Obesity is one of the challenges facing the current generation and most probably the young and growing children. According to Lobstein et al. (2015), obesity refers to excess body weights or body fats that might affect one's health and are measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI). The challenges affect the children both mentally and physically and it is therefore important to both society and healthcare to help the growing children on how to avoid such challenges. In order to understand how to mitigate the challenge, it is vital to discuss the best and applicable alternative solution to the challenges. This essay will, therefore, major on the most vital and applicable solution to the problem and provide a response to the solutions.
There are various proposed solutions that can be used to mitigate the presence of obesity in childhood. These solutions may include but are not limited to changing food choices and eating behavior, physical activity, and weight loss surgery among others. Change of food choices and eating behavior among children is one of the common solutions to the obesity. Obesity is highly associated with poor food choices among the family members which on the other hand affects the child’s weight. With a change in food choices every day, it becomes easier for the body to have vital nutrients and proteins in the body. This reduces the chances of becoming overweight as there is a balance in the food nutrients required by the body. Behavior change also impacts obesity challenges. There are various ways in which behavior change could influence obesity such as snacking frequently after school period, skipping breakfast or lunch and having regular take away meals, or eating out (Simmonds et al., 2016).
Physical activity among children plays a vital role in balancing body weights. It plays a vital role by helping children sleep well at night, strengthening bones and muscles, burning calories, and staying alert during the day. With an increase in physical activities, the body fats, therefore, become less concentrated in the body which highly activates obesity among children. Moreover, weight loss surgery plays an essential role in the reduction of obesity. Most of the children who have experienced being overweight which may be difficult to reduce through the other obesity reduction methods have been handled through surgery. This type of solution is however allowed in case of any threat associated with obesity and where the other lifestyle changes have failed to solve the challenge. The solution is not highly encouraged due to various cons which outweigh the pros.
However, in addition to the three solutions, medication can be used as another alternative which also helps in the mitigation of the problem. However, there are various unanswered questions concerning the long-term effects that may result due to the frequent medication on weight loss and maintenance among the adolescence. Such as “disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion, psychosis, depression, and damage to the brain including strokes and possibly epilepsy” according to Foundation for a Drug-Free World (2006-2019). One of the main stimulant drugs used to help control weight is Ritalin. Which is a “synthetic drug that stimulates the sympathetic and central nervous systems, used chiefly to improve mental activity in attention deficit disorder” (Oxford University Press et al., 2019). Therefore, medication is not always the answer. Take the case of a teenager—a long-term user of Ritalin—who collapsed one day while skateboarding. Dead of a heart attack (Foundation for a Drug-Free World et al., 2006-2019). The stress Ritalin puts on the heart can be fatal.
Although obesity is a challenge especially to the adolescence, it has several solutions for its mitigation. Food choices and eating behavior, physical activities, weight loss surgery as well as medications have been used as treatment measures. They have led to the reduction of obesity-related cases among children and those in the adolescent stage. It is therefore vital to both the society and the government to consider the mitigation solutions to end the presence of obesity among young and growing children.