The Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Obesity.
Your textbook discusses some of the long-term physical and psychological consequences of childhood obesity. This is a major issue because obesity is strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as low self-esteem, depression, and exclusion from peer groups. In addition, economically speaking, obesity-related morbidity may account for almost 7 percent of U.S. health-care costs.
In Paper Assignment #1, respond to the following questions:
- Why is obesity such a problem in the United States? What are some societal changes that potentially account for this epidemic-like change?
- What are the long-term consequences of childhood obesity?
- What is the developmental pattern of obese individuals and what could explain this pattern?
- What are some social policies implemented at either the local, state, or federal level to reduce the number of obese children? Have these interventions been successful? Why or why not?
