Examples » Essay samples » Overweight Children Essay Sample
Overweight Children Essay Sample

Posted on

Overweight Children Essay Sample

What Contributes to the Increasing Number of Overweight Children

Introduction

Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem in the 21st century. The number of children who suffer from this disease is increasing at alarming rates. There are many factors that contribute to the development of childhood obesity. Scientists distinguish the following ones: environmental factors, culture, genetic factors, lifestyle preferences and upbringing.

Unhealthy Food

One of the main causes of childhood obesity is unhealthy food. Often, children prefer high-calorie and highly sugary foods instead of healthier alternatives. Of course, it is up to parents to control what their children eat. But quite often they cannot prevent them from buying the candy bars or bags of potato chips that are available everywhere or from buying meals at fast food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC, where unhealthy food is readily available. So, it is not just up to parents but also society to help children eat healthy.

Lack of Physical Activity

The other important reason why there are a lot of overweight children is the lack of physical activity. It’s been proven by many scientists that sedentary behavior like watching TV and playing video games are associated with an increased prevalence of obesity (Swinburn, 2002).

Nowadays many children prefer these more sedentary activities over going for walks or playing physical games outside. Video games, communicating with their friends virtually, and watching TV have supplanted play tag and hide-and-go-seek. For example, one investigation found that children in the U.S. spend more than 25% of their waking hours in front of television sets (Robinson, 2001). 

Society is continually creating new entertaining devices for children which on one hand can help certain elements of their neurological development, but which, on the other hand, can have a negative influence on their health. Of course, parents must encourage and perhaps even force their children to limit their time watching TV or playing video games at home rather than walking or playing outside. Of course, it can be challenging for parents to constantly be monitoring their kids, what with all of the extra responsibilities in and out of the home that they must attend to. Many parents do not make their kids exercise or stretch. Moreover, some of them forbid their children from playing sports, riding bikes, or playing outside alone because they worry about their kids. But the problem is that doing this can also be harmful.

Conclusion

There are many other factors that cause childhood obesity, but, as with big societal changes being unlikely to happen quickly, parents are the main ones responsible for their children’s health. They should do whatever they can, including limiting their children’s time in front of TV, computer, and phone screens to help their kids fight obesity. They should remember that prevention is a key strategy for controlling and decreasing the number of overweight children (Muller, 2001). Parents ought to control what their children eat, what they do, how they play, etc. And they shouldn’t forget to set their own bright example for their progeny.

Swinburn B, Egger G. (2002). Preventive strategies against weight gain and obesity. Obesity Review, 3: 289-301

Robinson Thomas N. (2001). Television viewing and childhood obesity. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 48 (4), pp. 1017-1025

Muller MJ, Mast M, Asbeck I, Langnase K, Grund A. (2001) Prevention of obesity–is it possible? Obesity Review2:15-28

More Aspects You Can Explore in Your Paper

These are not the only aspects you can focus on in your essay. Our writers will be glad to help you develop further exciting ideas for your projector, or you can use our writing prompt generator to come up with new ones. 
Feel free to consider writing about some of these other topics related to the increasing number of overweight children. The college essay title generator can help you to end up with a fresh topic for your paper.

Dietary factors

  • Supersized portions. Restaurants and packaged foods offer larger portions, leading to overconsumption.
  • Sugary drinks. Soda, juice boxes, and sports drinks contribute significantly to sugar intake.
  • Decreased intake of fruits and vegetables. Lack of access, affordability, or preference for processed options.
  • Family eating habits. Unhealthy food choices at home and on-the-go, lack of shared meals, and limited involvement in meal preparation.

Physical activity factors

  • Decreased sedentary time. Increased screen time from TV, computers, and phones takes away from active play.
  • Transportation dependence. Increased reliance on cars for short trips reduces walking and biking opportunities.
  • Urbanization and neighborhood design. Lack of access to parks, playgrounds, and safe walking/biking infrastructure.

Socioeconomic factors

  • Food insecurity and poverty. Limited access to healthy and affordable food choices.
  • Stress and parental time constraints. Busy schedules and economic pressures may lead to unhealthy food choices and less focus on activity.
  • Marketing and advertising. Targeted advertising of unhealthy foods to children plays a significant role in shaping preferences.

Other contributing factors

  • Sleep deprivation. Inadequate sleep disrupts hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.
  • Genetics and medical conditions. While not primary drivers, genetic predispositions and certain medical conditions can influence weight.
  • Mental health and emotional well-being. Stress, anxiety, and depression can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms like overeating.

Additionally, consider exploring

  • The role of schools and communities in promoting healthy habits.
  • Policy and industry changes to address the issue, such as sugar taxes and healthier school lunches.
  • The long-term health consequences of childhood obesity and strategies for prevention.
  • Individual and family-level actions to promote healthy eating and physical activity in children

After choosing the right topic, it is important to create a strong narrative essay outline and stick to it while writing. After finishing your paper, don’t forget to use our AI content detector to make sure your essay is human-written.

Photo by Torsten Dederichs from Unsplash


arrow