Social Influences on Childhood Obesity

dense and obese kidskinren atomic bit 18 a major problem in the linked States and the rates are unfortunately rising, especi on the wholey in children. Obesity is the guide cause for health problems much(prenominal) as type 2 diabetes, exalted cholesterol, high blood extort, coronary heart disease, gallstones, depression, anxiety, poor academic performance, and many other long-term health problems in particular if fleshiness occurs early in lifespan. I believe this is a friendly let go of because the major causes of fleshiness are diet and lifestyle.In America, the diet consists of fried and greasy feeds much(prenominal) as fast foods, the lifestyle lacks enough physical activities that are inevitable to increase the metabolism and pr hithertot weight gain that leads to obesity. The children of the United States pass by much to a greater extent meter take careing TV or compete video games than doing activities that include physical exercise, much(prenominal) a s sports, running, hiking, biking, or raze just passing. Obesity in children in America is a problem.The sociological brokers that cause obesity in children include sociocultural evolution and build purlieus, especially the advancement of technology, and social stop which includes media, advertisements, and peer-pressure. More than one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 are now considered big(a). The issue of obesity is related to the obvious factor of over sweep awaying and as tumefy as the lack of physical activity. Ameri back end families over feed their children without realizing it because they want to suffer sure their children are not hungry or starving.Our bodies adjust their take in and requirement of food based on the amount we regularly eat, whence over feeding children in their early years increases their need for food throughout their life eon. Food and over eating loafer become an addiction, which leads to obesity and many health problems. If t he definition of addiction is the habitual use or uncontrollable craving for something, then we (Americans) are addicted to food. Food is the do drugs of preference in this country. (Freeman-Fobbs 2003 95). Other factors similarly contri plainlye to childhood obesity. Family demographics, parenting beliefs and practices, child television watching and physical activity have all attest associations with behaviors that can lead to early obesity. (Gable and Lutz, 2000 49). Sociocultural evolution is a factor that contributes to childhood obesity because of the drastic increase in technology or material resources that are replaced with physical activity. other sociological concept is social control parents conform or go along with the social norms which could be plastered behaviors or beliefs that contribute to lifestyles leading to obesity in children.The build environment in to twenty-four hourss American troupe, children have an abounding amount variety of video games and tele vision shows to choose from for their entertainment. The built environment can both facilitate and hinder physical activity and helminthic eating. Sociocultural evolution refers to the changes that human society undergoes over time by developing new means that are used to fulfill necessities and wishes. all told the material resources that are available cause the children to stay indoors close of the time and therefore limit physical activities, such as sports or other exteriors activities.Research shows that spending one hour per day in front of the television or playing video games whitethorn double the childs risk for obesity. Screen time is wide blamed for the tripling of obesity rates in children since the 1980s. According to the sawbones General, in 1999 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the United States were overweight this prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past 2 decades, the same time period in which tec hnology has greatly advanced. Technology gives rise to a sedentary lifestyle not only indoor but even in outdoor activities. Children today seem less likely to walk to school and to be traveling more in cars than they were during the early 1970s, peradventure because of changes in the built environment children in addition spend more time viewing television and using computers. (Anderson and Butcher, 2006 16) Parents drive children to school instead of permit them walk kids ride motorized cars and scooters rather than pedal bikes teens manipulate a joystick instead of a baseball bat. One may moot that technology provides value, convenience and entertainment, but it should be utilized in rest and definitely not take the place of movement and active play.Another sociological factor that contributes to childhood obesity is social control. Social control is the societys attempt to regulate massess estimates and behaviors. Parents are usually guilty of giving in or conforming to certain behaviors that put their children at risk for obesity. For example, a parent might be aware of the fact that video games create an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle. If the child insists that he or she needs those games because all their friends have them as well the parent is really likely to give in to this peer pressure and barter for the video games.These parents dont want to be diverse from other parents, or they dont want to be thought of as bad parents because they dont buy their kids these cool games that all the other kids have. Eating unhealthy foods such as fast-foods and a roofy of sugars is another factor that leads to childhood obesity. This is also an issue of social control, since the foods that people see as easily available in this country such as fast-food and pre-prepared foods are highly promoted socially via the media.School lunch programs also fail to provide healthy and nutritious foods for children, and many children prefer to buy lunch at school rat her than have lunch jammed at home, because they might be seen as different if they dont eat the same thing that all the other kids are eating. Changes in the family, particularly an increase in dual-career or single-parent kick the bucketing families have also increased the demand for food away from home or pre-prepared foods, which can lead to obesity in children.Advertisements for these foods air often during television shows which children watch often, making the children crave and request that their parents get them these foods. Social control regarding the foods that our children eat is therefore manifested in many different ways, with media and peer-pressure being the biggest factors. Childhood obesity is greatly influenced by sociological factors and it must be prevented to avoid illnesses that can become critical in childhood and have damaging effects the rest of ones life. The sociological factors that cause obesity in children include sociocultural evolution and built environments.These are all in truth complex sociocultural issues that can sometimes be hard to fall upon by people who are caught up in everyday life routines. Therefore, there is no simple solution to preventing and ending childhood obesity it takes a lot of effort and major lifestyle changes for the entire family for example, formulation more meals at home, using organic foods which can be more expensive sometimes, limiting sweets especially for children, limiting screen time, and increasing outdoor physical activities. Making these changes usually takes a lot of hard work and persistence.Kids may refuse to eat healthier foods and be more active, especially if they are in their middle or late childhood years. theme this paper has made me even more aware of how the society plays such a big role in the issue of obesity in children. Before writing this paper I would have said that the number one factor leading to obesity in children is bad parenting, but after analyzing all the soc iocultural issues I can say that our society and lifestyle are the number one factor. Parents do play a major role by the way they raise their children. The statistics are very sad in terms of how rapidly this issue is increasing in this country.