Table of Contents
Introduction
The ever-growing obesity trends in the United States are often discussed across all media platform. It is particularly an even larger problem in children. Obese children become obese adults and the earlier in life a child becomes overweight, the more damage they are doing to their bodies and the more chronic problems will arise as a result. Research suggests one of the best forms of tackling this issue of obesity is understanding that the lifestyle of the individual is the source. Obesity is not only a result of poor eating habits, rather it is due to the lifestyles we promote for our children.
A person who does not: maintain a balanced diet; perform physical activity that is not necessarily intentional, engage in intentional exercise, and take care of their mental health puts themselves in a position of becoming overweight and ultimately obese. An extremely large component of childhood obesity is parental control of the situation. Some parents put their children to watch television or play video games all day long and do not require they spend time apart from screens and performing exercise simply to keep them busy all day.
However, the Mediterranean lifestyle has proved to impact the lives of children in a more positive manner. Although, overweight and obesity rates are increasing all throughout the world, the Mediterranean lifestyle has had a much-reduced increased rate of childhood obesity in Greece because of the balance it provides in all aspects of life.
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Method
Romagnolo and Selmin (2017) suggest the Mediterranean diet incorporates daily physical tasks that demand energy expenditure and ultimately result in a reduced rate of obesity in their population. They recommend that a Mediterranean diet may not have the same exact impact in a more sedentary population like that of the US unless more intentional physical activity or rigorous exercises are incorporated.
This research used most data available on the topic of the Mediterranean lifestyle and the obesity trends in the United States to come up with solutions for the epidemic. Tzotzas et al. (2011) research analyzes the growing obesity trends in the general Greek population. However, this particular section of the study focuses on children between the ages of 6 to 12. The study analyzed a total of 3,140 Greek children between the aforementioned ages, where 50.6% of the participants were boys and 49.50% were girls. The participants were supposed to measure their height, weight, and waist circumference. Later, the body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated to determine rough estimates of the overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity prevalence in Greek children.
The study was also performed on adolescents in secondary schools, therefore the children obtained their measurements through the help of parents and siblings that had been previously measured and knew how to find the exact information. The US Department of Health and Human Services released a chartbook in 2016 with the long-term health trends that are prevalent in the United States. The data is acquired by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which uses various forms of acquiring data, but they explain the prevalence and growing trends of childhood obesity in the United States (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2016).
Results
Romagnolo, et. al’s (2017) publication explains that according to the USDA recommendations, children and adolescents between the ages of 6 to 18 should be performing 60 minutes or more of physical activity. Specifically, the 60 minutes or more a day should require moderate or vigorous aerobic activity at least 3 times a week. In addition, this research suggests the Mediterranean diet incorporates more monounsaturated fats like avocados and nuts. There is an incorporation of fruits, vegetables and legumes in their diet while significantly limiting the ingestion of refined sugars and grains. Lastly, they recommend the incorporation of physical activity in every day life – it does not have to be extremely rigorous exercise but taking the stairs instead of the elevator everyday or walking rigorously for an hour, the point is to include physical activity wherever possible.
Tzotzas et al. (2011) research findings demonstrate the prevalence of overweight boys (including obese) was 31.2% and in girls 26.5% whereas the obesity rate in boys was 9.4% and in girls 6.4%. The prevalence of abdominal obesity for girls was 14.2% and for boys was 12.5% (it was not statistically significant). In contrast, in Health, released by the US Department of Health and Human Services (2016) reported on page 21, “Obesity is a major public health challenge for the United States and many other countries. During 1988–1994 through 2003–2004, the percentage of children and adolescents aged 2–19 with obesity increased from 10.0% to 17.1%, and then was stable from 2003–2004 to 2013–2014. The percentage of children and adolescents with obesity was 17.2% in 2013–2014.” This is a dramatically different number from that of the obesity trends in the Greek children’s population.
