What do you think causes childhood obesity?
TJ’s_mommy asked:
I am taking a nutrition class for my early childhood education degree and childhood obesity is the topic I chose to write my research paper on. I would like to get some input on how you all feel about the subject. This will help in my project. No names or user id’s will be used in any part of this project. Websites to visit are appreciated. Thank you.
Connor
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I am taking a nutrition class for my early childhood education degree and childhood obesity is the topic I chose to write my research paper on. I would like to get some input on how you all feel about the subject. This will help in my project. No names or user id’s will be used in any part of this project. Websites to visit are appreciated. Thank you.
Connor
December 21st, 2010 at 7:11 am
Kevin
Just a wild guess, but I’d say childhood overeating is the cause of childhood obesity. This is a more complicated topic than adult obesity because children don’t always have control over what they eat. Some mothers wrongly equate fat with healthy child, and continually urge their child to ‘clean up their plate’. That’s wrong. Children should be given smaller portions and allowed to ask for more, if they still feel hungry. In other cases, parents (and relatives) use food as rewards. If you’re a good boy (or girl) you get a cookie, or a chocolate bar, or an ice cream cone. Kids need to learn that there are other kinds of rewards – either non-edible (here’s a book, here’s a ball, here’s a hacky sack) or just the satisfaction of being praised for doing a good job.
Once kids begin to lard up, they also become inactive. So inactivity is another problem for the obese child. Again, it is something that is difficult for him or her to correct, as the parent usually has to supply the sport gear, make sure the kid gets to the games, etc. Once upon a time, kids would indulge in active play in a yard or a playgound, with almost no equipment needed. A ball, perhaps, or even just a game of tag or hide and seek. When is the last time you saw kids playing either of those games? We seem to have developed a preference for having our kids in supervised, structured sports, rather than simply learning how to play, but an hour or two a week in the sports arena doesn’t have the benefits of an hour or two a day spent running, biking, jumping, hiking or whatever.
This is turning into a rant — sorry about that — but I feel so sorry for those kids who are being set on the wrong path, even if their parents are well meaning. But ignorant.
December 23rd, 2010 at 3:16 am
Jeremiah
I believe that our government’s requirements for fitness are way too lenient. Another cause is fast food, its cheap, and is very quick to get. TV and video games also cause children to not discover athletic activities. Or if you were to ask a fat person they might say its genetics or they’re big boned.
December 24th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Joseph
too much technology, and a busy lifestyle..parents work hard to be able to afford the lifestyle of today.they work hard and so when they come home its just easier to get take out meals,which are high in fat and less nutritional than traditional meals.they are too tired to participate in getting out into the fresh air with the kids for excersize and do fun activiities.so they just allow their kids to sit in front of the computer or tv because it is easier for them to wind down after a long day at work.
December 26th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Mia
Children eating too much and not getting enough exercise.
December 29th, 2010 at 2:32 am
Samuel
Weight gain or loss is the balance between food energy input and exercise energy output.
The government health department offers this insight – Time trends show a decline in physical activity, but no significant increase in the number of calories consumed.
So maybe eating too much is not the main cause, and a lack of physical output is.
TV and video games have been blamed, but the studies have looked into this and TV is not to blame. video game play, but not television use, is indeed displacing the time children spend in more physically demanding pursuits. (see source)
Video games then? Well the US state with the heaviest kids has 19% playing 4+ hours, and the state with the leanest youngsters – 3.5%. It does not mean it is a cause, just well correlated.
Could it be changes in not calorie intake, but changes to nutirtion? Maybe the food is less easily burned off and more easily stored?
Let us know the findings of your paper!!