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Example research essay topic: Coronary Heart Disease Number Of Children - 2,179 words

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Childhood Obesity The latest surveys performed by many healthcare institutions including the Center for Disease Control, Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), the National Health, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), obesity in the United States is a severe and mounting catastrophe. In the United States of America, nearly 320, 000 deaths a year are the direct consequences of the disorders caused by obesity. The fast growth of obesity indicates that there are a numerous alternations in modern American society that are leading to weight gain. The clinical definition of obesity is usually expressed in terms of body mass index (BMI), which is derived by dividing ones weight by the square of ones height (Allison & Saunders). The higher BMI is the more the risk of the person to acquire some serious problem with health. As BMI increases, so does the percentage of the population with elevated total cholesterol (Allison & Saunders).

Today the greatest concern to many researchers and medicine scholars is growing obesity of the United States future generations. The number of obesity incidents among American children has never been higher than in past decade. According to the American Dietetic association (ADA), while the health status of children in the United States has generally improved in the last three decades, the number of children who are overweight has more than doubled. Approximately 4. 7 million children now meet the criteria of twenty percent above desirable weight, and are considered obese.

A latest national research has indicated that on the whole the count of American children of ages of five to ten have increased almost three times within the last forty-years, and every seventh of these children is meeting the criterion of obesity. On the national level, we are beginning to witness young children of two years old with severe weight problems (Barrow). Like the rest of American citizens and residents, children are exposed to more and more sitting style of living. Just as anyone else they are attacked by commercials inducing them to buy and devour foods that are particularly fatty and full of waste calories. Overweight and obese children are not only putting themselves at risk for many health problems, but are also increasing the chance of rejection from their peer group.

No one likes being the odd person out. And when you " re suffering weight problems and a child, odds are that you will not only be the last one chosen for the school team, you will also discover it tougher to make acquaintances. In the oftentimes-savage society of children, children having weight difficulties are more probable to be isolated than the children with other physical problems (Barrow). Overweight children are inculcated at an early age on that they are intolerable by standards of the society. Overweight children often fall victim to ridicule, taunts and insults from peers, which can product long-term psychological effects.

The time has come for parents, schools, and the media to realize just how serious our childrens weight problem is, because their health and well-being are seriously at stake. There are some people who believe that we should not address the problem of childhood obesity, because they think that this issue is too sensitive. Meaning that they believe that children will become traumatized when confronted with the harsh realities of obesity. There may be some truth to this argument, nevertheless the consequences of obesity are so severe, that we must risk hurting a childs ego if it means saving his or her physical health. Also, by confronting the problem of childhood obesity we may actually save a childs emotional well being in the long run. Obesity is the cause of many childhood diseases.

The cost of hospitalization for childhood obesity related illness increased three-fold in the United States between 1980 and 1998 (Cross). Obese children of both genders are at greater risk for coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis, even if they lose weight as an adult. Asthma is more prevalent in children who are overweight then their average weight peers. Obesity is the biggest risk factor for pediatric hypertension. Obese children are also prone to orthopedic problems such as hip and lower extremity deformities, with associated pain and a decreased range in motion. Sleep apneas, which are believed to contribute to learning difficulties, sometimes occur in obese children.

Abnormal growth acceleration is frequently seen in obese children, especially females. Obese children also have increased average blood pressure and heart rate. Because they carry excess weight, obese children are also at risk for orthopedic problems, such as bowed legs and weight stress in lower extremities. Obesity have been associated with increased risk of a large number of disorders including dyslipidemia, type two diabetes mellitus, hypertension, congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis, specific cancers (prostate, breast, colon, and endometrial), sleep apnea, gallstones and depression (Allison & Saunders). Diabetes is one of most serious consequences of childhood obesity.

Until recently type two diabetes was thought of as adult on set diabetes. Prior to 1990, very few children suffered form type two diabetes and the disorder was rarely seen in people under the age of forty. Doctors are now seeing children as young as four years showing symptoms of the disease. At the present time, 30 % of newly diagnosed diabetic children have type two diabetes (Tarango).

Obesity increases a persons chance of getting type two diabetes more than any other risk factor. One-fourth of obese children ages four to eighteen already show early signs of diabetes (Cross). Diabetes can cause many serious health problems such as heart disease, kidney failure, and eye and nerve damage. Type two diabetes is correlated with obesity because it has been shown that excessive adipose tissue results in increased insulin resistance.

The relationships between obesity and hypertension have been well documented. New data from the Swedish Obesity Study found that over an 8 -year period, obese people who maintained a significant weight loss experienced a return to baseline blood pressure (Allison & Saunders). Coronary heart disease is linked to several risk factors, including elevated total cholesterol, hypertension, and elevated insulin levels, all associated with obesity. Excessive weight causes extra strain and weight on the joints that can lead to osteoarthritis. Besides, child obesity has been medically proven to increase the risk of long-term life altering illnesses. A more positive role by our nations parents should be taken to lead our children to a healthier future. "Usually children who are about 20 - 25 lbs.

over their standard body weight are though of as having overweight problems, and those 45 - 55 lbs. above their standard body weight are treated as obese" (Barrow). To determine if a child is considered obese or over weight a family doctor factors in the child's age, sex, and body build. The total number of fat cells in the body is the major factor in causing obesity. Each individual person has a unique number of fat cells in their body. Fat cells reproduce during early childhood and puberty of ones life cycle.

