Childhood Obesity Research Paper

Social environment and the food choices people make early in life, usually stick with them throughout their lives. I believe it’s important that young children are taught the importance of healthy meals that nourish them and give them enough energy throughout their day. Although this is easier said than done, when some parents can’t always provide the healthiest choices for their children. Healthy foods today are more expensive than unhealthy food. With fast food, such as McDonalds, and snacks such as chips, these foods are not only unhealthy, but they are fattening, and can lead to obesity if on a steady diet of this throughout ones life. Children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are at risk for obesity and usually form these unhealthy …show more content…
Lynn Roblin who wrote the article Childhood obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influences, states that “The increase in childhood obesity in Canada results from the combined impact of children’s food and activity habits from a young age and the eating influences and environmental supports or deterrents at home, at school, and in the media.” Her article addresses childhood obesity trends and potential causes, food and nutrient trends in children, and eating habits associated with being overweight. It also reviews how the family and home environment influence children’s eating. It reviews how schools influence children’s eating through education and role modeling, and through the school culture and eating …show more content…
Children that come from homes, with higher rates of obesity and diabetes in their families are more likely to experience the same thing when they are older and have families of their own. They are also likely to engage in little physical activity and exercise regularly. This unhealthy lifestyle can result in a cycle of family obesity and diabetes. According to the article on The Economic Costs Associated With Physical, Inactivity and Obesity in Canada: An Update by Peter T. Katzmarzyk and Ian Janssen states that “Physical inactivity and obesity represent two of the greatest threats to public health in Canada. The most recent estimates indicate that 53.5% of Canadian adults are physically inactive while 14.7% are obese (Statistics Canada, 2002).””Given that both physical inactivity and obesity are strong independent predictors of illness and disability (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services [HHS], 1996; U.S. National Institutes of Health [NIH], 1998), it has been estimated that they impose a significant burden on the health care system in Canada (Birmingham et al., 1999;Katzmarzyk et al.,