The Influence Of Childhood Obesity In Children

Childhood obesity has many long-reaching health problems that can influence adult health as well as the health of future generations. There is a clear correlation between the obesity in parents and the obesity in children. This causes a cycle of obesity in children from their parents, which in turn leads to greater health problems for the next group of children. This demonstrates the need for awareness of the role parents can play in the obesity and health of children and will be a firm influence on deciding an effective plan to end childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is on the rise among US children. “Currently, 1 in 7 children and adolescents in the US is overweight” (Swallen et al., 2005). Children in today’s society spend most of their time watching television and playing video games, which has led to decreased physical activity. Also, poor diet and unhealthy snacking while watching television contributes enormously to the rise of childhood obesity. With this growing epidemic, it is imperative to understand the foundations of childhood obesity in our society so as to control its impacts on the health of our children. …show more content…
Lean (2010), it is found through research that there is a correlation with the obesity of children and their parents before them. It deems necessary to be aware of how parents influence their children, and this requires changes to adult obesity that allows their children to stop the cycle with their children in the future. A study by Johnson, Li, Kuh, and Hardy (2015) demonstrates that health problems today are worse than prior generations and obesity rates are growing. Further studies demonstrates that obesity is increasing in children and adults as is the likelihood of health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, myocardial infarction, and premature death (Swallen et al.,