Good day Inky Buds, today's topic is going to be a bit more current. I won't stop writing about historical things of course, but I also like to express my opinions on modern day affairs. This topic is child obesity. Pretty on the nose, but it gets deeper and it's a huge problem in the past couple of years. With the uprising of the corona virus, many activities, playdates, and even school was cancelled. This played a major role in child obesity, but even before covid this was becoming a growing issue. There are many factors that play into the reason child obesity, which I will discuss today.
Obesity, the big scary "negative" word that is becoming a staple to American lifestyle. Obesity is becoming such a major problem that Americans are linked with fast food, obesity, soda, and junk food. Not all Americans are obese, but the majority is growing. In fact, more than 72 million U.S. adults are obese. That's more than the population of Honduras in 2022 (10,432,860.) This is becoming an ever-growing issue because of things like fast food, junk food, and the covid all mushed together into a mess tipping against our favor. So what are the factors of obesity in both children and adults? Let's find out.
Junk Food:
Yes, I know you are rolling your eyes through the screen and saying "obviously."
I know, I know, but it really is a major issue that makes up a huge part of the obesity crisis. Fast food provides a cheap way to get a meal, it has always been ever since the dawn of fast-food giants like McDonalds started out. It gave Americans an easy way to get a preprepared meal for them and their families. Over time, it became less of the good real food, and more of preservatives, artificial colorings, and sugar!
You might be thinking: "Sugar? In my Whopper?" Yes, even in the least expected places, this addictive substance is hidden. It's what makes people go nuts for a bag of potato chips or get the munchies for some Oreos.
Now why is it so addictive anyways? Websites like Healthline.com even compared sugar to being as addictive as the stimulant drug cocaine. In their article Is Sugar an Addictive Drug?
they mention: “In medicine we use ‘addiction’ to describe a tragic situation where someone’s brain chemistry has been altered to compel them to repeat a substance or activity despite harmful consequences. This is very different than the casual use of ‘addiction’ (‘I’m addicted to “Game of Thrones!”’).”
"In Greene’s opinion, evidence is mounting that too much added sugar could lead to true addiction."
What we don't realize is that eating sugar releases opioids and dopamine in our bodies. This is the link between added sugar and addictive behavior. The problem is that it is everywhere. I'm not being dramatic, it really is. We put it in our coffee, our tea, we eat icy sugar cream, we eat baked sugar, there really is almost no escape from it. It's not our faults, all we can do is be mindful about our sugar intake, because that's what starts weight gain. A lot of people have thought that fats are the root of, well, becoming fat. This is not true; fats are actually good for us. Some fats are healthy and actually help with our immune system and weight loss. Eating eggs, avocados, some types of fish, and even some nuts are high in omega 3 fatty acids that are good for us.
The real culprit for weight gain is sugar. It is even purposely put in many products so that people don't get enough of it, which leads to increasing sales. This is of course major in the child obesity crisis since children love sweets. I'm sure we all enjoy some ice cream, cookies, or candy once in a while, but kids beg for it. The holiday Halloween is literally built on getting candy and eating it. There's no harm in it, I love a good chocolate bar too, but it is when sugar is eaten in copious amounts that it poses problems. I've heard many parents pulling into a McDonald's or a KFC, just so their child can eat something. I've heard of accounts of children choosing chicken nuggets over food that is actually beneficial for them. Why? That is because of the sugar! People even buy their children this junk for a reward.
"Get dressed kids, we're going to Burger King as a treat!" This is how the addiction starts, and here's a not so fun fact about what else is in the junk food.
The vast majority of junk food contains the substance alloxen, a byproduct of bleaching white flour which is often found in junk food, leads to diabetes in healthy experimental animals by destroying their pancreatic beta cells. It is sold on street corners and it's killing your pancreas.
I bet you're thinking twice about dinner choices hm? I suggest a nice homecooked meal. Which also brings me to another reason why people turn to fast-food for sustenance. They don't know how to cook, simply don't want to or their children don't eat it. A good way to solve this is to tell your children the truth about junk food. That's all! Tell them about how it is literally killing you on the inside little by little, soften the blow and clean up the words a little bit and there you go.
