Topic > Causes and consequences of childhood obesity like the United States and Canada, with amazement. The statistic that shows that something like this is really a problem is that the obesity rate among children has almost tripled since 1963, which is a real problem, because not only are they not healthy as children, but grow up to be unhealthy adults, also according to the WHO (World Health Organization) The number of infants and young children (0 to 5 years old) who are overweight or obese has increased from 32 million globally in 1990 to 41 million in 2016. In the WHO Africa region alone the number of overweight or obese children increased from 4 to 9 million over the same period. The vast majority of overweight or obese children live in developing countries, where the rate of increase has been more than 30% higher than in developed countries. If current trends continue, the number of overweight or obese infants and young children globally will increase to 70 million by 2025. The economic costs are also high. In Britain, we spend more on treating obesity and diabetes every year than we spend on the police, fire service and justice system combined. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Consequences of Childhood Obesity Obese children are more likely to develop a variety of health problems as adults. These include: Cardiovascular disease Insulin resistance (often an early sign of impending diabetes) Musculoskeletal disorders (particularly osteoarthritis – a highly disabling degenerative joint disease) Certain cancers (endometrial, breast and colon) Disability. Contributors to Childhood Obesity Two big contributing factors, in my belief is that not many people eat a healthy enough diet and also don't get enough exercise, for example, only 2% of American children eat a healthy diet and over the 25% do not participate in any involuntary physical activity. Choosing healthy foods for infants and toddlers is also critical because food preferences are established early in life. Feeding infants high-energy foods high in fat, sugar and salt is also a key factor contributing to childhood obesity. However, there are many other factors that contribute to childhood obesity, such as a lack of information about sound approaches to nutrition. and poor availability and affordability of healthy foods contribute to the problem. Aggressive marketing of high-energy foods and beverages to children and families further exacerbates the situation. In some societies, long-standing cultural norms (such as the widespread belief that a fat child is a healthy child) may encourage families to overfeed their children. The increasingly urbanized and digitalized world offers fewer opportunities for physical activity through healthy play. Being overweight or obese further reduces children's opportunities to participate in group physical activities. They then become even less physically active, which likely makes them more overweight over time. Prevention of childhood obesity Overweight and obesity are largely preventable (though not always, as is the case with hypothyroidism and Cushing's syndrome). Policies, environments, schools and supportive communities are critical in shaping the choices of parents and children, making choice more.
tags