Introduction
Being overweight in children and adolescents is a problem that has become particularly important in the 21st century for most developed countries and, more recently, for some developing countries. More than 25 percent of children in Austria, Chile, Great Britain, and the United States are overweight. This figure is twice as high as in the mid-1970s when the problem of being overweight problem was beginning to take the form of an epidemic(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2016). According to the American Heart Association’s annual statistical report, at the end of 2013, there were 23.9 million children between the ages of 2 and 19 were overweight or obese, among 33.0% of boys and 30.4% of girls. Of these, 12.7 million children, 18.6% of boys and 15.0% of girls are obese (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2016). The above data show that the problem of being overweight in the younger generation has grown to the need for a number of decisions at the state level. As can be seen from the statistics, the numbers keep growing and the solution needs to be found as soon as possible. The problem of children’s obesity is massive and needs to be analyzed from many points of view. This paper focuses on finding the most appropriate solution among the vast amount of them and explains why it needs to be implemented.
Description of the Problem
American scientists draw the attention of authorities to the fact that “the widespread problem of overweight and obesity among adolescents is of particular concern because a teenager who is an overweight or overweight or obese teenager is of particular concern because an overweight or obese teenager is very likely to become an overweight or obese adult” (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2016). Therefore, one should prioritize the efforts to prevent obesity in adolescents and then efforts to identify and treat a high-risk group of adolescents who are already overweight or obese.
Today, elevated blood lipid and cholesterol levels are the major risk factors for heart disease. Studies by other U.S. scientists have shown that about 20 percent of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19 have abnormal blood lipid levels, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2016). Type 2 diabetes and hypertension also occur much more frequently among overweight young people (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research). In addition to health problems, plump children and adolescents face a number of psychological issues, such as resentment from other adolescents and, in some cases, social isolation and discrimination.
A current problem today is overweight in young children and adolescents. Scientists believe the main reason teenagers and children are overweight is that their caloric intake exceeds their expenditure (Pasquale, R., & Brian, E). Most infants and toddlers show a unique ability to regulate their caloric intake and calorie expenditure effectively. In school-age children, however, the self-regulatory mechanism weakens, and when offered a portion of food in excess of necessity, children consume it.
Another cause of overweight children is heredity and the causes of it. Research by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has shown that if at least one parent is obese, 50% of children will have problems with being overweight (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research). If both parents are obese, there is up to an 80% chance that the child will also be overweight.(Pasquale, R., & Brian, E). The reason is not so much physiological heredity, but rather the eating habits, preferences, and lifestyles that persist in this family(New York State Department of Health). This is because children’s attitudes toward food are influenced by family and cultural values and customs as much as the influence of school, peers, and the media.
Importance of the Problem
The problem of childhood obesity is critical since it has several adverse effects. This issue poses additional risk factors for the development of diseases. Furthermore, obesity negatively affects the quality of human life and is a potential cause of health problems. Today, this problem is crucial due to the increase in the number of children with this issue and the high dynamics of diseases associated with obesity. Therefore, childhood obesity is a significant public health issue as several negative factors for human health and well-being feature it.
Obesity is one of the leading causes of chronic disease, in addition, to the increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Childhood obesity studies in 2016 concluded that one in every seven children in the United States is obese or overweight. It is likely to grow because of Covid-19 since children were less active and schools were closed. Ethnicity, genes, and inequities all have a role in weight gain. Significant disparities exist in obesity prevalence between different racial and ethnic groups. Black households are at a higher risk than other ethnicities, compared to Hispanics, but this is not a problem that can be fixed by changing their lifestyle; genes also come into play. In the future, children who are obese are a significant predictor of adult obesity and undergo lifelong physical and mental health problems.
The FDA has approved Qsymia for chronic weight management in children. However, due to its dangerous side effects and warnings of mood swings and suicidal behavior, it is only administered through a program called Qsymia Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). The drug is used when a lifestyle adjustment does not result in weight loss, the medication is prescribed by the pediatrician, and the child is committed to the program. Children’s obesity has become a complex issue, so the FDA devised this solution and tested it in three groups ranging in age from 12 to 17. The groups were given a lower dose of Qsymia, a higher dose of Qsymia, or a placebo, and they were also on a healthy diet and exercise regimen. The higher amount resulted in the most significant BMI reduction, while the placebo effect resulted in an increase in BMI, which confirmed that the drug works and had effective results in weight loss.
A study conducted in one of New York’s poorest areas, where a new supermarket selling fresh foods is opening; showed a decrease in childhood obesity in the surrounding area and public schools due to the availability of fresh foods. American children are in danger of obesity, with Hispanics and black children having the most effective rates. The study, led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers, found that obesity rates declined within a year of the introduction of newly renovated or new supermarkets among school-age children living within a half mile of 8 such stores. Students in New York City resided near supermarkets that participated in a program to increase access to healthful food. The researchers examined seven years’ worth of public school health information for pupils who resided within a mile of the stores. Their body weights were measured before and after the reconstruction of the supermarkets. Which indeed showed a decline in BMI among students who were close to the supermarket.
