Combating Childhood Obesity

Running head: COMBATING CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1

Combating Childhood Obesity: Boys and Girls Clubs of America

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Abstract

This term paper aims at examining the child obesity social problem that is currently affecting

the United States as a nation. The paper majorly tackles why taking prompt action is required,

the target groups for this intervention (like Boys and Girls Clubs of America), barriers and

challenges affecting the achievement of the dream to combat childhood obesity, what the

research experts and scientists are saying concerning this social issue and lastly, the possible

interventions in combatting diabetes in children.

Recent research work released by Centre for Disease Control (2015) in the United States

indicate that about 18% of all the children in America are obese and that the number has been

tripling since 1980. The same results showed that the major causes of such a high percentage

of children suffering from obesity could have been triggered by the children drinking and

eating so many sugary drinks and food and having fewer physical activities in school among

other minor possible causes. The greatest news, however, is that, currently, different

organizations have decided to act on the issue in order to rescue the children from this boring

and shameful condition. Currently, there is a lot of activities coming from the states and the

federal government, communities based groups, schools and parents that aim at combating

the societal problem of childhood obesity. This step of action is very important as the

extensiveness of the issue of obesity in children and its potential to affect the normal life the

children, their teachers, community and family members cannot be ignored. The solution to

this societal issue seems to be a simple one, that is, take a few calories and do regular

exercise, two reasons which are always difficult to implement because exercising and diet

requires close monitoring so that the behaviour is maintained. Such support, can easily occur

in a society that promotes the practice of exercise and healthy eating. This, would therefore,

mean that it is not only these affected people that need to change in order to cub this disease,

but the society at large needs to change the kind of environment that it offers to those living

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around and within it and involving families in this campaign of early childhood obesity.

Currently, organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs of America and YMCA are already

dedicated and committed to ensuring a complete eradication of obesity in children by

adopting specific adoption standards by the RTI team (CDC, 2015).

Why is this issue so important yet these are just children? Why not just deal with adult

obesity and let the children ‘enjoy their lives’ by eating anyhow and not getting engaged in

regular exercise? Children form a very important group of any society beginning from the

household level. Children play a major role in deciding the kind of world to expect in the next

generations. They are the ones expected to rule the world in the coming years. This would

mean that failure to consider them probably means not taking care of our future world. Other

than just being alive and well educated, the children needs to be in great health in order to

function best in the society. Starting a habit earlier in the early ages of a child makes it a

routine after they have grown up into adults. Introducing programmes that can help teach the

children about healthy living and effects of eating junk food and not doing regular exercise

means securing their future. What you teach them while they are young is what they are

going to stay with even after they are grown adults. This would mean a major achievement in

the general eradication of the issue of obesity, be it in children or in adults. Children are also

a major source of happiness in any family. Ask any young man or woman why they want to

get married, they always say that it is because they want to have wonderful children among

other reasons. Losing a loved one, especially a child always indicate how important children

are in the current world. As is that is not enough, sick children require more medical attention

than adults because their immune system is still weak. As an English Proverb would always

say, ‘prevention is better than cure,’ it is important that the current children are protected

from acquiring obesity than trying to put them on drugs after they have acquired it. Children

need to always be in good health. That is when they can fully dedicate their energy and time

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towards making the coming years a better world. A sick child can barely perform any

constructive activity in the society thus the importance of the target group. If obesity can be

combatted among our children, America and the whole world would be sure of a better

‘tomorrow.’

Despite the intervention efforts being currently put in place by the organizations such as

Boys and Girls Clubs of America, there are major challenges that slows down this process.

Among such challenges are financial challenge and stigmatization of obese children, cheap

first food getting sold within the communities that are majorly affected, available soft drinks

for consumption and difficult in exercising among other challenges. Almost nothing in this

world can be done without money. Arvantes (2010) Finance is very important in combatting

childhood obesity. Organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs of America require adequate

funding in order to conduct their campaign to every corner of the United States. The

intervention programmes require monitoring and sustainability of progress in combatting

child obesity. Most of such non-profit organizations are rarely started by the rich individuals

like Bill Gates, who can source funds to the programs thus most of them always end up

getting frustrated and shutting own. The cost of educating teachers on the program and that of

the facilities that are required in the program, organizing different related events within the

program is very high. This is why the US government has decided to source Boys and Girls

Clubs of America with high funding in order to assist them run their programs with little

difficulty. Another challenge in combatting obesity in children is the kind of stigmatization

that the affected children face at school or anywhere else. This is so serious that most of the

affected children end up dropping out of schools and staying behind the lights thus making it

difficult to get an assist them. This, in addition, may lead to fear of food among the affected

children (Arvantes, 2010).

