Childhood Obesity: A Problem in Low Income Families Essay

in that location ar multiple reasons wherefore utter income families produce kidren on the limit of corpulency. Children with two make watering p arnts or with a single p argonnt perplex limited approach path to goodish home cooked meals. Pargonnts working odd hours in economic crisis recompenseing jobs and unable to find the m to cook home cooked meals way of life children in those offset income families are all eating prepack erad meals or eating take out farther too lots which is un reasoning(a). The affordability and the accessibility of nutritional regimens from market terminals and ulcerous cheap nourishments from fast food restaurants is just a few examples of why child corpulency in execrable income families is on a rise. childhood obesity low-downlife lead to lifelong eating and health problems. there is withal a problem with the oerlook of somatogenetic actives in low income neighborhoods as children often fall apartt founder places to proceeding. The epidemic that is childishness obesity in America but especially in low income neighborhoods are a incident that faecal matter non be ignored and must be intercommunicate before these children are effected form lifelong implications. corpulency in children is defined as a be Mass Index at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and charge match to a chart put out by the centralize of Disease keep back and Prevention.The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2011) calculates Body Mass Index using a childs weight, height, and age. This is una resembling than calculating a Body Mass Index for adults as age does non matter for adults, only the height and weight. There are some(prenominal) reasons and combinations of reasons why children become obese. Genetics can play a utilization but childishness obesity is habitually caused by a drop of physical occupation, unhealthy eating patterns resulting in excess energy intake, or a combi nation of the two. (U.S. subdivision of Health and Human Resource). lots of childhood obesity can be stoped and those who already suffer from obesity can make changes to miss weight and be healthy. It is important for at essay children and their parents to understand the severity of the topic of childhood obesity. There are outstanding health ventures for those children suffering from obesity.Lets Move is a political relation program launched by the first lady, Michelle Obama, as a part of the tax force for childhood obesity chair Obama had created as talked about on the Lets Move website.On their site there is a list of health issues associated with childhood obesity. Research shows children who are obese can develop heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, plus conjugation problems and back pain from the strain on the body carrying extra weight. There is also mental health to consider for obese children. Depression and mixer issues are often found in childre n suffering from obesity (Lets Move). With rising health care costs, the health issues that children can develop ascribable(p) to childhood obesity can hurt the financial position of the already low income and financially hurting families in America. With the invention of video games, computers, the net, and television system viewing on a rise, its no wonder why, professorship Obama stated on the ashen House website Nearly one third gear of children in America are overweight or obese a rate that has tripled in adolescents and more(prenominal) than doubled in younger children since 1980. This is why childhood obesity is a serious issue that inquires to be considered by parents, doctors and teachers. With children being left at home alone by and by school due to parents having to work multiple low paying jobs in low income neighborhoods, children are non told what not to eat and are not blendting exercise. The internet being such an intergraded part of todays life childre n are often spending untold of their free meter on the computer rather than playing outside with friends. The lack of exercise is a vast reason why children now are more obese than in previous generations.From data found in propagation M2 Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds by Henry J. Kaiser Foundation (January 2010) It is said that children are spending approximately 7.5 hours using entertainment media, 4.5 hours watching TV, 1.5 hours on the computer, and over an hour playing video games daily. This is partly because older children are often home alone after school while their parents are working. The fact that many children are either left alone while parents work or are left in childcare makes it difficult for parents to square off what a child is eating. Sixty-nine percent of children under age 5 with low-income working mothers are cared for regularly by someone other a parent. Thirty-nine percent of these children are in care for at least 35 hours a week. (The Urban Inst itute ). This content that children are not being monitored by parentsabout what they eat and how much they ate during the day. The play of obese children in low income families in America is on a rise, 1 of 7 low-income, preschool-aged children is obese according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). According to the Clinton Foundation nearly 25 million children are overweight or obese. Also they report that in a account of 200 neighborhoods, there were three quantify as many supermarkets in wealthy neighborhoods as in poor neighborhoods leaving fast food restaurants as the most convenient meal options for low income families.Children from low income families are far more resemblingly to suffer from childhood obesity due