There are a variety of different life-threatening diseases affecting our youth each and every day, but are often times looked over or neglected. Although many are still baffled on what led to it, in recent years, child obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and many are starting to take notice. “Obesity in general, and childhood obesity, in particular, has serious adverse health consequences” (Paxson, par.1). Child obesity can cause many health problems such as; diabetes, heart disease, hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, asthma, metabolic syndrome, liver disease, high cholesterol, sleep disorders, mental health problems, and orthopedic complications. It’s insane to think children are now developing health problems that once only affected adults, leading them to cope with chronic illnesses for a drawn-out period of time. But the question still stands, why should we care? Childhood weight affects adult morbidity and mortality, economy, fine motor skill performance, social relationships, and psychological health. This can easily be happening to you or someone close to you or someone you love.
Few studies show the long-term effects of childhood obesity on this adult illness. Nonetheless, obesity present in adolescence will boost the likelihood of mortality and adult morbidity. “In men who were obese during adolescence, all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular disease and colon cancer were increased” (Dietz, par.1). Mortality is known as the state of being subjected to death. More along the lines of women who experienced childhood obesity reported detrimental psychological consequences. Some effects are; the higher rate in poverty, fewer years in education, and lower rates of marriage.
Economy is known as the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services. You may not know but childhood obesity can have serious effects on our economy starting with healthcare. “The direct costs of childhood obesity include annual prescription drug, emergency room, and outpatient costs of $14.1 billion, plus inpatient costs of $237.6 million (Cawley, par.20). Estimates of the costs of treating obese children are relatively small but ascending rapidly. “For example, Guijing Wang and William Dietz estimate that hospital costs of treating children for obesity-associated conditions rose from $35 million to $127 million from 1979–81 to 1997–99” (Paxson, par.2). The cost increases as the children grow up to be obese adults. It is known that around a third of obese preschoolers and a half of middle school children become obese adults. The annual cost of obesity-related diseases in adults is 147 billion American dollars.
Too much weight also can seriously impact the growth and health of bones, joints, and muscles. This year, relatively 32% of American children and adolescents, ages 2 to 19, are studied to be overweight. Obesity causes many social problems through one’s life and over time will only become worse. In addition excess weight can cause hormonal imbalances, vitamin deficiencies, and increased tension that can affect the growth of your bones and overall musculoskeletal health, causing abnormality, discomfort, and likely, a lifetime of limited mobility and amate life quality. Bones develop in capacity and durability in the course of childhood. A surplus of weight can destruct the growth plate which is the area of flourishing cartilage tissue around the top of the arm, leg and other bones. Growth plates balance and help regulate the size of a bone at full maturity. Extra weight establishes unneeded stress on the growth plate which can lead to arthritis, a larger risk for broken bones, and other serious conditions, such as Blount's disease. “Children diagnosed with obesity often have difficulties with their coordination, called developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Developmental coordination disorder may impair or limit a child's ability to exercise, potentially resulting in more weight gain” (Frozen shoulder, par.31).
Child obesity is more than just a physical problem, it can result in numerous psychological problems. Issues regarding weight can be troublesome during the teenage years due to the particular social norms faced in everyday life. Teens and children tend to compare themselves to others which can cause self-esteem issues. Many of these analogies can be noticed by pointing out the difference in clothes, facial features, and of course, weight. Because of this, obese adolescence may feel out of place or left out. In other words, obese children may feel unhappy with themselves including their social standing or appearance. Middle school years are often known for being the least favorable years, but more so for children with excess weight. Obese children have been found to obtain more pessimistic peer reactions because of their appearance. “Peers play an increasingly important role in a teen's life, so positive social interactions are key to a tweens’ psychological well-being. As a result, higher levels of depression have been found in obese children and tweens” (Thill, par.3). It is shown from recent studies that parents of obese children tend to see them act out more than parents of moderate-sized teens. It was noted that parents of obese teens had more internalized and externalized issues, causing them to lash out at others and themselves. They were also rated more incompetent in school and often times would lash out at their teachers affecting their work environment and academic integrity.
In conclusion, as a society and community we are missing the bigger picture and failing to realize our children are at risk, these factors should not be taken lightly. Instead of tiptoeing around trying to avoid hurting a child’s feelings on whether they are overweight, something should be said, even if they or their parents feel offended or disrespected. Child obesity is a known worldwide epidemic, which is growing in size each year, which we have struggled to overcome. Many feel as if childhood obesity is not a problem because they are just children, but what they fail to acknowledge is the extreme effects it will have on a child years to come. Children with obesity are at a higher risk for chronic heart disease and other health conditions in which it influences physical health. Some will say they are just children but ignores the fact that obese children are known to grow up ago be obese adults, this often also leads to depression and poor self-esteem issues. Some argue healthy eating for young children is the problem, not their size, which is somewhat true but in reality, someone’s size can determine life or death. Let’s also not ignore the other risk factors that take place in child obesity, eating healthy isn’t the only thing that is going to save these children, it also starts with, exercise, family factors, and mental health, so we should always be watching our children and noticing their eating habits. We should be also doing anything we can to help these children overcome excess weight.