Factors such as nutrition, lack of physical activity, genetics, financial status, and technology all play a part in this very serious epidemic situation.
Nutrition is the largest cause of obesity. Poor nutrition is mainly brought about by two factors: a lack of parental knowledge and impoverished neighborhoods. Uneducated parents provide their children with a large supply of comfort foods better known as junk food. Foods such as chocolate candy, ice cream, cookies, and chips are on the list of common junk food. Parents are not only guilty of supplying their children with all of these empty high calorie foods, but also of allowing children to eat excessively. They set no limits on the amount their children consume. Parents have a tendency to go for cheap instead of healthy. It is amazing that parents do not hesitate spending mega bucks on trendy clothing for their children, but talk like mules at the prices for the foods that will ensure their children's health. In most of the poor neighborhoods in which these families with uneducated parents live, the grocery stores do not provide them with healthy food choices, such as fresh vegetables and fruit. The fresh foods available are very expensive. Also any restaurants located in these areas are the fast food establishments that scream “clogged arteries.”
Lack of physical exercise is common among obese families, and there are good explanations as to why this is true. First of all, in lower income neighborhoods houses have small yards and busy streets, because of these obstacles it is difficult for children to play. If the parents are not educated about physical exercise or they do not in force it. Many children grow up watching television instead of playing outside. Their outside environment is not safe so the parents take the easy way out and let the television be the entertainment. This creates the perfect situation for weight gain. Children have a tendency for snack on high calorie foods while watching television. America is fast becoming a nation of “juvenile couch potatoes.”
Genetics is also a factor in childhood obesity. Twenty-five percent of Hispanic boys and African American girls are obese. Genes play a very important role in the problem. To illustrate this fact, one can consider the Pacific Islanders and the Alaskans. They have very large bodies due to genetics. These populations store more fat because of the cold climate in which they live. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, by 1999-2002 African American and Hispanic obesity rates increased higher and faster than whites. Also the rates of obesity for ethnic groups were higher than those for whites sometimes by 10 to 12 percentage points. That in fact proves that the genetics of the ethnic groups play a major role in obesity.
Financial status highly effects obesity. Most parents from ethnic/minority groups have low financial status. This effects what foods they buy, what exercise equipment they use, where they can use exercise equipment, and what schools they can attend. Families with low financial status are usually forced to buy cheap, starchy or sugary foods. Limited resources also determine the type of exercise equipment a family has or does not have. For example, lower income families can not afford exercise equipment, such as treadmills. The areas the families live in have small yards and busy streets. These factors do not allow children to play outside activities safely. Education is having a difficult time with getting the proper funding from both the state level and national level. This fact adds to the problem of childhood obesity. Schools are forced to put the available funds to academic needs instead of the physical education program. Therefore, there is not much equipment available to help children obtain a high level of physical fitness. Both the home and school environment along with the lack of money is a factor in the problem of childhood obesity.
Technology is viewed as the biggest demon in the problem of childhood obesity.
This demon crosses the line. It not only is seen lurking in the lower income homes, but also some of the more efficient. In the neighborhoods of most ethnic/minority groups, TV is the safest method of fun. African Americans and Hispanics watch TV and play more video games than whites. The television is a cheap baby sitter while mom is at work. Staying at home, sitting in front of the TV, and not answering the phone and opening the door to strangers has become the norm. Advertisements on TV advertise cheap, junk food on most of the programs. The advertisements focused on junk food that have skinny, black characters pertain to African Americans and makes them crave for that food. These very persuasive advertisements are the main reason that the ethnic/minority groups eat junk food. They entice the children. The strongest factor for obesity in the technological area is addiction. Addiction to the TV or the computer prevents kids from playing outside. Parents should contain that their children have a more balanced schedule between exercise and watching TV, playing video games, and time spent on the computer.
It is a fact that childhood obesity is running rampant in the United States of America. The problem appears to be greatest among the Hispanic and African American children. Factors such as nutrition, lack of physical exercise, genetics, financial status, and technology all play in part in this national problem. There are several measures that could be taken to help alternate the problem if not eliminate it completely. Every American should recognize the seriousness of the situation and do his or her part to stop this epidemic problem.
