Obesity is becoming a global health crisis, and it stems in large part from another crisis that’s perhaps less visible: the human relationship with food.
Currently, about one in five kids in the United States is overweight, and that number can be higher in some groups than others. Poverty plays a significant role, and so do other socioeconomic and cultural factors.
Major Causes Of Childhood Obesity
For one thing, access to healthy foods varies widely across the U.S., with approximately 1 in 6 Americans struggling to access food due to living in what’s termed a “food desert”—an area where it’s not feasible to reliably access a grocery store, according to the Social Policy Lab. Food insecurity is at the worst levels since 1995, when the USDA began tracking it.
Overall, foods that are higher in sugar, carbohydrates, and fats are more accessible and cheaper than fresh vegetables, fruits, and healthier meats. They also tend to have longer shelf life, especially for families lacking refrigerators and freezers.
With a bit of time and effort, and of course, the privilege of electricity and a place to cook, fresher and healthier foods can be made very accessible to kids, and children can grow up with a healthy and safe relationship to food for life.
When that isn’t available, the evidence shows that kids suffer and develop relationships with food that can have lifelong effects. One study revealed that kids in food-insecure households are as much as five times more likely to suffer obesity into adulthood and that this effect is seen heavily in low-income and single-parent households.
Food Advertising Is Partly To Blame
Food deserts aren’t the only reason, either. The same study found that kids in low-income neighborhoods are more heavily exposed to advertising for unhealthy foods and snacks, and that high stress levels and poor mental health also contribute not only to eating habits, but to hormonal changes in how the body processes these foods.
There are also other changes in culture and American life, including on-the-go lifestyles that have made fast food more convenient and ever-growing portion sizes. Americans are also engaging in less physical activity and spending more time in front of screens, whether for work or entertainment. Statistics show that kids who spend 5 hours or more in front of a television are 8 times as likely to suffer from obesity.
Childhood obesity is on the rise globally, but the United States is one of the five worst-rated countries for it, and the number of kids suffering from childhood obesity is projected to rise from 150 million currently to 250 million by 2030, according to the Ballard Brief.
What Are The Solutions For Childhood Obesity?
On a societal level, there are some serious issues to address. Food insecurity is a national and community problem, and the USDA is seeking to solve it with a number of policy measures, according to Eden Green.
These include tax incentives for grocery stores that open in low-income areas with little access to healthy foods and improvements to public transportation systems to make existing grocery stores more accessible to families without vehicles. There are also initiatives that are already underway to bring community gardens and similar programs to communities in need.
On the individual level, however, the most effective intervention may be with each family addressing nutritional education, fighting to make healthy foods accessible and appealing to their kids, and helping their kids limit screen time, and engage in more active lifestyles.
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