Should Parents or Society Be Blamed For Childhood Obesity

Obesity is one of the greatest problems that the children of this modern era face. There are so many factors that make a child obese. Some say that it is the society which is responsible for childhood obesity and some others say that the parents are responsible for their kids becoming obese. Rest of the people argues that it is none other than the child who is responsible for his/her body weight. But, I would say that the children are too young to know what is right and what is wrong. Society may sometimes provide opportunities for them to grow obese but it is their parents who have control over their health and habits.

The number of children suffering from obesity goes on increasing and it is considered as one of the major problems that the world is facing. It is said that children who suffer from obesity are prone to heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc in the future. As it remains a big health issue, people are in a need to find out who is responsible for the children to grow obese. Some say that it is society that makes a child obese but I would say that it all lies in the hands of parents. Let us look into this issue further.

What Causes Obesity in Children?

Though there are various reasons for childhood obesity, the following are the two most widely stated reasons.

• Children crave for junk foods like cheese burgers, fries, nachos etc. Their intake of vegetables, fruits and cereals are very less.
•  Most of the children got used to be “couch potatoes”. They lack physical activities.

Who to Blame?

One can argue that when a child is grown in such an environment where the parents and siblings follow a healthy lifestyle, the child is less likely to fall for junk foods. Generally, parents are the first role models for their children. It is the nature of children to follow their parents and do whatever their parents do. Parents these days are less worried about their children. In this modern era, women are very busy with their hectic work schedule and they don’t have time to cook healthy foods at home. They swallow some junk foods and a have a gulp of soda on the go. The two tiny eyes keenly watch what their parents eat and gets addicted to the taste of fast foods.

Parents fail to notice that their child is gaining weight and they should take steps to have a control over his/her weight before it is too late. Obesity is not something that affects the child overnight. Some parents misinterpret that children may appear overweight at the early stage but when they grow older, they will loose weight. Thinking so, they just leave the child to eat and do whatever he/she likes.

In most of the families, both the parents have long working hours. There is no one to take the child to the park and let him/her play for at least one hour a day. Parents are worried that their child would fall down somewhere and get hurt and so they don’t allow the little one to go out. They forget the fact that they earn money for the goodness of their family. Mothers argue that they do care for the kid but it is the family’s financial position that has made them work. If it is so unavoidable, why don’t they hire someone or ask the child’s grand parents to take the child to the park for some physical activity.

Parents of obese children often say that their child never liked vegetables and fruits. If the child doesn’t like the taste of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and cereals, it is the duty of the parents to try different cuisines with healthy ingredients. They can give permitted food colors and make different shapes out of tasty food.

Some parents blame the child for being very adamant in eating unhealthy stuff. Children’s behavior is determined by how the parents handle them. When the mother cooks the food by herself and feeds the child with love and care, there won’t be any child at the fast food counter.

Children don’t have enough physical activity at school. After coming home, they either watch television with a plate of snacks in hand or sit before computers. Parents are completely unaware that, this kind of lifestyle will make their children obese. They fail to guide their children in adopting a better lifestyle.

Parents may blame the school cafeteria for providing their child junk foods. But, no school has made it mandatory for children to buy foods from cafeteria. If the parents are very much concerned about it, they can pack and give lunch and snack boxes for their child. If the child says that all of his/her friends are buying food from cafeteria, they should suggest the other parents also to pack boxes for their children.

When the discussion deviates towards the con side of the topic, people blame the society for being responsible for childhood obesity.

1. Fast food restaurants have mushroomed across the globe that supplies high energy and high fat sources. They give advertisements in various media to trick the children get into the fast food world.
2. Apart from fast foods, there are beverage companies that supply carbonated drinks that contain no fruit. Other fruit drinks are much sugary.
3. School cafeterias supply fatty foods with added sugar and artificial sweeteners.
4. There are various TV programs that are targeted at children which make them sit idle and watch the programs for hours.
5. Children are not having enough physical education classes at school to keep them fit.
6. Not all the doctors create awareness in the minds of parents.

Society has some part in making the children obese but it is solely the parents who fail to guide the children properly and make them obese. It is the parent’s responsibility to recommend healthy lifestyles for the kids. In order to motivate their children, they themselves must adopt good living standards and stay as model persons for their children.