The research shows that parents play a critical role in preventing children’s obesity which could be done by promoting a healthy lifestyle in the house and getting them involved in physical activities through family exercise time, walks, bike rides, and active games. A healthy diet is also as important as physical activities. Developing awareness and making healthy eating habits for a lifetime helps to prevent illness and promotes the body and brain to grow healthy and strong. Parents should help their children by focusing on good health rather than having a certain weight loss goal and involving the whole family in this change rather than concentrating on a certain child. In addition to involving their children in meal planning, purchasing, and preparation, as well as encouraging them to try new and healthy foods, parents should. Bad habits should be discouraged, like snacking while watching TV makes it difficult to pay attention to feelings of fullness which would lead to overeating.
The research was conducted at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Children learn and spend most of their time in school. Still, within a decade, school districts have been decreasing physical activities, especially for students in high school, in addition, to adding sugary drinks and fast food to their menu, which is a reason for children’s obesity. Therefore, experts came up with guidelines that could allow students to have lifelong good health by limiting sugary foods and drinks, adding sessions educating students about proper nutrition, and increasing physical activity after or during school time. Since children are recommended to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day, this could be achieved by walking between classes, participating in morning assemblies, and adding physical education as a mandatory subject. Outside of the classroom, schools can promote health through active recess time and develop safe walking and biking routes to school to increase activity.
According to the article having a healthy diet has a huge role in children losing weight and staying healthy; trying to include grain, protein, fruits, vegetables, and dairy on a daily basis since it’s filled with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and good fats. In addition, substituting products with zero-fat or non-added sugar is helpful because individuals who consume a lot of added sugar are more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, and other serious illnesses. Most children in the United States consume three times the daily sodium intake, mostly in frozen and canned food. Every product contains a nutrition fact that has all the ingredients, including total fat, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, and even serving-size information. These are very beneficial to avoid harmful ingredients to improve your health.
Introduction to the Solution
Television shows and advertisements, a reduction in the school physical education program, living in neighborhoods where playing outside the home is unsafe for a teenager, as well as parents constantly parents who are always at work all have a direct or indirect influence on an increase in the number of overweight teens. Numerous observations show that only 18% of adolescents are physically active every day for an hour, and only one in five consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2022).
A child who devours food alone with the television or computer is more likely to overeat because they feel lonely, bored, or under the influence of advertising(O’Donnell, J., & Rodriguez, A., 2020). Abuse of fast food is also one of the main reasons why the number of overweight children and adolescents is increasing.
In addition to the mentioned above statements, it is important to consider that the solution provided below was tested among various age groups, from age 8 to 18. The solution is based on the method of strong recommendations and statistics provided to the parents and children of older age, which will affect their understanding of the situation with obesity. Therefore, it will be taken into consideration and the solutions will be made giving the opportunity to change the eating habits of the whole family. A culture of healthy eating is essential to maintaining a proper lifestyle in society. A comparative analysis of the percentage of calories consumed daily by children eating out of the home rose from 23.4 percent to 33.9 percent from 1977 to 2006 (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research). The researchers note that eating food prepared outside the home, including fast food consumed at home and store-bought meals, significantly increases the total number of calories consumed(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2022). This is because one serving of fast food is usually much more prominent in volume than a child’s body needs while containing flavor enhancers, high amounts of high-saturated and trans fats, and high salt and sugar, all of which contribute to weight gain.
Similarly, researchers have noticed adolescents’ consumption of sugary drinks, such as cola, other carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, such as iced tea and coffee, and energy drinks(New York State Department of Health). Studies show that 29.2% of adolescents consume one or more of these drinks daily (Pasquale, R., & Brian, E). The problem is compounded by the fact that chips, chocolate, carbonated chips, and carbonated drinks are the main products offered by the many food dispensers set up on school grounds.
Counterargument
Along with the food mandated by the school’s basic nutrition program, the school’s stores and snack bars offer various types of fast food. A survey of middle school students showed that more than 50% of the time, they prefer to buy fast food and carbonated beverages instead of or in addition to their regular school meals (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research). As discussed above, effective weight control requires taking into account not only the amount of calories consumed and the quality of food but also the amount of physical activity that children and adolescents engage in. To increase physical activity, the activity schedule should be adjusted to the child’s physiological needs.
One of the reasons children are overweight in middle school is the lack of time for physical activity. Whereas children have sufficient time for physical activity and walking, while in middle school, lesson time varies from 47 to 52 minutes, there are no breaks between lessons, and there are two snack and lunch breaks for the total duration of the school day from 8-30 to 3 pm (New York State Department of Health). Besides, statistics show that while in the sixth and seventh grades, 94% of pupils have physical training lessons, by the twelfth grade, only 37.3% of pupils have a lesson in physical training.
