Long Term Consequences of Childhood Obesity - Paper Sample

Childhood obesity is a health condition akin to that of obese adults, whereby the excess body fats exert negative impacts on the child's health. Some of the contributing factors to the rise in obesity in the United States are as follows. The cost of maintaining healthy eating is high; thus, citizens opt for the less costly and careless diet, which can lead to obesity (Shaffer, & Kipp, 2013). Foods that contain excessive sugar, salt, and fats are widely marketed and advertised enticing persons to consume them. Technology has captivated children to be desk-bound. Children watch television, play video games, and participate in social media platforms (Li et al., 2018). While doing these entertainment activities, most children usually take a snack food which builds unhealthful eating habits.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Some of the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are as follows: It can lead to serious health problems like diabetes, where the body produces too much glucose. Diabetes can lead to the impairment of essential body organs like kidneys, heart, blood vessels, and nerves. Hyperlipidemia is another health problem that can result from obesity (Kumar, & Kelly, 2017). It is a condition where the levels of lipids and fats in the body are high. When too many fats accumulate in arteries, this can lead to heart disease stroke, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension. Children with obesity tend to become obese adults. The daily critics lower their self-esteem, and some of them end up depressed or commit suicide.

Developmental patterns that obese people take include changes in eating habits. (Reilly et al., 2013). They start taking plenty of dietary fiber, vegetables, and fruits. Another developmental routine obese people take is regular physical exercises, and getting enough sleep. Family support also has helped obese people overcome this condition.

In the United States (Devi, 2018), after-school physical activity programs are assimilated to encourage children to burn calories by exercising. Sugar-coated beverage foods have excise tax in the United States to discourage their consumption. Association with obese individuals where they are educated about the consequences of obesity and how they can overcome obesity is also done. Replacement of snack food and beverages in the school environment by introducing healthy foods is another measure taken. These policies have benefited obese children since they are supported and helped in the journey of losing weight.

References

Kumar, S., & Kelly, A. S. (2017). Review of childhood obesity: from epidemiology, etiology, and comorbidities to clinical assessment and treatment. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 92, No. 2, pp. 251-265). Elsevier.

Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2013). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. Cengage Learning.

Reilly, J. J., Methven, E., McDowell, Z. C., Hacking, B., Alexander, D., Stewart, L., & Kelnar, C. J. (2013). Health consequences of obesity.

Devi, S. (2018). Progress on childhood obesity patchy in the USA. The Lancet, 371(9607), 105-106.

Li, Y., Robinson, L. E., Carter, W. M., & Gupta, R. (2015). Childhood obesity and community food environments in A labama's B lack B elt region. Child: Care, Health and Development, 41(5), 668-676.