Assignment

Student’s name:

Professor’s name:

Topic:

Institution:

Date:

Public Health Issue

Obesity amongst children

The dramatic increase in the number of obese children over the years is quite disturbing. This menace brings with it severe health and social problems. A new study by the Harvard Medical School reveals that 57% of children today will be obese by the time they reach the age of thirty. This study adds that children with obesity are likely to remain in that same state as adolescents if no changes to their lifestyle are initiated (Willett & Skerrett, 2017). The prevalence of early obesity is worrying, and we as the society ought to take responsibility to ensure that our kids are not sent to the grave at an early age.

Signs and symptoms

If a parent or a guardian notices that their child is putting on too much weight and is not sure whether the child is on the road towards obesity, among the symptoms to look out for include; the child's inability to cope with the most gentle physical activities, regular complains of tiredness, unusual sweating, increased snoring, and also complains of back pains and joint aches. However, not all children who seem to be carrying some extra pounds are obese. Children, at their different stages of development, may have varying body sizes due to genetic reasons. This does not necessarily mean that the child’s weight is beyond the unhealthy range. The best way to find out whether a child’s body weight is within the normal range is to see a doctor who will verfify the child’s Body Mass Index (BMI), which will reveal whether the child is overweight or not (Hanlon et al., 2019).

Preventive techniques

Parents or guardians should limit their child’s consumption of sugary and high-fat foods, and replace their diets with healthier food options. Making adjustments or rather controlling the child's food portions also goes a long way. A child’s screen time should be reduced to promote more active time. Parents should also take their children for regular check-ups to keep their health in check. Moreover, parents or guardians should limit the frequency of family eat-outs, and when eating out, they should encourage their children to make orders of healthy foods. Parents should strive to be role models to their kids by eating healthy foods and taking part in physical activities. This way, the child can easily follow suit. Last but not the least, parents should abandon the habit of rewarding their kids using food or withholding food as a form of punishment.

References

Hanlon, E. C., Dumin, M., & Pannain, S. (2019). Sleep and obesity in children and adolescents. In Global Perspectives on Childhood Obesity (pp. 147-178). Academic Press.

Willett, W., & Skerrett, P. J. (2017). Eat, drink, and be healthy: the Harvard Medical School guide to healthy eating. Simon and Schuster.