The system of extracurricular education does not exist in the United States. There are neighborhood clubs for teenagers with well-equipped gyms, but attendance at these clubs is paid, and only a few parents can afford the expense. A good alternative is having plenty of parks with courts for basketball, volleyball, skateboarding, biking, and jogging (New York State Department of Health). However, in addition to equipment, it is much more important for a teenager to have a coach or a person who can get him involved in sports (Harvard, 2020). Parks and recreation areas do not have these options do not possess. In this case, an essential role in inculcating a love of sports can be played only by parents.
To better understand the urgency of the problem of overweight children, it is necessary to consider what the government, schools, and health associations are doing to address the problem. In 2010, U.S. President B. Obama signed an act that legalized funding for the federal school meal program, under which children from low-income families income have the opportunity to get free, healthy meals at school (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research). The act also specifies a list of foods allowed to be for sale during school hours on school grounds, including vending machines, a la carte, and school stores. In addition, additional funding is anticipated for the school if the leadership commits to the proposed food standards on school grounds (O’Donnell, J., & Rodriguez, A., 2020). Currently, many schools are in the process of implementing the proposed measures. For example, all schools in New Jersey prohibit selling products during school hours where sugar is on the list of ingredients, any candy, or foods with low nutritional value (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2022). Snacks and beverages sold on school grounds must not contain more than 8 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat per serving, and beverages must be no more than 355 mg, with the exception of bottled water.
In addition to the government, the responsibility for children’s health has been taken the media industry has taken responsibility for children’s health. In 2008 a “Healthy Habits for Life” TV program was launched on Sesame Street. The Cookie Monster character, beloved by American children, became a champion of healthy food choices, and new characters were introduced: Broccoli, Piece of Cheese, Banana, and Whole Grain Bun(Smita Guha, 2018). Disney’s television programs also promote a healthy lifestyle and physical activity. Throughout the day, 10-minute episodes featuring famous Disney Channel actors allow children and teens to learn dance routines or prepare a simple but healthy meal.
Conclusion
Many developers of video games also offer their young customers a variety of sports video games with active participation. For example, Nintendo’s Wii Fit instructs and trains users in yoga, balance games, stretching, aerobics, and various simulation games such as tennis. The realization that without working with parents, the eating habits of children and adolescents cannot be changed has led to the development of a number of programs aimed at educating parents about healthy eating (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2022). Programs for parents have been provided through schools as well as through religious and medical societies. In addition to informing about the dangers of being overweight in a teenager, these programs offer advice on healthy eating for a teenager, psychologically set up parents on how to relate to their children’s food and nutrition and help develop a strategy for implementing healthy eating habits throughout the family.
The recognition of this problem at the state level has put it on the list of high priorities and is especially important for the preservation of the nation’s health. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, created the “Let’s Move!” campaign against childhood obesity in 2010 (O’Donnell, J., & Rodriguez, A., 2020).”This isn’t the kind of problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it can be solved. So, let’s move,” Obama said in her annual speech in support of her campaign at the White House(O’Donnell, J., & Rodriguez, A., 2020). One part of this campaign was to have professional chefs volunteer to hold meetings in schools and teach children how easy and delicious it is to make healthy food on their own. There are several methods of solving the problem, each of which has its own nuances. The most necessary option is to look at the root of the problem and solve it at the initial stage. However, this requires a large amount of time, which is not suited to the current realities of the growing number of children. another method is suggested, which will allow you to count on solving the problem already at the moment, namely the forced method of rehabilitation and the imposition of a healthy lifestyle. This method is radical and will not be accepted by society immediately, but the expected results will be accepted in the future.
One can see that schools in the U.S. are an essential element in addressing the problem of overweight children and adolescents. Thus, it was found that the problem is relevant today and The root of it is the wrong approach to the treatment of children, and the education of a healthy lifestyle. This kind of attitude will lead to a cure for the problem later on. However, this requires a large investment of effort and finances, as well as patience. It has been formulated that failure to find a solution to the problem of obesity will lead to a generation of overweight children.
References
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (n.d.). FDA approves treatment for chronic weight management in Pediatric Pati. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Web.
Harvard. (2020). Healthy Schools, healthy weight. Obesity Prevention Source. Harvard T.H Chan. Web.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022). What nutrients does your child need now? Mayo Clinic. Web.
New York state Department of Health. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents. (n.d.). Web.
O’Donnell, J., & Rodriguez, A. (2020). Childhood obesity expected to climb. USA Today, 01D. Web.
Pasquale, R., & Brian, E. (n.d.). ‘New & improved’ supermarkets trim childhood obesity in New York City. NYU Langone News. Web.
Smita Guha. (2018). Healthy children : how parents, teachers, and community can help to prevent obesity in children. Rowman & Littlefield.