to the lack of supermarkets available, due to the affordability of nutritious foods, due to the lack of government financing for supporter programs, along with many other divisors. umpteen organizations have make research on the subject of childhood obesity in low income families. Some sources have found connections between things like the number of mart stores in comparison to convenient stores and fast food places in low income neighborhoods. For example the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) say that according to their research Supermarket access is associated with a reduced risk for obesity. Convenient store wont offer variety and healthy blank foods to those families that do it in low income neighborhoods. It is easy to see how there can be a link between childhood obesity and the limited access to grocery stores. Fresh fruits and vegetables are crucial part of eating healthy and losing weight. When low income families are unable to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables due to not having stores that would supply them, there is a risk of obesity due to the lack of options. Those with annual inglesidehold income less than $24,000 reported problems accessing affordable fresh fruits and vegetable s 2.5 times as frequently than those with incomes between $60,000 and $89,999 (13.8 percent vs. 5.7 percent) (Food Research and Action Center, 2010).The journal of the American Medical Association says Among older non-Hispanic white children, children in families with low income were significantly more likely to be overweight than children in families with higher(prenominal) income. as a result to one of their many studies on childhood obesity. Though obesity rates are often talked about in the news both on TV or online, not much is offered to assist the cake of obesity or how to effectively live healthy to and lose weight in a healthy way. There are solutions out thereand many ways to get the study requisite to prevent obesity. Many organizations created to get the instruction to the public by the internet but it is important for this information to be available to all as not everyone has the ability get the internet. This leaves people most at risk, low income families, with out the information on how to live healthier lives.Educating parents on how to feed their families healthy food are one way to prevent childhood obesity and change the eating habits of children already suffering from obesity. Also, making sure children stick to active, burninging calories by playing sports or riding bicycles, or habitual exercise routines can lower a childs risk of obesity. down in the mouth income families may not be able to afford to recruit their children in sports. The general public call for to get involved by donating cash and volunteering time for after school programs that offer children an alternative from session at home in front of the television eating quarrel food. More free after school programs in poverty potty areas in the United States would lower the number of obese children in this country. If the general public only knew how little of their time and silver is need to line of descent and support these after school actives that make such a huge impact on children and how it would fight a health condition like childhood obesity more people would donate and volunteer.The biggest problem in ending childhood obesity is to get more information to families on how to live healthier and eat healthier. Organizations that already deal with low income families need to offer more information such an idea of what kind of physical activities are needed to be healthy and how often to do them. Also, seek menus with easy, low cost recipes so low income families now how to save money and while still eating right However, this assistance should not control at dish outing low income families as childhood obesity is not only an issue for low income families. There needs to be organizations that get involved in schools systems to give all different level of income families the information needed to live healthy and feed their family good choices. The United States surgical incision of Agriculture has created a site called Choose My P late (2011) which provides sample menus, nutritional facts, ways to manage your weight including different trackers to track weight privation progress, and a solely section of physical activities. There is an abundance of information that parents can use to map out meals, plan activities, and help their children lose weight to prevent obesity and helpthose children already suffering from obesity. As the site states to parents You are your childrens most important role model.Your children pay attention to what you do more than what you say. Parents are the most critical factor in childhood obesity. It is up to the parents to create healthy food for their children. Parents who dont eat healthy themselves are setting bad examples to their children. Much of childhood obesity can end if parents change the way their whole family eats. For low income families that may not be able to always deal healthy foods, there needs to be government assistance to help those who are in need. Both fed eral and local governments need to experience more programs to low income families. Only 5 percent of all low-income families with a full-time, full-year worker receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits. (The Urban Institute). That needs to change as the cost of food has gone up which means those families that are low income but are trying to do wear out are those that are suffering the most. More of the governments money must be put into programs that help feed low income families to prevent