Sample Essay on Obesity: Why Children Get the Disease Meant for Adults

Writing an essay can be a challenge, especially with such a difficult topic as obesity. Research paper needs you to do a considerable investigation of the topic before you start writing. The next step is outlining the work – this will help you write your research paper on obesity with a more logical structure. By the end of the work, your childhood obesity research paper will need a good deal of proofreading and mistake checking. To know what the final result should look like, read the following example.

Child Obesity Essay: Risk Factors and Health Consequences

The prevalence of childhood obesity has risen up dramatically in the latest decades. Reportedly, about 30% of school-age children in North America are overweight, and 15% are obese. European countries have 20% of school-age children overweight with 5% of them being obese. Even developing countries have the issue sharp in urban and suburban areas with a high socio-economic status. So what are the risk factors of obesity and what can the condition result into?

It’s crucial to be able to define obesity, and the most productive measure to do so is calculating a body mass index (BMI). Nowadays, obesity is diagnosed if a child has a BMI of over 96th percentile; overweight is diagnosed when the BMI is 85th to 95th percentile. The measure is done by dividing one’s weight (in kg) by the square height (sq. m). There are different types of measuring BMI for children of all ages and genders, and they also differ from the techniques used for adults.

There is a number of factors that put a child into the obesity risk-group. The first is paternal genes that are inherited by a child. Parents with predisposition to obesity are more likely to have a child with the same problems. The danger of obesity in such cases increases by the factor of 10 for girls and 12 for boys.

The second factor for increasing obesity rates nowadays is physical activity. An average child spends at least 4 hours a day by watching TV or playing video games. These kinds of leisure are promoted by media and society, without the explanation of the necessity to spend 1-2 hours outside, involving in any kind of physical activity.

The third factor that influences weight in children is diet, or to be more precise, the lack of healthy diet. Such an issue is often seen in families where parents don’t control the diets of their kids. Snacks like chips, sweets, fast food, etc. are full of unhealthy fats and fast carbohydrates that often lead to obesity and other medical conditions.

The fourth factor, which doesn’t impact children often, is medical conditions. Hormonal problems can contribute greatly to an uncontrolled weight increase of a person. Such cases are less frequent than the aforementioned, but they still are the reasons of obesity in children.

No matter what the factors are in a single case, both physical and mental health of an obese child can be harmed by the condition. Physically, the child is at risk to have high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, premature heart disease, different types of diabetes, fatty liver, asthma, bone and joint illnesses, skin problems, etc. The child’s mental health may also suffer due to poor social skills of the children of the same age or older at school. Overweight and obese are often discriminated, which causes self-esteem problems. Severe eating disorders can follow, caused by the poor body image that is created in the child’s mind.

Many of the issues can be gone with the proper treatment, a considerably strict healthy diet, increased physical activity, and psychological support. Unless obesity was caused by a medical condition, it can be cured due to the resiliency of children bodies.

Obesity in children is the issue that is becoming more serious nowadays. The popularity of TV and video games contribute to the decreased time spent on physical activities. Junk food contributes to fat accumulation if consumed in excessive amounts. Parent’s unawareness of what the child is doing throughout the day and what is his or her diet also makes its contribution.

Obesity can cause a number of physical and psychological disorders that can harm the person’s future if not treated. The best treatment is a regime that would include a healthy diet, 1-2 hours of physical activity, and psychological help from parents and specialists.