ipl-logo

Childhood Obesity In The United States Essay

485 Words2 Pages

Over the past couple of years, the United States has seen an epidemic unlikely any another that is effecting millions of children each and every day. This epidemic brings a number of health issues and concerns that effects children throughout their entire life and in fact it can be preventable. In the United States, childhood obesity is a widespread and rapidly increasing issue due to a number of factors. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 17% of the children aged two to nineteen are classified as obese. The CDC also estimates that nearly one in three children are classified as overweight. The forms of complications when it comes to childhood obesity and overweight are physical, social, and emotional. The physical …show more content…

One factor that leads to childhood obesity is sugar-sweetened beverages. Sugar-sweetened beverages in the American child’s diet is major health concern. According to the World Health Organization says that there is a link between consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain and obesity due to these beverages impacting children’s ability to maintain appetite control. The United States Department of Agriculture recently reported that over the course of the past 50 years the United States has seen an increase in sugar-sweetened beverages by almost 500% (Jason). Soft drinks which is a sugar sweetened beverage is considered one of the leading causes of obesity in the United States (Jason). According the USDA, soft drinks are the single largest contributor of energy intake over the past decade (Jason). Sugar Sweetened Beverages have proven to have become a prevalent part of the average American child’s diet. The average consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is more than six per week per child. From these same children twenty-five percent consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage per day and ten percent consume two or more per day. Only fifteen percent of children reported had no consumption on a weekly basis. Sugar-sweetened beverages have proven to have a link to obesity with the increase in consumption running parallel with the increase in obesity in a number of studies. All of this poses

Show More
Related
1079 Words | 5 Pages

Many issues and sicknesses for young populations can be linked to sugary beverages and sodas. This research draws upon the consumption of sugary beverages and the effects it has on young populations and the future of the CNMI. By surveying and researching the connections between the young populations in the CNMI and sugary beverages, we should be able to have a clearer understanding of what exactly are the issues and what is there to focus on. CNMI’s

Read More
889 Words | 4 Pages

population would cut the number of children and adults struggling with obesity and other health-related conditions. The last few years, the numbers of children and adults facing obesity have drastically increased. “Obesity causes diabetes, heart disease, and cancer,” emphasizes Dr. Steven Safyer President and CEO of Montefiore Medical Center. Such high populations suffer due to absent understanding what the proper serving size is. Congro acknowledged in Sugary Drinks over 16-Ounces Banned, “Unless they get the educational portion along with it, they won’t understand why it’s being a banned and how it relates to them personally.”

Read More
1856 Words | 8 Pages

People blame other things and expect it to be easy, just avoiding sugars and unhealthy meals by staying away from fast food. 7 out 10 Americans do not know what preservatives are in the foods and cannot pronounce the unhealthy ingredients contained in it. In The New War on Obesity, Mike Mcquade reports the facts of consuming too much sugar when “Overall, it reduces consumption, and particularly for lower-income people, who have a higher incidence of untreated diseases, such hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases related to excessive consumption of these foods”(1). Mcquade explains the possible diseases that will affect people who consume too much sugar. It’s sad to say that this generation will not have the opportunity to live as long as one’s parent or even a grandparent.

Read More
735 Words | 3 Pages

Soda consumption is one factor that is related to the rise in childhood obesity. A randomized control trial found that soda consumption is associated with weight gains (Taber, Chriqui, Vuillaume, & Chaloupka, 2014). It is easy for adolescents to buy soda since schools have vending machines that sell soft drinks and other sugary beverages. There have been numerous policies proposed to reduce the consumption of soda. They have included taxes, marketing regulation, limits on portion sizes, limits on sugar content, and banning soda in schools (Taber et al., 2014).

Read More
626 Words | 3 Pages

“He’s a little chubby, but he’s young he’ll grow out of it.” Many parents hear this about their children. American children are experiencing the biggest percentage of children obesity. One of the many reasons that children are experiencing such a high percentage of obesity is that they are drinking so many sugary drinks, whenever they want. Children are able to go to a store and purchase a sugary drink because it is the cheapest thing to buy.

