Brooke Edmonds
November, 23, 2010
4:05pm
Across all corners of the country, the obesity epidemic had quickly spread. Among these that are becoming obese are adolescents. For adolescents, the obesity rates are skyrocketing at a shocking rate. Health experts are becoming concerned and are suggesting that more children should receive testing on their cholesterol. Even though young people are usually not at risk for heart attacks and strokes they still should be cautious because elevated cholesterol levels in childhood often carry on into adulthood. This could put these individuals at an extremely increased risk of heart disease and other health problems. Dr. Juan Kupferman, from a children's hospital in Brooklyn says that health officials have underestimated the number of children with high cholesterol. He told news sources that it is alarming that they are not evaluating many of them and under diagnosing them. Adolescents who have high cholesterol at a young age are significantly for likely to suffer heart health problems as adults.
It is a scary thought to think that young children and other adolescents are now getting health problems that usually only occur in adulthood. With all the fast food, junk food and sodas that kids have easy access to, its no wonder that obesity rates are going up. If children's parents would not allow their kids to eat this or at least not as often, obesity rates would decrease and they would be healthier in general. This obesity is causing children to have cholesterol problems that they should not even have to be worrying about at a young age. This is a social problem because it is occurring more and more often for adolescents and they are becoming obese resulting in health problems. It could be fixed by giving up the junk food and eating healthier, but until children change their eating habits, the rates are just going to keep increasing.
4 comments:
This is terrible, but it also doesn't really surprise me. I have first cousins who aren't even 15 yet and they are already overweight, and their parents know that heart problems run in our family. I don't know if time or money is an issue, either way it looks like people just aren't worried about what their kids eat. I think parents need to realize there's a difference between "baby fat" and just plain fat.
I recruit for the Army sometimes and many of the teenagers and younger students that we get are overweight and have health issues. We also have a high percentage in the Army of people who often get hurt and suffer more injuries in basic training because they have little to no activity as a child and bad nutrition. The army even had to change it's work out plans because of the increase in injury which I believe come from adolescent age and poor lifestyles. Out of the 200 to 250 people we see come to our table 30% are overweight to Obese and there are high school students.
I think this is sad topic to think that young children are starting to have health diseases that would normally be caused in adults. Imagine how our future would be, the health care system would be very different due to the outcomes that occurred from a persons early childhood. But it is now very difficult to help maintain a healthy lifestyle with all the fast food and junk we have available to children.
I also did an article on this topic too. This really is an issue as everyone is saying, many parents though it seems are not thinking it is as big of an issue as it really it. Although it seems like 'healthy' options are becoming more common to see, such as the 100 calorie snacks and such, but the problem is still on the rise. Children should not be getting health issues in adolesence that should be happening in adulthood.
Post a Comment