Obesity by definition is the state of an individual with excess weight by increasing body fat. Obesity is defined by a body mass index greater than 30. WHO defines “overweight and obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health”. (Center) Obesity is a recognized disease that can lead to real physiological or psychological health problems. Once considered a problem of high-income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, especially in urban areas. Today about 13% of the world’s population is suffering from obesity; 600 million people.Childhood obesity is a major public health issue in all developed countries. In France, childhood obesity affects about 1 child in 6. In the 60s, about 5% of children were overweight. Nowadays the most prominent percentage is of children facing the wrath of obesity. Child obesity that is caused by junk food intake and inattention of parents can lead to physical diseases; therefore, parents and teachers should encourage children to adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy food and resisting junk food and by exercising regularly.
The proportion of obese people has increased over the last 30 years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. The increase in the average weight was observed in all age groups in all socio -economic groups.Childhood obesity is one of the biggest challenges to public health in the 21st century. This is a global problem that affects many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban areas. The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. It is estimated that in 2010 the world had more than 42 million overweight children. Nearly 35 million of these children live in developing countries. (WHO) The overweight and fat youngsters are liable to stay large as grown-ups and are more vulnerable to non-transmittable infections, for example, diabetes and cardiovascular infection at a prior age. Overweight and stoutness and the ailments connected with them, are generally preventable. The avoidance of tyke heftiness ought to be given a high need. Youth weight is an important issue portrayed by overabundance muscle to fat quotients in the assortment of the kids. This level of adiposity is a condition for all your general wellbeing and health, inclining him to endure other optional and related pathologies. The principal changes to happen in corpulent kids are normally enthusiastic or mental. In any case, adolescence corpulence can likewise prompt more extreme manifestations and life-undermining, for example, diabetes, hypertension, rest issues gastro vascular illnesses, disease and different burdens. Some of these incorporate liver illness, anorexia, skin contaminations, asthma and other respiratory issues. Studies have demonstrated that overweight kids generally develop into overweight grown-ups. Stoutness amid puberty has been connected with high death rates amid adulthood. Corpulent youngsters regularly experience the ill effects of their associates. Some are aggrieved or oppressed by their own crew. Generalizations flourish and may prompt low respect toward oneself and sorrow. Presentations guardian of a kid in a nursery stage might later affect possibilities of being hefty kid within a brief span of time. To stop the youngster corpulence there are sure insurances that the folks of the specific kids need to take to make their youngsters have a content and solid life, no one but folks can make their kids consume sound and consume less.
Parents are one of the major reasons of the childhood obesity nowadays. Parents give their children anything to eat without knowing the consequences of giving that thing to their children. They don’t tend to do any research on what they are giving to their children and how they are giving certain things to their children. The most wrong thing about the parents is their perception. They think that if the word “diet” is written on the pack of any food item then that food item is healthy, but this perception of the parents is wrong, that “diet” doesn’t mean that food is healthy, may be “diet” refers to the item being comparatively healthier than the other items but the word diet doesn’t mean that it is healthy to eat (McLennan). The other perceptions may include in the parents that giving their children fruits before junk food balances the harm that the junk food gives to their children, but this perception is totally wrong, the fruit doesn’t balance the harm of the junk food that is given to the children, rather it multiplies the harm, as then the children are forced to do overeating. (Hesketh, Waters, Green, Salmon) Another thing that is wrong in the perceptions of the parents is that most of the parents think that giving junk food to their children daily isn’t much harmful, but that perception of theirs is also very wrong as giving junk food to children is harmful. So parents are the biggest reason of the child obesity nowadays, as they don’t give any attention to what they are giving to their children and they don’t give any attention to the consequences that their child might bear in the future because of the unhealthy habits that were not considered as a problem by their parents. While the reason of the parents being so ignorant about this problem may be their education, the parents of those children might not be educated enough to know about the problems that their child might have to bear when he grows up. There should be some proper steps taken by the concerned authorities to generate the awareness of such problems in public and give education to the people in general about this certain problem.
