Causes Of Child Obesity

It has been reported that today people are dying each year from obesity related illnesses than from cigarette smoking. While tobacco addiction still causes more avoidable premature deaths each year, the obesity statistics have been rising to a disturbing level. Most of the officials state that modern sedentary lifestyles combined with poor unhealthy eating habits have been the cause of the nationwide obesity epidemic.

Federal officials, in response to this alarming obesity problem, have taken effective steps in recent years to combat obesity through such projects as advertising campaigns, research in to the causes of obesity, and public education. The Food habit and Drug Administration has also become involved in combating American children battle with obesity and overweight. Other people argue that what is really needed to be done is to encourage children to eat better, healthier food. Some people even feel that the food industry should immediately cease advertising junk food to children. Also lobbyists for the junk food industry continue to bitterly oppose steps towards ceasing advertising of sweets and soft drinks to the youth and child market. This is the reason why the focus has been more on increasing physical activity in recent years than in changing the dietary patterns.

It was in the early years that a landmark paper was published diagnosing America's preventable causes of premature death. That journal concluded that cigarette smoking was actually the most dangerous activity that kills so many each year. But with the help of active anti smoking movement throughout the nation, fewer number of people smoke each year. This has resulted in a lessening of tobacco addiction related death statistics. Later on, a similar survey was conducted on obesity problem. In that, deaths related to physical inactivity and bad food habits followed close behind to the tobacco addiction. This survey marked a fourteen percent increase since the year 1990. While alcohol and tobacco related deaths continue to decrease in the United States, obesity related deaths even in children are on the rise.

While the amount of fat in the diets has decreased in recent years owing to the public's response to this nationwide epidemic, obesity problem is still a growing concern especially among the children. While removing the amount of fat from their food, people will often increase their intake of high density carbohydrates, sugar, and starches. Low level protein and fat foods often leave children even adult feeling hungry, leading them to fill their stomachs as soon as possible.

In fact, more and more people are diagnosed as overweight or obese each year. It is certainly predicted that, if the trend of getting overweight continues, by the near future one fifth of all money spent on health care will go towards obesity related treatment. Obesity normally begins in childhood and continues in to adulthood. While other ailments and hormone imbalances are often blamed as causes for obesity, the fact remains that these diseased conditions account for less than one percent of all childhood obesity cases. Since obesity problem tends to be a disease that badly affects all members of the family, not just the children, the parents' lifestyle must change also in order to instill healthy patterns in the child.

• Cassandra Bagley
• 18/01/2009, 2:59 PM
• 0 Comments