Lack of Exercise:
With the Covid's effects affecting every country, exercising and other activities were becoming harder to accomplish because of the quarantine. Everybody was house bound and left to their own devices to complete things like work, exercise, and school. Many people managed, and even adapted a different positive lifestyle from it. It took a crazy toll on children, however. Children couldn't attend their extracurricular activities like sports because of the many people and large Covid risk. I couldn't even attend band during the Covid. It affected many people's schedule, and their bodies.
Children usually run around with their friends, play tag, soccer, or other games. This is enough for them to burn a couple of calories, while having a good time. But the quarantine forced everyone to stay inside, and find other activities, since the majority of activities were cancelled. with no physical activities to do because of the fear of the illness, children had to find other ways to entertain themselves. Video games and other indoor activities were the staple of activities, and still are. While the covid restrictions have loosened up a bit since 2020, the habit of video games and other indoor activities have become the norm. Children of today have decided to find amusement and entertainment in video games, phones, and their other devices, where going outside is deemed obsolete.
VR headsets have become popular during the covid because of the institution of being able to go to different places, galaxies and universes, all without leaving your home. I believe that children of today should become a bit more in touch with nature.
Go walking on a trail, through the park, or just simply go out! Abide to your city's covid regulations of course, but I believe you get the idea. Researchers found that each hour the children played video games or watched television doubled the likelihood that the child was obese. Video games aren't all bad, but parents should balance screen time and set good examples for healthy habits.
Psychological Factors:
Here is our last contributor to the childhood obesity crisis. Have you ever felt sad, or just down one day and want to indulge in a nice bag of chips while watching a good show? That obviously doesn't mean you're going to become obese of course, but depression and stress can play into it. Depression and anxiety can both be associated with overeating, poor food choices, and a more sedentary lifestyle. Over time, weight gain may eventually lead to obesity. About 43 percent of adults with depression have obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is kind of like going for a glass of wine to avoid feeling overwhelmed. You remember that I mentioned sugar releases dopamine into our bodies as we eat it? Dopamine is a popular neurotransmitter that is believed to play a primary role in motivation, pleasure, and mood. So, you'll feel happy and pleasured because of your brain releasing dopamine. That release of neurotoxins also plays a major role in addiction. People use drugs because they want to get that first time high that their brain's neurotransmitters give them. When people are depressed or anxious, they would like a resolve or a bit of happiness. This could sometimes be achieved from food and snacks.
The result of this overeating because of stress, depression, or even boredom ends with obesity. Sometimes when people get to that point of being obese, or even being overweight, they may become desperate to lose it. This could result in anorexia or anorexic behavior, low self-esteem, and depression that was even worse than it used to be. If you have concerns about your weight, it is recommended to consult your doctor they'll give you the run down, and help you find a diet that's right for you. Dieting is okay, if you want to shed some weight that's perfectly fine, it is when you start extreme dieting and fasting is when you need to consult a therapist or talk to somebody about it. If you have a child or sibling with weight concerns, reach out to them, help them, this could help them feel a bit better about their wellbeing. Good wellbeing is an essential for the growth and development of a child, and I don't think a child should be worried about dieting and being obese or overweight. If your child or sibling is overweight, you can help them out. Help them understand that it is to make them healthy and lengthen their life. As you probably know, obesity causes many health complications like diabetes, heart disease, and other internal problems.
In conclusion, I believe that child obesity should be better maintained. I recommend all parents to encourage healthy eating habits and exercise for their children or relatives. It is best to try and help them while they are still young, since as they get older, the likelihood of them becoming obese increases, and eventually it will be too late. I hope that we will further understand the problems of obesity, and what we can do to fix it. I also think that there needs to be more efforts to make healthier food alternatives and to make it more available.
Thank you for reading Inky Buds! I hope you've learned something today!
Have a good day🏙️/night🌃!
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