Discrimination at Large Growing up, obesity has always been an issue in my family. I have watched most of the women in my family go from diet to diet in the hopes of losing weight. We as a society have placed so much emphasis on looking a certain way or thinking skinny is healthy that we have created a stereotype where being overweight is seen as gross or unhealthy. Obesity is stereotyped in a negative way in many countries. Studies have shown that adults describe obese people by undesirable attributes such as lazy, unappealing, unhappy, unpopular and sloppy (Harris et al., 1982; Tiggemann and Rothblum, 1988; Ryckman et al., 1989; Cogan et al., 1996).
Like many other maladies, weight problems are often associated with social standing and economic well-being. Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more at risk in becoming obese than those of higher socio-economic. Similarly, kids in isolated communities, especially in inner cities are at greater risk than those who live in the mainstream/suburban geographic areas. Families in communities that are poorer or socially or geographically isolated have a relatively poor access to healthy food, and often remain unaware or unable to access facilities with that provide opportunities for increased physical activity. Historical trends in childhood obesity clearly show that the increase in obesity parallels increases in family poverty and community disruption.
At present, nearly 8% of children 4 to 5 years of age in the United States are overweight. Whereas, in general, the increases in prevalence cross the entire pediatric population, girls have been more affected than boys (Williams, C. L. 2001). Childhood is a critical period for shaping a healthy lifestyle. More kids are obese due to the lack of activity and the increase of calories. The average American parent(s) work a full- time job and that leaves less time to cook dinner; making
What role do American parents play in child obesity? Child obesity has become a major issue in America. Children as young as 5 years old have been diagnosed with adult diseases like, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Parents are aware of the complications that their children can suffer with a “lazy” life style. These lifestyles range from sedentary habits, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise.
People who are obese are more likely to have health problems such as: high blood pressure, raised cholesterol high insulin levels, impaired glucose tolerance, type two diabetes, heart attacks, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, kidney problems and polycystic ovary syndrome. Not all children will have these health problems but doctors are finding these problems in children and the children are getting younger. As a whole childhood obesity puts children in harm’s way and the future of America. And that is why the cycle must be reversed. We owe to the country and the kids who live
By doing activities that the kids would enjoy rather than doing activities they don’t like and wouldn’t participate in. In order to slow down obesity in youths in the United States, PE should be mandatory in all schools. If the schools PE programs made the kids stay active they could help overweight kids or kids that want to be in shape lose some weight. Young people are in worse physical shape than earlier generations, according to the U.S. surgeon, only about one half of U.S. children get regular exercise and one fourth does not get any exercise at all. As a result obesity has risen substantially since the 1980’s.
Although the most common effects of stress are insomnia, stomachaches, headaches, anxiety, and irritability, stress can also be a major factor in depression and eating disorders. Michael Simon, an East Bay psychotherapist, estimates that 60 percent of high school students have their eating habits disrupted in some way by stress and that 20 to 30 percent of teenagers have their mental health affected negatively by stress. Most teenagers worry about issues that are much more serious than cliché high school problems such as homework and popularity. According to Bay Area psychologists and teenagers interviewed by the Daily Planet, high school students often worry about being successful, both in the immediate future and later i n life. Barrows said teenagers often fear that they won’t make it in a competitive society.
Even playing on mp3’s, cell phones which they either text friends or listen to music. Not many children today get outside and get exercise. Children today are better known as the lazy generation. Because they don’t get the daily needed exercise their bodies need to stay healthy. In the 70’s more children were found playing outside playing football, basketball, baseball in the winter months making forts or sliding down hills, skiing They spent more time outside then inside.
Reduced immunity, in turn, makes the person susceptible to a great number of diseases that weaken the body to a great extent and hence, the overall growth reduces. In addition to the growth hormone, lack of sleep may disturb other hormones responsible for the metabolism of compounds such as glucose. This results in conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Millions of students don’t get enough sleep and they suffer with bad grades. A survey shows that forty-nine percent of
Child Obesity As humans, we need to eat food everyday of our lives. We also need to keep a healthy weight by taking in the normal amount of calories. If children do not do this, then they will become over-weight as time goes by. The number of obese children is rising and the numbers are not stopping. Obesity is the most common medical condition-affecting children in the United States.