Childhood Obesity in the United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the increasing problem of obesity in the United States, particularly among children. It discusses a variety of the cultural factors that influence young people's eating and exercise habits. The paper looks at the culture of food that surrounds children in today's America and the important role that food plays in the growth and acculturation of young children.

From the Paper:

"Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in the United States. A variety of cultural factors influence young people's eating and exercise habits. In the multicultural atmosphere of modern day America, children from minority groups are frequently raised in circumstances of poverty where parents are not always present, and television and other media take the place of strong role models. Television advertising is a prime culprit in shaping children's eating habits in less than desirable ways. Commercials encourage children to be impulse buyers who prefer sweet and satisfying foods to those that are wholesome and nutritious. Television advertisements encourage snacking and both discourage and take away from formal mealtime settings. Families that eat together are also families teach young people how, what, and when to eat. Parents who spend time with their children are also more likely to see that their children get some exercise, play physically, and in other ways learn good habits that will serve them well as adults. The eating and exercise habits that are inculcated during childhood can have long lasting repercussions throughout adulthood. For these repercussions to be good, the habits themselves must be good. Adults must take the time to be good examples in their children's lives, and to consider what it is that children should learn. Cultural values such as freedom of choice and consumerist hyper-individualism may serve their purposes in some facets of contemporary society, but they will not necessarily prevent children from becoming obese. Parents and guardians must learn to consider the food choices and food lessons that affect their children. They must help their children understand these lessons and so live better and happier lives, free of the problems of childhood obesity."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brown, Jane D., and Kim Walsh-Childers. "Chapter 17 Effects of Media on Personal and Public Health." Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research. Ed. Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillmann. 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002. 453-480.
• Bryant, J. Alison, and Jennings Bryant. "Chapter 10 Effects of Entertainment Televisual Media on Children." The Faces of Televisual Media: Teaching, Violence, Selling to Children. Ed. Edward L. Palmer and Brian M. Young. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. 195-213.
• Dalton, Sharron. Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004.
• Kumanyika, Shiriki, and Sonya Grier. "Targeting Interventions for Ethnic Minority and Low-Income Populations." The Future of Children 16.1 (2006): 187+.

More papers on Childhood Obesity in the United States:

• Term Paper # 129715 : "Obesity in the United States"
• Research Paper # 57160 : "Childhood Obesity in the US: Focus on the Latino Population"
• Term Paper # 144975 : "Childhood Obesity in the U.S."

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