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The availability of fast food in every corner of America at a cheaper price than organic

food possess a greater challenge in doing away with childhood obesity. The United States is

currently estimating over 250,000 restaurants dealing with fast food. This, if not taken care

of, would lead to a greater challenge in combatting childhood obesity. According to Hurt,

Kulisek, Buchanan, & McClave (2011), a study was done where 3031 adults were closely

monitored for 15 years in order to evaluate their fast food habits, challenges in body weight

and the development of insulin resistance. This study found a very strong positive correlation

between the frequent visits to the weight gained by these individuals. Other similar studies

has had the same findings. Another study by the Expert Committee of the American Medical

Association indicated that most of the frequent consumers of fast food do not consume it in

their homes. They have to buy it from a fast food restaurant. Of importance to the children,

most brands of toys always offer, in addition, some of these high calorie and sweet meals to

the children as a way of promoting their brands. This makes it more difficult to combat

obesity in children. Fast food advertisement targeting children has made matters worse in the

war on obesity. Being a child is always believing what everyone says. Children are gullible.

When they see a product, or a fast food being advertised on their cartoon program, they will

start craving for it. The innocent parents, being overly loving to their children would always

buy the children literally everything that they want so long as enough money is available.

There is need for a multidisciplinary research aimed at developing an efficient and

effective childhood obesity solution. Childhood obesity requires action in order to combat it,

and action only comes after evidence has been presented. This evidence must, therefore, be

obtained by thorough research. A research presented by the National Collaborative on

Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) indicates that one out of three children in America

become either overweight or obese before their fifth birthday. The report further states that

approximately 12.5 million children, representing 17% of children and adolescents between

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the ages of two to nineteen, in America, are obese (CDC, 2015). As explained, these rates are

higher in the environments with economically disadvantaged families. The research notes

some of the factors that dictates whether one can be obese or not as; epigenetics, early life

influences, genes and intrauterine environment among other factors. To them, in order to

prevent obesity in children, it is necessary that the changes are enforced in each level

including the government policies, communities, health care providers, schools, families and

individuals (CDC, 2015).

Another study involved data from Upstate KIDS Study, aimed at examining the effects

of parental obesity. The research that enrolled more than 5000 four months after giving birth

within the New York State but excluded the New York City, between 2008 and 2010. The

children in the study were tested at the age of four months, which then followed six more

retests until they reached the age of three. From the research, comparing the health of

children with normal parents and that of those with obese parents, those with obese parents,

either father or mother were over 70% more likelier to fail in the fine motor skill test by the

time they turned age three. The research further indicated that children with both obese

parents were three times more likely to fail in problem solving tests. How exactly parental

obesity is able to affect the speed and process of child development is not yet clear, but the

study in animals indicated that obesity during pregnancy promotes inflammation leading to

possible brain effects on the foetus. In fathers, the research stated that obesity may have a role

in the way the genes in a sperm are expressed (Lobstein, Baur, & Jackson-Leach, 2010).

As stated earlier on, interventions are needed in order to combat childhood obesity,

among which include coming up with intervention programs like the ones implement by the

Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Truth be told, putting the programs on writing cannot have

any greater impact, implementing the writings is what can help. This therefore, calls for a

joint effort in all sections of the world. The good news is that the government of the United

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States has already known the importance of this collective work and is considering possible

means of partnering with other important organizations to help combat childhood obesity.

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention notes that evidence-based programs like the ones

put in place by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America are very effective in reducing the risk

and infection of obesity in children. As a result, the government of the United States in

collaboration with other health organizations is developing means of improving the

environment by taking stems as increasing access to fresh and healthy food, building bike

paths, walk paths and play grounds where such are absent. In addition, the state government

with other health organizations is currently involved in promoting a healthy lifestyle for its

people. The former first lady, Michele Obama, also came up with an obesity control and

prevention program that she named, ‘Let’s Move.’ Of specific importance is one organization

that seems to have a great impact within the boundaries of the US, the Boys and Girls Clubs

of America (Story, Kaphingst, & French, 2006).