Discussion
Based on the data presented by Romagnolo et al., (2017), Tzotzas et al. (2011), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (2016), we can all agree that obesity is a worldwide epidemic. However, there is an enormous discrepancy between the 17.2% obesity rate in the United States (US department of Health and Human Services, 2016, pg 21) and the 9.4% of obese boys and 6.4% of obese girls in Greece (Tzotzas, et al., 2011). The obesity rate is almost double in the United States when compared to Greece. Inarguably, there must be something different that is being done in Greece that is not occurring in the United States: the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Childhood obesity has a genetic component and researches admit that body mass index is 25-40% heritable. At the end of the day, the most important contribution that would bring this heritable trait to become a reality are the environmental stressors, socioeconomic status, behavioral factors, parental factors and even governmental policies can impact obesity trends. Only a 5% of childhood obesity cases are deemed closely related to the genetic component. It is important to note that children learn according to their surroundings and if a parent chooses to constantly eat fast food and lead sedentary lives, the child will most likely follow along in the same path.
Research demonstrates that giving the child different healthy options and allowing them to choose what they want to eat results in healthier individuals because the child becomes accustomed to eating these foods and over time the child will actually enjoy the healthy alternatives. In addition, the way we structure our meals affects children in the long run. When we eat in front of the television we are not focused on what we are eating and tend to over eat. If we teach children it is acceptable to do such a thing, they will become more prone to eating when they watch television (Sahoo, et al., 2015).
According to Brownell, Cooksey-Stowers, and Schwartz (2017) socioeconomic status plays an impact on health status in the United States. “Food deserts” or “food swamps” exist where people live in communities where the only food available is high in saturated fats, refined sugars and high calorie junk foods. Usually the lower calorie, healthier alternatives are found in more prominent communities and are sold at higher costs leaving the poorer areas with limited access to these healthier food sources (Cooksey-Stowers et al., 2017).
When a parent lives in a food desert, they are unable to provide their child with the healthy, nutrient rich foods the child needs for proper growth and development thus resulting in an overweight and later obese child. By contrast, in Greece much of the produce is grown within the country, allowing people to purchase healthier options for reduced costs. However, the socioeconomic problem persists because after the economic crisis started, many Greeks find themselves unable to make ends meet and the cheaper, unhealthier alternatives are the only thing available to them, thus resulting in more overweight children.
As mentioned before, government policies can in one way or another help change the problem. Most children in the US attend public schools and government regulation that requires a certain level of physical activity each day or imposes dietary restrictions on school lunches can have a positive impact on the overall health of children. It teaches students the importance of physical activity, exercise and eating well. Sugary beverages including sodas and juices have adverse effects to health and body weight because they are not as filling as food (therefore are consumed much quicker) but contain high amounts of calories and refined sugars. “A study examining children aged 9–14 from 1996–1998, found that consumption of sugary beverages increased BMI by small amounts over the years.” (Sahoo, et al., 2015).
One of the most crucial components of the Mediterranean lifestyle that the US population is lacking is the level of physical activity that children are engaged in. Physical activity can be intentional or unintentional; when I say this I mean that intentional physical activity is exercise or rigorous kinds of activities. Unintentional physical activity can be bringing the groceries a few flights up the stairs, walking to the train station for your commute, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work (Sahoo, et al., 2015). In the Greek population, unintentional physical activity is much more common than in the US, many people working carrying carts of merchandise up and down the mountains, some parents even take their children to school by means of public transportation meaning they have to walk and move more, etc.
In addition to unintentional physical activity, we need to incorporate exercise into our lifestyle. It is mostly common knowledge that exercise is an important component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, when a child reaches a stage of obesity, there are even clinical interventions that need to be held. As a result, a research study recommends that the exercises done with the child should be an exercise specifically for children. Often times we treat children in the same manner as adults and make them perform exercises that may even be detrimental for their health. In order to compensate for this, regular adult exercises can be modified to use for children.
