Obesity A Huge Problem - 1318 Words

In our society, obesity in children becomes a huge problem because around one third of all of the children and adolescence in USA are suffering from it. More importantly, those numbers keep increasing. Jack Shonkoff, MD mentions that children who are obese are at greater risk for diabetes, later hypertension of heart disease, asthma and a variety of other health problems (HBO Docs, 2012). Francis Collins also emphasizes that obesity puts children at greater risk of cancer and brain diseases later on in life (HBO Docs, 2012). In addition, Dr. Elsie Teveras states that she is afraid that we will have the first generation of children, whose life expectance will be lower than their parent’s (HBO Docs, 2012). It was also clearly stated that as†¦show more content†¦They may also feel peer pressured to eat junk food to look cool with their friends because they are lacking the ability of social imagination and are unable â€Å"to think [themselves] away from the familiar rou tines of everyday life and look at them from an entirely new perspective† (Joachim Vogt Isaksen, 2013). They go through a process of socialization learning from their peers and media what are the norms that are accepted by the society. Before the industrial revolution, there were a lot of farmers and families grew their own healthy and nutritious crops. However after the industrial revolution â€Å"families related more directly to the state, the market, and the mass media† (Coontz, 1997) which caused them to change their nutrition habits as well. But although mass media and peers could push a child to making some poor choices, parents could not completely isolate their children because there are many cases when isolated children could not develop into a mature adult. Anna is one of those examples whose â€Å"slowness is probably explained by long isolation† (Kingsley, 1937). As a primary socialization, parents could only teach their children how to make good cho ices, and help their children build a good sense of self. All of the parents from the HBO Docs were helping their children to choose the right food, exercise and accept themselves the way they are. If their parents teach them all of those things from the beginning, it will become a part of their