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America was started in 1860. Three women were behind

this initiative, that is, Alice Goodwin, Elizabeth Hammersley and Mary Goodwin. This was to

them started in order to keep busy some of the boys and girls that seemed to be roaming

around in streets with no proper work to keep them busy. This was later on expanded to what

it is today. Character building has been the main objective of this club. By doing so, they

have a system with the ability to attract youths, capture their interest and improve their habits

and behaviour while at the same time increasing their goals and expectations. Currently, it

has more than 1,140 national and independent organizations. It serves more than 4,200 club

locations in the US. In the year 2015, the club developed training services and programs that

would later on be approximated to have impacted nearly four million teens and children. The

club is able to reach 490 youth centres on US military installations worldwide, 1600 school

based clubs, 170 clubs on native lands, 970 clubs on rural areas, and 300 clubs in public

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housing. This indicates how impactful this club can be in passing important information all

over the US. One of what the club has been able to achieve is the fight to combat childhood

obesity in America (Boys and Girls Club of America, n.d.).

Policies that target combatting childhood obesity needs to be put in place. This is what

would help reduce the health issue in children. Some of the issues that has been proposed

include food labelling, elimination of trans-fat in the United States and taxation of high

calorie beverages among other policies need to be considered (Brody, 2015). The law makers

have proposed labelling of nutritional content of each component in food packages in a way

that makes it easier for the consumers to understand what they are buying and its implication

before buying it. Using this method, it is believed that the problem of childhood diabetes will

have been at a great range been solved. However, the policy poses a question of whether the

consumers will be able to consider the components or the price of a commodity. For instance,

no matter how strong the warnings in the cigarette packages has always been, people still

smoke it. This indicates how ignorant people can be on serious matters concerning their

health. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene had, in 2006 a bold

proposal to eliminate the trans-fat in the restaurants within its boundaries. The impact of such

trans-fat to the human health are immeasurable especially in causing obesity. Therefore, such

a policy is needed all over the US even if it means affecting the economy. This is one method

that might transform the health of the citizens of the United States, especially the children.

Another serious policy proposal includes imposing high tax on fast food and high calorie

beverages. This would reduce the number of consumers of such junk thus reducing the

frequent exposure of many lives to the food (Hood, 2005).

In conclusion, combating childhood obesity in the US requires a joint effort of the

government and other important stakeholders. In addition, better policies like increasing

taxation on high calorie beverages need to be put in place. Programs that educate children and

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parents on important health issues like what BGCA is doing needs to be increased. By doing

so, the health of children will shoot up.

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References

Arvantes, J. (2010, May 17). Federal Government Takes Bigger Role in Combating

Obesity. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from

http://www.aafp.org/news/obesity/20100517fed-initiatives.html

Association, A. H. (2015, August 27). Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents

and Caretakers. Retrieved from

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyKids/ChildhoodObesit

y/Preventing-Childhood-Obesity-Tips-for-Parents-and-

Caretakers_UCM_456118_Article.jsp#.WKYNPn9r2o4

BCCOA. (n.d.). Facts & Figures. Retrieved from

http://www.bgca.org/whoweare/Pages/FactsFigures.aspx

Boys and Girls Club of America. (n.d.). Wellpoint Foundation Partnership for Youth

Health. Retrieved February 17, 2017, from

http://www.bgca.org/newsevents/PressReleases/Pages/WellpointFoundationPartn

ershipforYouthHealth.aspx

Brody J. E. (2015, June 22). Prudent Ways to Fight Childhood Obesity - The New York

Times. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/seeking-efficient-paths-to-slimmer-

children/?_r=0

CDC. (2015, October 21). Combatting Childhood Obesity | Features | CDC.

Retrieved February 16, 2017, from

https://www.cdc.gov/features/preventchildhoodobesity/

Davis, A. M., Bennett, K. J., Befort, C., & Nollen, N. (2011). Obesity and Related Health

Behaviors Among Urban and Rural Children in the United States: Data from the

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.

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Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36(6), 669-676. Retrieved from

https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsq117

Gruber, K. J., & Haldeman, L. A. (2009). Using the family to combat childhood and adult

obesity. Preventing Chronic Diseases, 6(3), 1-10. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2009/Jul/08_0191.htm

Hood, E. (2005). Sharing Solutions for Childhood Obesity. Environmental Health

Perspectives, 113(8), A520-A522. doi:10.1289/ehp.113-a520

Hurt, R. T., Kulisek, C., Buchanan, L. A., & McClave, S. A. (2011). Obesity and physical

activity in children. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y), 6(12), 780-792. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3033553/

Lobstein, T., Baur, L. A., & Jackson-Leach, R. (2010). The Childhood Obesity Epidemic.

Preventing Childhood Obesity, 3-14. doi:10.1002/9781444318517.ch1

Story, M. P., Kaphingst, K. M., & French, S. (2006). The Role of Child Care Settings in

Obesity Prevention. The Future of Children, 16(1), 143-168.

doi:10.1353/foc.2006.0010

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