How to Prevent Childhood Obesity

How to Prevent Childhood Obesity
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How to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is a significant health problem in the United States of America (USA). Approximately 1 in every 5 children is obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Obesity is a chronic illness that affects around 17% of young individuals aged between 2 and 19 years (John Hopkins Medicine, 2022). However, it can be avoided by encouraging children to eat healthy diets and performing regular physical exercises. Hayes et al. (2018) assert that physical activity and behavioral weight loss intervention might positively influence executive functions and enhance healthy lifestyles (Hayes et al., 2018).
Sedentary lifestyles contribute to childhood obesity, which is why young people should not be allowed to spend many hours watching cartoons or playing video games without engaging in physical activities (Kelishadi, 2020). The two primary effective interventions to eliminate childhood obesity include eating nutritious meals and engaging in regular physical exercises, such as jogging, cycling, and swimming (Brown et al., 2019). Parents should encourage children to get out and play instead of staying behind closed doors. Young individuals should be educated about the adverse effects of obesity or overweight and how they can improve the quality of their lives (Breda et al., 2021). Moreover, parents or guardians should ensure that children do not only rely on junk food, particularly those who have a busy schedule with no time to prepare nutritious meals (Vazquez & Cubbin, 2020).
The more time children are overweight or obese, the high the likelihood they will sustain this health condition during their adulthood (Narzisi & Simons, 2020). That is why the health problem should be addressed early. Obesity poses various health risks, such as bone structure problems, sleep apnea, type-2 diabetes, cancer, and depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). In the digital era, many children are obese or overweight due to physical inactivity (Messing et al., 2019). Consequently, these young individuals should be encouraged to engage in regular physical activities at home and school.
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