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Diana Moreno
Research Techniques and Technology
Leslie Drake
Bibliographic Essay
November 4, 2015

Abstract
This paper will discuss and go over the growing epidemic of childhood obesity in the United
States. This issue has been greatly affecting the country and is starting to grow some concern for
the livelihood of the youth. When it comes to the subject of obesity, there are many
ideas,opinions, beliefs and facts that go about this topic. Not all sources that were found are from
authors and doctors in this particular field. The ones that are though are credible,educational and
well trusted. The sources used all have knowledge of how this problem evolved and also how it
continues to spread and grow.The problem of childhood obesity has been going on for the past
thirty years. The growing numbers are shocking. The youth of the nation is very important and
needs to be healthy that way they can continue on living and be able to run this country. A major
factor that has become a problem is that almost everything Americans consume is not fresh and
pure. The food around in the community is genetically manipulated. Other countries are not
allowed to have it so that is another reason why the United States is one of the most unfit
countries. This bibliographic essay will provide facts and solutions on how to solve this rapidly
growing epidemic.

Introduction

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One of the biggest problems the country deals with is the ability to be fit. Everyone has
their own daily routines that is time consuming and stressful. Parents stress about what food to
put on the table every night and a quick trip to any fast food restaurant is ideal. The availability
of fast food nowadays is easily accessible and cheap.There is a higher prevalence of obesity in
urban children due to food being affordable and fast. Television and media is also a factor that
comes into play. The fast food corporations make advertisements on television, radio programs
and posters throughout cities. It is the marketers job to sell the product, make it well known and
desired which they end up succeeding at their jobs. Successful countries also tend to be another
reason that leads to obesity. With food being available it is desirable to eat whenever and
wherever while third wheeled countries continue to struggle.
Childhood Obesity Facts
Being overweight is defined as having excess body fat for a particular height from fat,
muscle, bone or a combination of those factors. Obesity means to have excess body fat than a
person actually needs. Having unnecessary body fat can strongly affect anyones health and
being well informed can hopefully get the public to the right path for their children. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a government website states that Obese youth
are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high
blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5-17- year -olds, 70% of obese youth had at
least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The statement made is shocking and also a
reality check for society. Out of that seventy percent at least every child had an issue dealing
with cardiovascular problems. Having health problems at a young age can result to the child
having even greater problems later on in life. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely
to be obese as adults, and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart

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disease, type two diabetes, stroke, and several types of cancer. If a child has become to be
obese at a young age then unfortunately the odds are that it will continue on later on in life for
them.
Where Children Spend Most of Their Time
Being educated and well informed on what obesity is and how it occurs would be a
beneficial step in trying to put a stop to this epidemic. One in three children are overweight or
obese. Changes occur when individuals, groups and systems work together. Alliance for a
Healthier Generation is an organization that is well known for this field it shares its goals and
outlook on this topic. This organization wants to make an impact and be able to change the lives
of the children for the better. The places children spend their time are the places that determine
their behaviors. We believe if we can empower the people who influence these environments by
giving them easy access to science based resources and best practices, we can create a
movement. This organizations approach is to start off where the children spend most of their
time at and that is at school. They want to inform the school programs by letting them know the
statistics and wanting them to educate the children of the importance of eating healthy and the
proper amount of exercise a day. This organization has an interesting option of being able to pick
any state, seeing the statistics that individual state has and also what ranking that state is. For
example according to the website the state of California is the 26th healthiest state in the nation.
One in eight Americans live in California, but too many of those residents, especially children,
struggle with being overweight or obese, putting them at risk for developing serious health
problems. This organization knows a great deal on this topic, when choosing a state it shows
their involvement in the state by providing a diagram of their work and also sharing success
stories of real people in that region.

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Everyone Is Different In Their Own Way
By just being able to look at person, people assume that it is easy to see if another person
is overweight or obese, but that is not always true. Everyone has their own body shape that
carries their weight in a special way. Being obese can not be determined with just the naked eye.
That is when Body Mass Index otherwise known as BMI comes into play. BMI gives an
approximate measurement of body fat a person has compared to lean body mass. This academic
article gives helpful tips on what an adult can do to help better their lives and the lives of their
children. It shares the insight of what causes obesity, what are some of the major complications
of obesity and what can be done to help slow down this issue. Tips like exercising every day for
at least sixty minutes, eating properly which means laying off on the processed fast foods that
involve grease. Fresh foods are the best foods to eat, people should try their best to stay on that
track vegetables and fruits are examples.
The Younger Generation Look Up to Their Elders
As any human grows and gets their own experience with life it is a common thing to have a
mentor, A wise person that will set a tone, set an example of how to do things properly and
efficiently. Most children look up to their parents or guardians, they tend to be the first resource
they go to whenever in the need of help. Whatever they see their role model doing something
they automatically think it is okay to do so also. So when an adult constantly eats bad food,
becomes a couch potato with little or no participation in exercise the children think it is alright to
do the same. According to an article written by Adriel Bettelheim he shares facts that a person
can not just ignore. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 97 million American adults55 percent of the adult population-- now are overweight or obese. Bettelheims article discusses
the major health problems that are caused from being overweight. He also mentions that a great