No matter the food we take is street food, junk food or junk food that is our own choice. We have no right to throw blames on the marketing of the food or the chefs who makes them and then offer us that yummy food that may be and most of the times is harmful to us. With all this there are new trends rising of consuming the organic food which is not much time consuming and its healthy too. On this concept the latest study has shown some reasons towards the obesity problem in children. The common concept is that childhood obesity is caused by the consumption of fast food by the children and this is the reason behind the quick increase in the childhood obesity. “It is estimated that in 2010 the world had more than 42 million overweight children. Nearly 35 million of these children live in developing countries. The overweight and obese children are likely to remain obese as adults and are more susceptible to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease at an earlier age.” (WHO) a new study has found that consumption of fast food is simply a by-product of a much bigger problem; that is a poor diet, poor eating habits at homes, schools and nurseries for children and the main problem is the lack of the physical activity. The children nowadays are more into video games rather than playing physical games. The study published in the Journal of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition was conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina (United States). The researchers of the study found that consumption of foods from fast food by children is only a small part of a much more widespread diet, which is promoted at an early age by parents and close to child (Ebbeling et al). The model incorporates a few foods grown from the ground rather depending on a lot of transformed nourishments and sugary beverages. These nourishment decisions are additionally strengthened in the suppers offered at the school. This again demonstrates the essentialness of centering the nature of sustenance in schools and kindergartens, offering a fluctuated eating regimen and natural. (Must, Aviva, and Richard S. Strauss) Among the elements of corpulence, there is the best approach to consume on the grounds that consuming quick sustenance is simply an ensuing conduct of those unfortunate propensities that are transformed suppers and “holding nothing back one” as nourishments offered at fast food. Truth be told, youngsters who consume basically fast food are more prone to end up hefty, yet this does not demonstrate that calories from fast food are the principle casualties of stoutness, the scientists said. The moderate nourishment and changing consuming practices fundamental ought to be a point for general wellbeing aversion. The study presented strong evidence that the diet of children, beyond the fast-food consumption is more strongly linked to poor diet. In this way, while reducing the consumption of fast food, which is important, the rest of a child’s diet should not be overlooked. (Poti, Duffey, and Popkin) The other factor that is responsible for the obesity of children is money. The rich kids and the kids in the rich nations are more obese as their parents have more money to offer them, and the parents have less time to see whether their children are eating the right things or not, as they are busy earning the money that is destroying the future of their own child. Money has been another cause of the obesity in the children, the children of the people who are not that rich are rarely obese as those parents don’t spoil their children by giving them any amount of money that they ask for.
Technology is yet another reason behind the child obesity, the popularity of internet and television increased the ratio of obesity with it. While the epidemic of obesity more hits and more all age groups, researchers are still trying to elucidate all causes. Latest discovery shows that the advertisements of the unhealthy foods are helping to make children fat. Are these TV advertisements really double standard? On one hand they ask the consumers to take healthy food, and they talk about the prevention messages to be healthy, the common statement that 5 vegetables and fruits a day, and an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and they ask not to consume too much of sugar or salt. And on one hand there are the ads of fast foods on the TV that tempt our children to eat those unhealthy food items. Through these, it is not easy for our children to be on the right track and it is not easy for the parents to keep their children on the right track either. More than 42 million children under 5 are overweight or obese in 2010, Worrying figures that led WHO to publish recommendations on these fatty, salty and sweet. Primarily responsible for this epidemic would in fact marketing services brand for children, which flood the very attractive commercials, and thus indirectly favor obesity in the young. WHO therefore recommends prohibiting or limiting advertising in places childcare (kindergarten, school, playground…) The specific context of the implementation of this measure will be defined and a control system with sanctions if the marketing services do not meet their commitments. On the occasion of the presentation RoselyneBachelot-Narquin, Minister of Health and Sports, the report on the implementation of the Charter of the food industry and television media on nutrition, 7 organizations denounce the lack flagrant of this charter and require the establishment of regulatory measures for the effective contribution of television media in the fight against childhood obesity. Signed in emergency in February 2009 to prevent a vote on a regulation on television advertising to children, the charter was then presented as an effective alternative to legislation requested by our associations. So the television commercials are also a big hurdle towards the minimization of child obesity and countries like France have already taken some steps for the prevention of this problem.
Child obesity is a leading problem of today. And it has to be controlled by the concerned authorities to make this planet a peaceful place to live and let the children of today to live a better life in the future. The parents need to do special researches on how to feed their children and the parents should know about the things they are giving their children to eat. More on this, there should be special seminars or special precautionary courses provided by the concerned authorities to the general people. The fast food craze should be lessened and people should be guided about them properly. Also like France, other countries should also ban such advertisements that might make the children obese. Proper precautionary measures and proper knowledge can stop the obesity in children and can make this world beautiful for our children!