Childhood Obesity Prevention in Australia

Childhood obesity is an abnormal condition where excess fat affects a childs well-being. It is a serious medical condition diagnosed based on BMI, and therefore those with obesity are above the normal weight and height (Mikhailovich & Morrison, 2007). The condition has been recognized across the globe as a public health concern since a significant number of children have been affected by health issues that were earlier considered as adult health issues. This has further led to low self-esteem and depression among obese children. The majority of the cases is, however, inherited from the parents but with a healthy eating and exercise plan, the condition can be managed and eradicated fully in our society (Bell et al., 2008). It is the responsibility of the parents, therefore, to control obesity among their children through healthy eating and engaging in physical activities.

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Obesity in children increases the probability of illness, mobility issues, disability and premature mortality. Other health issues include type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular risk factors, musculoskeletal issues and asthma (Headley, 2004). To the Australian, society, it has had significant economic implications due to the multi-component strategies which require financial resources from the government to manage childhood obesity. Furthermore, the situation has often transcended to adulthood hence an increased obesity rate among adults hence low labor force. The parents have the mandate of promoting lifestyle behaviors among the high school children to reduce risk factors linked to obesity (Slater et al., 2010). The Sociocultural factors that have contributed to obesity include eating high calorie and low nutrients foods while not getting enough physical activity. This is also evident from the statistics that indicates that 21% of respondents are unaware of the consequences of poor diet and lack of physical activity. On the same note, 37% of parents dont bother to read the nutritional panel on the foods they buy for their children.

Research indicates that parents have a fundamental role both in the development of overweight and obesity management (Mellor et al., 2012). They can maintain a healthy eating lifestyle and physical activity habits thereby eliminating obesity. On the contrary, these statistics have indicated that about 60% of parents do not monitor their childs weight and another 70% have never read the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Therefore there is a correlation between parenting methods and obesity and parents need to understand their roles in managing obesity as their children move through the various developments staged right from birth to adolescent. The key barrier for parents in controlling childhood obesity is a lack of adequate information related to obesity (Renzaho, 2009). When parents fail to mentor their children, they often eat unhealthily without undertaking physical activities which result in weight gain. Furthermore, of the child that doesn't participate in an organized physical activity outside of school, 45% of parents said that the main reason is because their child is not interested. This lack of adequate information has prevented children from controlling their weight and the overall mitigation of obesity in the society (Sax, 2015). These findings coincide with research from the England which determined that 34 % of parents are not concerned with the eating patterns of their children (Hynan, 2014).

The Australian government has formulated various initiatives that are aimed towards managing and eradicating childhood obesity such as reshaping the food supply towards lower risks products and an increased public education and information related to the risks factors of overweight and obesity (O'Dea & Eriksen, 2010). When food supply is reshaped to low risked options and more sensitization done on the importance of healthy living, childhood obesity can be managed effectively. This will help reduce the overall cost incurred by the government to treat obesity-related illnesses such as cardiovascular illness and mobility issues. On the same note, these initiatives have some weaknesses that have hindered their implementation and the overall success. The initiative has failed to offer parents and guardians the necessary parenting skills required to manage and provide disciplinary strategies for the kids effectively. It fails to provide strategies for monitoring children eating habits and physical activities.

It is recommended that prevention is the primary strategy that can be used to control the prevailing childhood obesity issue in Australia. The prevention initiatives should focus on behavioral change, diet modification and the physical exercise (Birch et al., 2011). This will involve educational programs provided to the parents and children alike to create a supportive environment while developing personal skills. The program should include sensitization on BMI and the nutritional content since 37% of parents dont bother to read the nutritional panel on the foods they buy for their children. Another 34% of parents dont know how to determine if their child is overweight or obese based on BMI.

In a nutshell, therefore, childhood obesity has had a significant impact on the physical and psychological health to the affected children. However, the main problem emanates from the unhealthy eating and lack of exercise to control the weight. The parents can manage this through ensuring a healthy diet and periodic exercise by the children. However, a significant number of parents lack the necessary information and parental disciplinary strategies that can assist in ensuring their children eat healthily and undertake physical exercise often. At the same time, there is inadequate sensitization to the public in matters related to nutrition and BMI.

References

Bell, A. C., Simmons, A., Sanigorski, A. M., Kremer, P. J., & Swinburn, B. A. (2008). Preventing childhood obesity: the Sentinel site for obesity prevention in Victoria, Australia. Health Promotion International, 23(4), 328-336.

Birch, L. L., Burns, A. C., Parker, L., Institute of Medicine (U.S.), & Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2011). Early childhood obesity prevention policies. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.

Headley, S. (2004). Local initiatives: background notes on obesity and sport in young Australians. Youth Studies Australia, 23(1), 42.

Hynan, D. J. (2014). Child custody evaluation: New theoretical applications and research.

Mellor, D., Renzaho, A., Swinburn, B., Green, J., & Richardson, B. (2012). Aspects of parenting and family functioning associated with obesity in adolescent refugees and migrants from African backgrounds living in Australia. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 36(4), 317-324.

Mikhailovich, K., & Morrison, P. (2007). Discussing childhood overweight and obesity with parents: a health communication dilemma. Journal of child health care, 11(4), 311-322.

O'Dea, J. A., & Eriksen, M. P. (2010). Childhood obesity prevention: International research, controversies, and interventions. Oxford [U.K: Oxford University Press.

Renzaho, A. (2009). Challenges of negotiating obesityrelated findings with African migrants in Australia: Lessons learnt from the African Migrant Capacity Building and Performance Appraisal Project. Nutrition & Dietetics, 66(3), 145-150.

Sax, L. (2015). The collapse of parenting: How we hurt our kids when we treat them like grown-ups. New York: Basic Books.

Slater, A., Bowen, J., Corsini, N., Gardner, C., Golley, R., & Noakes, M. (2010). Understanding parent concerns about children's diet, activity, and weight status: an important step towards effective obesity prevention interventions. Public health nutrition, 13(08), 1221-1228.