Childhood Obesity Final Research Paper

Childhood Obesity
“There are numerous causes of childhood obesity. However, the ultimate responsibility for the problems and costs associated with an obese child should be attributed to that child’s parents. Parents owe a duty of care to their child and, when their child is obese, have arguably breached that duty.” Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States which causes many health, social, and mental problems to the child. Over the years obesity has increased dramatically due to the economy, lack of exercise, and new technology. Although obesity in adults are increasing more importantly obesity in adolescents are increasing as well. This is a big problem because as a child your parent is mostly responsible for you. It is their duty as a parent to make sure you are getting the adequate nutrition, enough exercise, and eating healthy. This means that the parents are mostly at fault if they have a child that is obese. Although the parents are mostly to blame for obese children in a way educators and other family members are also at fault. Though the media and low cost of fast food play a huge roll in childhood obesity family, educators, and business leaders also effect obese children. Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963. Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are also psychological effects: Obese children are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression. And excess weight at young ages has been linked to higher and earlier death rates in adulthood (Childhood Obesity). Childhood obesity is a huge problem that needs to be addressed because it is killing our youth. Obesity

What is Obesity? Obesity is a plague that has begun to spread across our country like a wildfire. Obesity has gotten so bad that the government has begun implementing laws that regulate school lunches and time spent exercising at school. Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to an individual’s health. Obesity is measured by the body mass index (BMI) which is an index of weight for height. Mathematically this is the person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body fat at various ages (What is Obesity?). Obesity in adolescents can lead to many complications throughout a child’s life if it is left ignored. One of the biggest complications is the many health problems that come with being overweight. Most of the health risk of childhood obesity are the same as those of adults. Obesity can lead to hypertension, heart disease, cancer, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and glucose intolerance. These disease have been found in children as young as 5 years of age. Type two diabetes once virtually…