The same research recommends that the family altogether change their lifestyles to make the environment more adaptable for the child. In terms of physical activity, they recommend the family create or modify existing games to engage children in exercise activities. First and foremost, the research recommends families aim to spend more time together by setting special time apart from their super busy schedules to dedicate that time a couple times a week to creating a family play space.
This helps show the child that he/she has a support system that wants to exercise with them. It should also be something enjoyable to allow the child to have fun and not feel forced to exercise but rather enjoy spending quality family time play soccer, for example (Foster et al., 2018). No two individuals are exactly the same, especially in a family meaning the children are exposed to different lifestyles and choices. The lifestyle habits of the parents, carry on to the children meaning parents must be very careful about what kind of environment they provide for their children (Sahoo, et al., 2015).
An extremely important component of leading healthier lifestyles is mental health. How we think affects the outcome of just about everything we do. When we tell ourselves we cannot do something, we start to believe it and become unable to complete the task. The same concept applies to childhood obesity. Children become very conscious of body image discontent very early on because they notice how people look in their surroundings. Often times there is a family member that feels the need to comment on the child’s body weight in a way that is offensive and hurtful. Children with obesity encounter a great deal of emotional distress and anxiety as a result of their body weight. These children require a more nurturing environment. The parents or other siblings need to be more positive role models in the home and help the child overcome the situation by changing their lifestyles together (Kalra et al., 2012).
Depression is sometimes “… both a cause and a consequence of obesity” (Sahoo, et al., 2015). Essentially, this is saying sometimes children become overweight or obese as a result of their depression. Sometimes their antidepressants have these adverse side effects and then the depression worsens because now the child has body image issues. The household environment needs to be one that helps nurture the child and makes them know and understand their worth. It also needs to be an environment that can help the child get out of this situation through all the means we have been explaining. In addition to depression and anxiety, eating disorders tend to be more prevalent in children with obesity. This is a more common issue with females given that there are more social stressors that tend to speak negatively about women who are overweight.
It is no secret that childhood obesity is detrimental to an individuals overall health, but what exactly can it do to the body? According to the Central for Disease Control (2016), it can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol, which can ultimately result in cardiovascular diseases. In addition, breathing problems may arise like sleep apnea and asthma which can both be extremely dangerous. In the case of sleep apnea, the person’s breathing stops and starts again in random spurts, which can be dangerous because if the breathing stops and does not start again there is a high risk for cardiac death, a completely unexpected death. Their bodies reach a point that they are unable to sustain their own body weight and as a result, their bodies develop musculoskeletal and joint problems. The most intense part of the problem is that many of these problems become long term and affect the individual for the rest of their lives.
Conclusion
Overall, obesity is known to be a worldwide epidemic. The United States is home to some of the most unhealthy lifestyle habits such as eating while watching television, driving everywhere even if it is a 5 minute walk away, trying to reduce the time you spend cooking at home by eating at fast food restaurants often, etc. The childhood obesity rates of the United States are extremely high and many people are overweight and obese. While dieting is important, the root of the problem is we approach obesity through only dieting and do not focus enough on taking a holistic approach.
Obesity is not the result of only eating poorly, rather it is the result of leading a sedentary lifestyle, and not incorporating physical activity into the daily routine whether its intentional or unintentional. However, the Greek population and other Mediterranean countries demonstrate that their lifestyle has a much more effective approach to leading healthier lifestyles. Their dietary habits incorporate healthier foods and limit red meats in exchange of lean meats like chicken and lamb. They incorporate any form of physical activity into their daily lives, whether it is intentional or unintentional.
It is important that we start making small changes in whatever area we can. We need to start taking a more active approach to changing the problem that is attacking this country. We need to educate more people and help them understand the importance of their health. More importantly, we need to give people direction and alternatives to the meals and activities they are accustomed to doing. We need to change and help our children lead healthier lives.