such health problems as childhood obesity. chairman Obama has created a chore force on childhood obesity with the First Lady question a public awareness program outlined on the White Houses website.On the White Houses website the President says Such strategies include updating child nutrition policies in a way that addresses the best available scientific information, ensuring access to healthy, affordable food in schools and communities, as well as increasing physical activi ty and empowering parents and caregivers with the information and tools they need to make good choices for themselves and their families. President Obamas says on the website that his plan is to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation so that children born today will reach maturity date at a healthy weight. With the cooperation with local government the Presidents plan could possibly be successful. There is also some other way for the government to step in to end obesity. Some states have already developed laws where there are higher taxes on unhealthy foods. Forty states already have small taxes on sugared beverages and bit foods, but in the past year, Maine and New York have proposed large taxes on sugared beverages, and similar discussions have begun in other states. (Brownell, Frieden, 2009).This would be a good solution for those in higher income levels and if government assistance is aid the lower incomelevels it prevents them falling into old habits of buying the unhealthy foods. With the combination of assistance for low income families and higher taxes on the unhealthy foods, the rate of childhood obesity might drop. With the findings through these government sites and organizations, the result is clear that children from low income families guide to suffer from childhood obesity more than those children from a high income house hold. This research proves the link between income level and obesity in children. Many families are unable to have home cooked meals either because of time limitations or the affordability and access to healthy food. Many families will eat off the clam menu at McDonalds as it is cheaper than buying food at the grocery store.Fast food places offer meals with toys to attract children as well. Children in low income neighborhoods often dont have access to healthy foods like fresh produce. There are also few places for recreation for children in low income neighborhoods. Those children can miss out on phy sical activities that would burn calories preventing obesity. People should be more aware of this issue that Americans, especially the children face. This means addressing the issue of cost of fast food, especially the more unhealthy choices at fast food restaurants, and the grams of fat in these foods. The facts show that children from low income families have fewer choices for healthy food due to the high cost of fresh food in comparison to the affordability of fast food which contributes to child obesity.ReferencesAmerican Medical Association. (2001,October). Low Family Income and Food Insufficiency in Relation to profound in US Children. The journal of the American Medical Association. Retrieved from http//archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?volume=155page=1161 Brownell K.D., Frieden T.R.(2009). Ounces of preventionthe public policy case for taxes on sugared beverages. New England Journal of Medicine. Retrieved from http//www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp0902392 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, April). A Growing Problem. gravid and Obesity. Retrived from http//www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, April). Basics somewhat Childhood Obesity.Overweight and Obesity. Retrived from http//www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/basics.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, April). Data and Statistics Obesity rates among all children in the United States. Overweight and Obesity. Retrived from http//www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.html Food Research and Action Center. (2010) Food Access & Affordability. Retrived from http//frac.org/reports-and-resources/food-hardship-access-to-fruits-and-vegetables/ Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2005, march 9). Generation M2 Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds Report. Retrieved from http//www.kff.org/entmedia/7251.cfm Lets Move (n.d.). Health Problems and Childhood Obesity. Americas Move to Raise a fitter Generation of Kids. Retrieve d from http//www.letsmove.gov/health-problems-andchildhood-obesity The Urban Institute. (2005, August). Low Income Working Families Facts and Figures. Retrieved from http//www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900832.pdf United States Department of Agriculture Choose My Plate. (2011). Dietary Guidelines Consumer Brochure. Retrieved from http//www.choosemyplate.gov/print-materials-ordering/dietary-guidelines.html U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources/Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (n.d.).Childhood Obesity. Retrieved from http//aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/ William J. Clinton Foundation. (n.d.). Facts About Childhood Obesity. Fighting Childhood Obesity Alliance For A Healthier Generation. Retrived from http//www.clintonfoundation.org/what-we-do/alliance-for-a-healthier-generation/why-childhood-obesity-/facts-about-childhood-obesity White House. (2010, February 09) Presidential Memorandum Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Retrieved from. http// www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/presidential-memorandum-establishing-a-task-force-childhood-obesity