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majority of Americans lack the time to exercise so they turn to medical solutions or even diet
drugs that can be dangerous. One of the reasons childhood obesity has become such a problem is
because the youth have been following the adults. Adults are almost always the first ones to
educate the children right from wrong and be able to teach them habits that will last them a
lifetime. So setting a good example would be a major step in stopping childhood obesity.\
Promotion Of Healthy Lifestyles
As a nation it is important to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles. Each
childs life has a significance because they will one day run the nation. A major concern that is at
hand is if Americans are capable of changing their self damaging eating patterns . Alan
Greenblatt provides quality points in his article Can Americans change their self- destructive
habits . At least 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity-related diseases. The US food
industry aggressively markets high-fat, high-sugar, super sized foods. This article is a good
read for someone who would want to be informed on this complication because obesity is one of
the fastest growing cause of illness and death in the United States.Greenblatt speaks of issues
that occur in certain communities, issues like the encouragement of driving rather than walking,
and the amount of time children spend playing video games and watching television. Children
need to put away the technology and go outside, breathe in the fresh air and be able to make
memories that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Encouraging the importance of
exercise should be the goal. The lives of millions are at a great risk. At stake is not only the
health of millions of Americans but also $117 billion in annual health- treatment costs. The
amount of money our nation spends on health related problems is insane. If the obesity epidemic
were to somewhat cease the cost will greatly decrease and the money used could be spent on
other things.

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A Public Health Problem
With any growing medical concern it automatically grasps the attention of doctors and
scientists that want to get to the root of the problem in order to stop it. Conversations of the
causes, effects and also ways of prevention is crucial to patients and doctors. P. K Newby writes
in Moving forward the discussion of Childhood Obesity and how obesity is becoming a
general health problem and is spreading throughout society. As the public health problem of
childhood obesity continues to affect more and more children, the voice of academics has
become louder and stronger in its blame in the environment. The general population want to try
and put a stop to this outbreak that is affecting the children of the country. Within the last couple
of years the awareness of childhood obesity has drastically increased.
Obesity can be Genetic
Obesity is a metabolic disease that involves a person having a surplus of body fat increased
by an extreme amount of calorie intake. The main contributing factors that lead to obesity is the
consumption of fast food and under active lifestyles some people have. Another belief and is that
obesity can be genetic, gender and environmental situations. Teresa Wills shares educational
facts in the Obesity article. There is clear evidence that if both parents are obese, 80% of
their children will be overweight, with this risk being reduced to 40%, if one parent is obese and
if neither parent is obese this is reduced to less than 10%. The facts and percentages are moving.
Chances are if the parents are obese or overweight their children are most likely going to have
their same fate. This problem has a start and an end, if started off in the wrong direction the
ending will not at all be good.
America Advertising Unhealthy Foods

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Throughout the nations history it is obvious to notice when the turning point of human food
consumption was. With the shortage of food and malnutrition being one of the biggest problems
for much of human history it has suddenly been reversed to people eating way more than they
should which leads them to become overweight. Overconsumption of food has become one of
the main factors that lead to obesity.Promotion of the unhealthy food is a cause to society going
out and spending money on their desired product. Kelly Brownell writes about the what the
children in our country see everyday in her article called Obesity. The average American
child views 10,000 food advertisements annually on television alone; nearly all are for foods
such as sugared cereals, soft drinks, fast food heavy processed snacks and sweet. The toxic
environment that surrounds the youth is poisonous and will continue to spread if nothing is done
about it. Encouraging healthy food choices and activities is a must when it comes society for the
betterness of the youth.
Healthy Eating is the Smart Way To Go
Good nutrition is crucial for school aged children. At such a young age it is important to
start right away in educating them on the rights and the wrongs. They must be aware that eating
food is fuel to the body like putting gas in a car. Food helps give their bodies energy to run itself
throughout the day and the brain to flourish and grow. Promoting that breakfast is the most
important meal of the day is essential. With eating breakfast in the morning it helps the child get
through the day without being completely starving allowing for the next meal to not be a large
portion. Snacking throughout the day is another great strategy to encounter. This resource that
was used provides healthy tips and ideas for meals to give the children. When preparing a
school lunch box for your child, make sure to include foods from each of the food groups and
vary these foods throughout the week. Variety is very important that way the child will not have