Read More
465 Words | 2 Pages

Should soft drinks and sodas be banned from government and government-assisted schools ? There is heated debate surrounding the topic, with some arguing that parents, teachers, and health professionals need to be aware of the serious health effects associated with a high intake of soft drinks in schools, and others that it is the personal choice and responsibility of one choosing to drink these beverages, and not an activity that should come under government regulation. Research has shown that soft drinks are a major contributing factor towards obesity in children and teenagers. Thus, many come to the conclusion that soft drinks should not be allowed in schools as they can increase the risk of serious health problems, such as obesity, type 2 Diabetes, and poor dental health, experts have warned. Accordingly, the American Medical Association recommends that the average male limit his consumption of sugar to 45 grams per day, while the average woman should only intake 30 grams.

Read More
849 Words | 4 Pages

Obesity Epidemic in Children Even though skinny is not always synonymous with healthy, too many children in America are obese and it is the most common chronic disease in this age group, as one third of children are overweight or obese. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period(www.cdc.gov). Obese youth are more likely to have health problems that are normally only seen in adults. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases(www.cdc.gov).

Read More
483 Words | 2 Pages

Secondly, the consumption of sugar has risen each year from 1996 to today and is a major contributing factor of the gaining of weight. For example, The National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that sugary drinks account for 30% of 4 to 10-year olds’ daily sugar intake. Consumption of saturated fat, as part of their daily food energy, significantly exceeds the maximum recommended level of 11% of total food energy. This significantly exceeds the amount of sugar which should be consumed daily.

Read More
444 Words | 2 Pages

Childhood obesity is a problem that is a growing issue around the world . Obese children are more likely to obtain symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Obese adolescents are more prone to have prediabetes ,bone or joint problems,sleep apnea and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self esteem. Proximately %17 (12.7 million) children and adolescents aged 2-19 are obese in the United States. Between children and adolescents who are obese in the present day.

Read More
1046 Words | 5 Pages

Childhood obesity is an intricate health issue which is a growing problem among U.S.A. Over the last fifteen years, obesity in children has increased by fifty percent. It’s a serious health and societal issue rising at an extreme rate and therefor it’s an important issue to highlight. Obesity has not only made our children lazy but our nation as well. Childhood obesity may result in serious medical problems such as heart disease, cancer, gastric reflux, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes which is one of the worst disease a child can have and stroke which are life threatening often trouble adults, are the major consequences of childhood obesity (CDC Grand Rounds). 70% of obese child had at least 1 cardiovascular disease risk factor and 30%

Read More
1734 Words | 7 Pages

Viewed as a villain by detractors but craved by millions worldwide, sugary beverages has increased a dominate role in almost every individual’s life. According to Author Lydia Saad from Princeton, New Jersey, nearly half of Americans, forty- eight percent, report to the daily consumption of soda while about two thirds, sixty-four percent, admit to drinking at least one cup of coffee every day (Gallup Poll). Due to the rapid increase of obesity over the years, the government believes by limiting the size of sugary drinks available in stores and restaurants for the public; they will be eliminating the central cause of the obesity epidemic. The government should not have the power to limit the size of sugary beverages because it would not resolve the derivation of the problem for obesity- “A natural craving for sweet food and a lack of education about it bad effects on our health” (Murchie).

Read More
1076 Words | 5 Pages

1. Introduction The rate of childhood obesity has increased over few years. There are 41 million children in the world are overweight or at risk of obesity. Childhood obesity is a serious health problem.

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Sugary beverages is triggering stress on health care system and affecting society. “35% of adults are overweight from high intake of surgery calories, figures have shown in 1996 the annual cost of obesity was estimated

Read More
746 Words | 3 Pages

Introduction Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges in the United States. Childhood obesity is associated with many health complications that can likely carry on into adulthood causing premature deaths. Research has shown that consuming sugar sweetened beverages has been associated with weight gain. To help combat child obesity government, state, and local policy makers have stepped in to regulate school foods and beverages. “In 1970, Congress amended the Child Nutrition Act to permit the secretary of agriculture to regulate foods and beverages sold in competition with the National School Lunch Program and National School Breakfast Program” (Mello, Pomeranz, and Moran, 2008).

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

Childhood obesity is a rising issue in the United States and has been deemed one of “the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century” by the World Health Organization (WHO) and will continue to be one if nothing is done. Out of all the programs aimed at helping children get healthy, our main focus should be school-based programs. We need to concentrate our attention on teaching our children in schools how to make proper food choices and get them excited about moving around and being active. In the US, over 25% of children are considered overweight and almost 10% are considered obese. These are outrageously high numbers and are only going to increase unless we act fast.

Read More

More about Childhood Obesity In The United States Essay

Open Document