Cataclysmic diseases have always caused a certain fear among the general population. This can be seen through movies and books which have gained immense popularity telling fictional accounts of outbreaks of the ebola virus or weapons grade smallpox. Although sensationalized and relatively unrealistic, these accounts touch on a feeling of vulnerability that is shown through real life examples. Most recently the swine flu epidemic caused a huge amount of news coverage and hysteria. Because of this, parents pulled their children out of school and some government offices even shut down for a period of time, despite the fact that its effects were only as serious as those of the regular flu. In contrast to these reactions, a very real and dangerous disease has risen to epidemic levels, especially among children, that up until recently has not been widely addressed. This disease, which one out of every three children suffers from or is at risk of, is childhood obesity.
Although not shocking in name, the seriousness of this disease is shown by the fact that seventy percent of children suffering from this disease are consequently at risk for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and bone and joint disorders, to name a few (Health Study: Childhood Obesity 2010). In order to avoid what some say might be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than the previous, it is obvious that the issue needs to be addressed now. Current interventions that do not take into account the parental or family dynamics having only a five percent success rate (OSU study 2008), showing the crucial need for parents to take a strong, active role in their children’s lives. Many solutions have been proposed to combat this disease; however it is evident that a long-term lifestyle change must be involved. This creates the question, what are the consequences of teaching children a healthy lifestyle on childhood obesity rates?
To begin, first one must define what is meant by childhood obesity. There are many ways to measure obesity, from body fat percentage measured by a skin fold test to body composition measured by a machine. However the most widely used and reasonably accurate method involves calculating a child’s body mass index and comparing it to a chart based on their age (Beyerlein 2010). This takes the child’s body weight in kilograms and divides it by their height in meters squared. Obesity is then defined as being at or above the ninety-fifth percentile (About BMI for Children and Teens 2009). Using this definition, we can study the effect teaching children a healthy lifestyle has on their BMI in relation to the ninety-fifth percentile on their corresponding age chart.
In order to explore the consequences that teaching a healthy lifestyle will have on obesity, one must also examine what this type of lifestyle actually means. Since a lifestyle is defined by the habits, attitudes, tastes, and actions that reflect the people or group involved, it is important to make sure that all these factors are accounted for. Because healthy can be inferred to mean many different things, the key points that define this lifestyle involve physical activity, nutrition, and mental health. By addressing these key points, it can be assumed parents teaching these combined aspects will accurately represent teaching a healthy lifestyle.
Most people understand that in order to be healthy, and thus have a healthy lifestyle, physical activity plays a key role. A major obstacle to teaching children to have a healthy level of physical activity is screen viewing. This term constitutes any use which includes the television, video, digital, and video disk (Anderson 2010) and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests no more than two hours of screen-viewing per day (Elsevier Health Sciences 2005). There is a significant correlation to screen-viewing greater than two hours and obese children when compared to that of non-obese children (Beyerlein 2010), with experts showing that the odds are 84 percent that a child with increased screen-viewing time would also be obese (Anderson 2010). It was found that there are three common reasons for this increase in obesity, namely decreased physical activity, increased calorie consumption, and a reduced resting metabolism (Robinson 2001). Therefore, by simply teaching children to reduce their inactivity associated with screen viewing, parents can go a long way to combating childhood obesity.
Another major aspect that parents can influence includes teaching children to have routine physical activity. It has been found that establishing an exercise program is key to not only establishing a healthy lifestyle, but also reversing an unhealthy one (Roberts 2010). However, this can bring up issues as to what actually constitutes an exercise program for children, as a specific program for children is generally different from that of an adult. In general it has been shown that endurance activities, with less intense levels for younger children and moderate to vigorous levels for older children, are most effective (Maffeis 2010). These levels can be accomplished fairly easily through active parental involvement. Activities for young children could include visiting a park or playground, playing in the yard, or taking advantage of seasonal activities such as swimming or sledding. For older children this can be achieved through family bike rides, training together for long distance races, or involvement with youth sports that they enjoy. Overall, the possibilities are endless and can be designed to fit any child’s preferences or desires. By doing so, parents can help children develop an active lifestyle that will continue with them throughout their lives.
In teaching children to have a healthy lifestyle, it is imperative that parents teach children what proper nutrition is. While a child is growing up, from infancy up to adolescence, parents play the primary role in deciding what and how much children eat. This influence is extremely strong and has been shown that, when done improperly, a child is increasingly at risk to become obese (Anzman 2010). Although one could spend an enormous amount of time going into the details of why this is so and how it can be avoided, to do so would be overwhelming for most parents. Thus, in order to teach their children at least the basics of nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, a few of the most important principles will be discussed. As such, the proper way for parents to exert this influence is to understand portion size and energy density, follow dietary guidelines, establish a regular meal schedule, and use appropriate feeding practices.