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repetitive meals. This article also shares ideas on snacks and meals for example a recipe on a
homemade pizza with all fresh ingredients is approximately two hundred calories. Creating a fun
and positive environment with creating healthy foods is a great way to shorten the issue of
childhood obesity in the US.
American Children Becoming the Most Obese
Obesity continues to be a health problem throughout the globe. Unfortunately it has been
a major struggle for the United States. It circulates and makes it way to move down toward the
youth. Diseases and the costs to maintain or heal those diseases continue to skyrocket. Many
obese experts are to believe that the issue is more complex than they have originally thought, it
has not much to do with willpower but with something else. In the article Is it a disease or a
lifestyle? the author Robert Kiener delivers incredible insight and intellectual facts.
In 2013, 42 million children under the age of 5 worldwide were overweight or obese.
That statement was a global fact. But with America being one of the fattest nations in the world,
American children take up most of that ratio. The problem of obesity tends to happen in
countries that are high and middle-income countries because there is an abundance of food that is
able to be eaten by society.
Childhood Obesity in America
A fat child usually is not a happy child. Children are ruthless and even at a young age they are
capable saying hurtful things to others without censory. Laura Dawes writes a book Childhood
Obesity in America that gives off understanding and knowledge of how the issue of obesity has
become a problem in the United States. She shares stories of real people that have dealt with
being overweight. This book is about the changing environment of opinions, practices, and
beliefs about childhood obesity in the twentieth century that surrounded and affected children

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like these -- and many more like them. She speaks for the children that deal with the struggle of
this disease. Her intended audience ventures out to the entire public, children and adults. Her
goal was to share the perspective of overweight children and would want to guide them towards
the right path on being healthy.
Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a great problem that affects not only the children but also the loved
ones around them. Everyone that cares wants the ones that they love to prosper in life and make
something out of their lives. Being overweight or obese can cause serious problems and possibly
even early death. Unhealthy eating and lack of exercise leads to obesity. The youth of the nation
is of great importance because one day they are going to be the ones leading the country. Being
fit and having a healthy lifestyle is the goal. Exercising and proper eating habits should be
embedded in the minds of the children. Happiness and stress free lives progress with healthy
people. Childhood obesity has become such an epic problem in the United States. This epidemic
needs to be stopped for the better ness of the future. Promoting healthy eating and exercise is a
key way in preventing this problem from continuing to grow. In time the children in the United
States will become healthier and the medical expenses will decrease. Childhood obesity in
America can be prevented by educating the youth and their parents on proper ways to live.

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Works Cited
"Childhood Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

"Childhood Obesity Information." Childhood Obesity Information. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

"Fighting Childhood Obesity." Harvard Medical School Commentaries on Health.

HarvardHealthPublications. Boston: Harvard Health Publications, 2014. Credo Reference. Web.
6 Nov.

"Are Americans eating themselves to death ?." Online Library Databases. SAGE
Publications, 2015. CQ Researcher. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

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Can Americans change their self-destructive habits? Online Library Databases. SAGE
Publications, 2015. CQ Researcher. Web. 6 Nov. 2015

Moving forward the Discussion on Childhood Obesity. The Journal of Law, Medicine
and Ethics. LexisNexis online database. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

Wills, Teresa. "Obesity." Encyclopedia of Nursing Research. JoyceJ. Fitzpatrick. New York:
Springer Publishing Company, 2011. Credo Reference. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

Brownell, Kelly D. "Obesity." Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine.

Eds. Susan Ayers, Andrew Baum, and Chris et al McManus. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

"Nutrition for School-age Children." Nutrition for Life: A No Fad, Non-nonsense Approach
to Eating Well and Reaching Your Healthy Weight. London: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.,
2007. Credo Reference. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

Kiener, Robert. Is it a disease or a lifestyle problem?. SAGE Publications, 2015. CQ

Researcher. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.

Dawes, Laura. Childhood Obesity in America: Biography of an Epidemic. Print.

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