Childhood Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Childhood Obesity - Essay Example I am mentoring my kid to follow a healthy lifestyle as her parents do to avoid weight gain (Overweight and Obesity 2010). Some of the other causes for obesity among children are attributed to complex interactions between several environmental, social and policy context that impact eating habits and physical activity. In the past decades, these factors have collectively contributed to create an adverse environment that is against the environment to maintain health and weight. The unhealthy environment has evolved as a result of suburban and urban designs that do not encourage physical activities and walking. Pressure on families to reduce the cost of food and preparation time has resulted in frequent consumption of readymade food rich in fat and calories. Obesity has become a menace to the society due to less affordability and access to vegetables, fruits and nutritious food for some communities. There is less opportunity for physical activity after school and at school since students opt to reduce walking by using bikes from and to school. Children prefer to follow a sedentary lifestyle by spending time before the screen without spending leisure time outdoors. Psychosocial problems: Young people are likely to develop issues like self-blame, foster shame and have low self esteem that impairs social and academic functioning. These problems will be carried by the child to adolescence and adulthood. Approximately, sixty percent of overweight children are in the age five to ten with a minimum of one cardiovascular risk like insulin, hyper cholesterol, blood pressure or triglycerides. Around 25 percent children have two or more of these risks factors. For a child born in the US, the lifetime risk of having type 2 diabetes is 40 percent for girls and 30 percent for boys and the risk is higher for children in specific ethnic minority