intending to research on food nutrition.

In the research topic of this paper, further research should be conducted since the definition of

obesity changes from time to time. Due to the introduction of new diets, further consequences

caused by obesity may emerge and hence may require proper and more research to control them.

The following aspects supported successful research on scholarly articles that provided

information that relates to the topic of study on this research paper; there were enough

participants in all articles that assisted in gathering the credible results. However, in one case of

testing on type 1 diabetes, expectant individuals were excluded from the study hence reducing

the number of participants, but it did not affect the study. The proper methodology channels used

by the authors assisted in deriving proper and realistic conclusions. The conclusions are reliable

and hence can be applied in real situations to combat the problems resulting from obesity.

Articles used in the study are highly trustworthy since they are based on concrete and truthful

research conducted on the topic of discussion. Therefore, the research process provides evidence

the results are credible and can be used by future scholars for similar research purposes.
Nutrition and Childhood Obesity 8

References

Daniels, S. R. (2006). The consequences of childhood overweight and obesity. The future of

children, 47-67.

Rawlins, E. (2009). Choosing health? Exploring children's eating practices at home and at

school. Antipode, 41(5), 1084-1109.

Arcan, C., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Hannan, P., van den Berg, P., Story, M., & Larson, N. (2007).

Parental eating behaviours, home food environment and adolescent intakes of fruits, vegetables

and dairy foods: longitudinal findings from Project EAT. Public health nutrition, 10(11), 1257-

1265.

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., McDowell, M. A., Tabak, C. J., & Flegal, K. M.

(2006). Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. Jama, 295(13),

1549-1555.

Hedley, A. A., Ogden, C. L., Johnson, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., & Flegal, K. M.

(2004). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-

2002. Jama, 291(23), 2847-2850.