Once fat cells have been created there is no way to reduce them. Eating unhealthy amounts and types of food during reproduction of these fat cells along with low physical activity will cause more cells to reproduce. Therefore, it is critical that a person is eating the right types and amounts of food and getting the right amount of physical activity during these stages of his / her life. Food provides the major source of energy the body needs to function. If the input (intake of food) is greater than the output (physical activity) excess body fat will be stored in the fat cells, which causes obesity. Energy that is not used by the body will be stored as fat.

According to research by Young & Nestle (2002) one cause is food consumed outside the home, which accounted for 34 % of the food budget in 1970 but 47 % by the late 1990 s (as cited in US Department of Agriculture & Economic Research Service, 1995). Another possibility is the size of food portions. Since the food industry has grown larger, and people are eating out more; marketing has become more concentrated, and larger numbers of new products have been introduced (as cited by Gallo, 1990). Price competition has lead manufacturers to increase product size, which not only draws attention to the product but increases their profits (Young & Nestle).

Some examples are the larger portion of candy bars, the supersizing of menu items of fast food restaurants, the larger soft drink sizes and the bigger portion sizes in restaurants. Another problem with the eating habits of today's children is the increase in the amount of soft drinks and snack foods children are consuming. Some snack foods are healthy, but most children prefer snack foods, which are high in fat and calories and low in nutrients. High-fat eating habits of an overweight and obese child can develop into certain life altering health problems in their future, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. These health problems can shorten a child's life and will most certainly lead to an altered life style. Parents should start taking a more positive role in watching what their children are eating and drinking.

It is very important for every parent to influence a childs habits in the positive way. One of the many things that parents teach their child is what kind of foods to eat. Heredity also plays a part; obese parents tend to have obese children and the dependence seems to be stronger on the mother. There is a strong tendency for childhood obesity to be correlated with the condition of the parents. Children of obese parents are more likely to become obese during childhood, and the presence of obese family members present doubles this risk. A six year old who has one obese parent has a 72 percent chance of becoming an obese adult.

Genetic differences account for 25 - 40 percent obesity. Changes in genes take many generations to have effect, so while obesity relates to both genetic and to environment, recent increases in obesity must be due to changes in environment (Tarango). This is due to heredity and his / her parents personal beliefs about nutrition. Due to modern financial pressures, many children today grow up in house holds were both parents must work full time, away from the home. As an unfortunate consequence, a large number of children are coming home from school to empty homes, and a large percentage of parents feel guilty about not being there when their child gets home. Parents have legitimate concerns for the safety of children.

They are fearful of unsupervised children playing outside because the probability of being victimized or hit by a car increases. To compensate for their absence, many parents use food as a substitute for their absence. As a result many children spend their afternoons coped up in the house watching television and eating junk food. For all obese children, the majority of parents told researchers that their child's weight was normal.

Even among those children who were the most severely obese, only 3 % of their parents felt that their child was overweight. From an early age, society stigmatizes obese people as lazy, stupid, slow, and self-indulgent. When children tease each other for being overweight, they are really saying out loud what our culture reinforces daily. Obese children will tell you that they do not deserve to be ridiculed simply because they wear bigger sizes. The reality is that anxiety, shame and guilt are common feelings among obese children. (Cross) The trends that contribute to the suspected overall decrease in daily energy expenditure include television viewing, video games, computers at work and in the home, unsafe neighborhoods, labor-savings devices, reduced physical education programming in schools and communities, increased automobile use and the decreased use of public transportation (Schmitz & Jeffery, 2000). Watching television is the strongest catalyst of developing childhood obesity.

Children today are spending more and more time sitting in front of the television and computer. Television has a considerable amount of influence on a childs decisions and behavior. It may be a major reason why children have weight problems. Children in the United States spend on the average 3 - 4 hours a day watching television. When children are watching television, they are more likely to snack on high fat junk food. Besides they tend to eat those products that are advertised on television in the most attractive way.

Nearly everyone on television is thin and the medium seems to suggest that you may eat and stay thin. Children are not burning off as many calories as if they would outside playing. The average child eats 600 calories when sitting in front of the television a day. A child that watches more then five hours of television is four and a half times more likely to develop a weight problem (Allison). Television not only makes children inactive, it also gives them the wrong ideas about what they should eat and how to treat people who have...


Free research essays on topics related to: coronary heart disease, childhood obesity, fat cells, snack foods, number of children

Research essay sample on Coronary Heart Disease Number Of Children

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