Obesity And Its Effects On Children - 1500 Words

Obesity can affect everyone and anyone and affecting nearly 25% of all North American children. It can affect one during childhood or adulthood and sometimes their whole lives if their illness is never treated during childhood. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. In 1980, the obesity rate of 6-11 year olds was 6.5%, in 2008 had tripled to 19.6%. For toddlers and preschoolers aged 2-5, the obesity levels have risen from 5% to 12.4% in the same amount of time. (Spark, 2010). Children are very vulnerable and can easily be prone to many illnesses because they are greatly dependant on their parents. Therefore, when a child suffers from obesity it is usually in the hands of the parents to help the child recover and better their†¦show more content†¦Children in the 85th percentile and above are considered to be suffering from obesity. Meaning 85 percent of other children have a lower body mass index (Parenting.org, 2016). A physician would also take in your childâ⠂¬â„¢s growth development. For example, BMI does not take into account a child’s height or muscularity. When diagnosing a child with obesity a physician takes many other factors into account before fulling diagnosing and referring treament. Misconceptions There are some misconceptions of obesity. It may often be mistaken for being overweight, meaning weighing more than you should. Instead, obesity is a chronic illness that refers to having too much body fat. Although, both concepts mean that your child has exceeded what is considered to be healthy for his or her age and height. Another misconception is that a child carries an ‘obese gene’.(Cohen, 2013). Where it is believed that children were born to be obese because there are obese people in their family. Although that it is not true, it is true that children with obese parents have a higher chance of being obese as well. It is not because of the ‘obese gene’ though, it is because they follow the same unhealthy lifestyle behaviors as their parents. Also, another misconception is that the lack fruits and vegetables is the reason for the obesity epidemic. Rather, this epidemic comes from the choices people make. People may head to the