In today’s age where grocery stores are lined with a huge assortment of cheap and easy to make food, in addition to the variety of fast food available, parents must have an understanding of portion size and energy density in order to have an effective influence on their children. It has been shown that most people overestimate portion size, to the detriment of themselves and their children. To overcome this, it is recommended to use measuring cups and food scales, with a rough approximation of one serving being the size of one’s fist (Byrd-Bredbenner 2009). In addition, processed foods, by and large, are readily available and cheap; however, they are also high in calories while being nutrient deficient. Parents should focus on providing healthy alternatives such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (Block 2010). In general, such foods contain fewer calories per gram but leave children feeling just as full and satisfied.
Also essential for parents is to establish a regular meal schedule and appropriate feeding practices. It is common knowledge that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, with studies showing that skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of obesity (Bertone 2003). Not only does a regular meal schedule solve this issue, but it has also been suggested that children are more likely to be satisfied and less likely to snack when meals are on an established schedule (Block 2010). An important aspect for parents to consider during these scheduled meals is the method used to get children to eat. In a study of the way in which parents get their children to eat, parenting styles were separated into three categories: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. Authoritative was the most positive, exemplified by a warm, positive style that monitors their child’s diet and makes sure it is healthy. Authoritarian and permissive, however, overly restrict children’s eating and pressure them to eat rather than encouraging their children and modeling healthy diet and behavior themselves. The study showed that the authoritative style positively influences their children’s diets while the others negatively influence them, resulting in an increased risk of obesity (OSU study 2008). Thus, active participation of parents in teaching healthy nutrition to their children, a major part of a healthy lifestyle, directly affects childhood obesity rates.
One aspect of a healthy lifestyle that is not normally thought of in relation to obesity is a child’s mental health. Although not directly associated with consuming or burning calories, mental health is a large part of the type of lifestyle that parents should help develop in their children. A major issue facing American society is weight obsession, a problem often times intensified for children due to parental influence. Sometimes, this obsession can lead to mental issues which cause weight gain in direct opposition to the desired results (Birch 2003). Unfortunately, often times it also leads to factors not conducive to healthy lifestyle, such as eating disorders (Stice 1999). Rather than focusing on an ideal weight, based on societal expectations, successful interventions have been shown to be established on a healthy weight, based on the natural weight the body adopts with a healthy diet and meaningful physical activity (Berg 2003). By changing the overall perspective on mental health, parents can strengthen their children mentally to be able to avoid or overcome obesity.
Mental health also plays a big part in overcoming problem behaviors that can lead to an increased prevalence of obese children. Many times children have been programmed unknowingly to respond to certain influences by seeking out food. For many children, self control is a very difficult obstacle to overcome alone, which once again points out the importance of parental involvement. Key actions to be taken by parents include chain-breaking, stimulus control, cognitive restructuring, and monitoring. Chain breaking is defined as breaking the link between eating and other activities, such as watching television, that are not a part of a healthy lifestyle. Stimulus control alters the environment to minimize the desire to eat unhealthily, such as storing foods out of sight or keeping healthy foods on hand to snack on. Cognitive restructuring changes a child’s frame of mind regarding eating, such as substituting food with another incentive as a reward for accomplishing something good. Lastly, parents can help children monitor what they eat and how they feel, which encourages independence and responsibility (Byrd-Bredbenner 2009). Overall, by taking a proactive stance in teaching the correct mentality, children are better able to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lower obesity rates.
As has been shown, there is a direct correlation between a child’s physical activity level, degree of proper nutrition, and mental health in regards to obesity rates. Anything that would either lessen sedentary time or increase the level of physical activity would be expected to lower childhood obesity rates. Included in this pattern is nutritional behavior. If parents had a better understanding and application of portion sizes, energy density, dietary guidelines, and appropriate feeding practices, as well as if they established a regular meal schedule, a resulting decrease in childhood obesity would be anticipated. Lastly, increasing the number of parents instilling in their children a positive mental component, in regards to healthy living and eating, would produce an associated decrease in rates of obese children. Thus, anything that would encourage these behaviors and mentalities would surely have a positive effect on childhood obesity.
Due to the enormous amount of children currently afflicted by obesity, as well as the other associated health dangers caused by the disease, it is evident that strong action must be taken to address this threat. Among the options available, the most effective and longest lasting must undoubtedly center on the parents role in teaching their children. The influence that parents have over their children is incredibly strong, and if parents use this correctly then the benefits can be enormous. By teaching children to have a healthy lifestyle, the rates of childhood obesity will decrease due to an increase in physical activity, children adopting better nutritional behavior, and an increase in mental health associated with healthy living and eating.
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