Designing a Campaign against Childhood Obesity

A campaign against childhood obesity
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Problem or Opportunity
Childhood obesity continues to reach epidemic levels worldwide. Data from CDC (2021) indicates that obesity affects more than 14 million children and adolescents. Further, obesity prevalence was 3.4% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.3% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 21.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds (CDC, 2021). The problem is more predominant among Hispanics and blacks, with a prevalence of 25.6% and 24.2%, respectively. The prevalence is relatively lower among whites and Asians, with only 16.1% and 8.7%, respectively (CDC, 2021). Childhood obesity has been linked to various medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and high cholesterol (Sanyaolu et al., 2019). While most of the physical health problems associated with childhood obesity can be prevented and may disappear when the child reaches a healthy weight, some continue to have adverse effects even in adulthood (Sahoo et al., 2015). In addition to these conditions, obesity negatively impacts a child's social and emotional wellbeing. According to Lian et al. (2018), obese and overweight children tend to have low self-esteem. While in school, these children are bullied, which adversely affects their academic performance.
Since Hispanic children are most affected, there is a need to engage their parents to tackle childhood obesity. There is a need for Hispanic of 2- to 5-year-olds to become aware of the dangers of unhealthy problems. Parents of 2- to 5-year-olds are critical since tackling the problem when children are at this tender age prevents it from escalating in the future. A majority of the children who are obese started with unhealthy habits at this tender age and progressively continued until they became obese. The campaign encourages Hispanic parents to make practical changes to everyday lifestyle habits to make a big difference in their children's lives. It aims to halt the rise in obesity among children when they are still below five years. Hispanic parents need to become aware of obesity when children are young. They can embrace parenting approaches aligned to healthy behaviors during such a time. For instance, when such parents ensure that their children consume healthy diets at a tender age, it will be easier to continue with such meals (Scaglioni et al., 2018). Similarly, if the kids learn the importance of physical exercise, they will not spend more time watching T.V. and playing video games. The move will ensure a healthy Hispanic nation in the future.
Sponsor
The campaign's sponsor will be Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). The nonprofit organization was founded in 2011 to transform the food landscape to ensure health equity. The former First Lady Michelle Obama serves as PHA's honorary chair. PHAs vision ensures that all families, particularly those disproportionally affected, live healthier lives free from diet-related diseases like obesity, heart disease, and other chronic conditions (PHA, 2021). The organization's mission is to leverage the private sector's influence in transforming the food landscape to ensure health equality in America. PHA uses its power to spearhead programs that positively transform the U.S. ...