Johan Cruyff Arts&Health 02-08-2010
Obesity for the youth
When it comes to our children we would do anything for them. They are the reasons we work overtime, work multiple jobs and push ourselves to the limit. We make these sacrifices so we can provide them with the things we never had to show them how much we love and care for them. In the American culture; food is one of the most influential and abundant aspects in our lives. Our culture has used food as a tool for nurturing our children for many years. As the healthcare industry has evolved we are know able to see that this lifestyle has hindered our children and left other countries to develop a prejudice that Americans encourage their children to believe that being overweight or obese is okay. A prejudice is defined as “a distinguishing characteristic of a prejudice, as opposed to an ordinary opinion or belief, is that it reflects only the feelings within an individual, without regard to facts. This willful disregard of reality usually leads to the use of stereotypes, or oversimplified generalizations, about the group against which the prejudice is directed”, (Funk and Wagnalls). The heart of the matter is that our culture lacks the knowledge to break this cycle. Education is the best way to address the problem of childhood obesity.
As we look into our cultures background we that in earlier times it was common for families to have numerous children. With the lack of healthcare, money, and resources children in general were needed to help out around the house to maintain it and secure a living for the family. Today’s households have changed yet this characteristic of foraging has lasted through today where health research has finally had the courage to address this cultural issue. The healthcare industry has brought this topic up as a source of neglect. Should parents be charged with neglect if their child is overweight or obese? In recent months an eight year old child was taken into protective custody for weighing over two hundred pounds. Cuyahoga County officials removed the boy because case workers considered the mother's inability to get his weight down a form of medical neglect. Government growth charts say most boys his age weigh about 60 pounds (Huffington). Have authorities over stepped their bounds or is this the kind of spark needed to shed light on such a heated topic. We know that this lifestyle can lead to complications in our child’s future; that is why doctors are encouraging easier access to knowledge for all Americans. The only way to fight childhood obesity is to teach children early and help parents learn now.
