Introduction
The research question of the paper will be “What are the reasons for the increase in cases of obesity among children?” Obesity is among the fast-growing diseases that permeate communities and affect younger generations, being a significant concern for public health.
The Need for Obesity Interventions Among Children
Rising Rates
The reason why interventions for childhood obesity are necessary is that the rates of obesity are rising. In the United States, between 1999 and 2016, 5.2% of children aged 2 to 19 had significant health effects associated with obesity, which is defined as a BMI of 120% or higher of the 95th percentile for gender and age (Smith et al., 2020). Therefore, the U.S.’s prevalence of childhood obesity is crucial for preventing such trends.
Lack of Awareness in Children
The second reason why research on obesity prevention is crucial is that a lack of awareness and control of the psychological conditions of children can lead to their obesity. Young children with an inability to regulate their urges or actions are at greater risk of becoming obese. It also causes dramatic weight gain over the next nine years, unlike young children with higher self-regulation skills (Kansra et al., 2021). Infants and children with critical reactivity are also at enhanced risk of becoming obese and experiencing excessive weight gain in the future. Thus, there is a need to adopt a holistic approach to interventions that encompasses both psychological and physiological effects.
Lack of Awareness in Parents
The third reason is the lack of parental awareness regarding eating habits and the influence of parenting styles on children’s attitudes. Such neglect of essential knowledge can lead to obesity and obesity-related diseases. Young children are taught how to eat by directly interacting with food and watching those around them. Feeding establishes a child’s and a parent’s sense of security and confidence during childhood.
The type of food offered to newborns and young children is typically decided by the parents or other caregivers. Nevertheless, the consumption of packaged and less expensive energy-dense foods has increased in Western nations due to economic constraints and parents’ decreasing ability to cook nourishing meals (Kansra et al., 2021). Pressuring the child to eat the food can result in the development of obesity.
Social Changes
The fourth reason, growing obesity rates, is also associated with environmental changes that have occurred over the past several generations. Notably, high-calorie fast food is readily available, sugar drinks are consumed more frequently, and unhealthy lifestyles are prevalent. There has been discussion and concern about the standard of snacks and meals provided in schools and daycare facilities (Kansra et al., 2021). As a result, without interventions and an increase in the consumption of foods with artificial preservatives, children’s obesity rates will increase nationwide.
Conclusion
The lack of faith in reason, poor awareness of comorbidity, and a lack of proper obesity treatment and diseases can lead to an increasing trend of excess weight in children. The most significant source of liver disease among children, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is associated with a clinical spectrum of liver problems, including obesity. Moreover, in children, obesity is a standalone health risk for sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder (Kansra et al., 2021). Therefore, comorbidity might arise without proper attention to children’s diseases, leading to further complications.
References
Kansra, A. R., Lakkunarajah, S., & Jay, M. S. (2021). Childhood and adolescent obesity: A review. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. Web.
Smith, J. D., Fu, E., & Kobayashi, M. A. (2020). Prevention and management of childhood obesity and its psychological and health comorbidities. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16, 351–378. Web.