Thelora Marseille
Professor Wilsey
Developmental (Lifespan) Psychology
7 February 2016
The Effects of Nature and Nurture on Childhood Obesity
Within the healthcare system there are many issues that can arise or become overall problematic with the community or country at large. Many of these issues pertain to various age groups, ethnicities or can be specific to a particular group of individuals. Throughout the country our healthcare system has noticed a continuous increase in the amount of obese children; children who are unable to balance the amount of calorie intake and amount of calories being used throughout the day (Hassan, 2015). Children throughout the country have very different stories as to how they may have taken on this form of life, but a few thoughts come into question. By noticing this continuous increase, we think of how these issues may have manifested these characteristics through the basic concepts of nurture and nature. Are children born to be obese through the power of genetics or are they simply living a lifestyle that causes one to be obese?
When taking the perspective of nurturing views to obesity we must look at various aspects of family functionality. For instance, we must try to understand a child’s physical development based off of how parents attend to their child’s needs, and how the child acts within certain environments and in the family. Through understanding these different aspects within the perspective of nurturing we can begin to come up with reasons as to what causes childhood obesity. There are many problems children can develop as they age, similar to childhood obesity. In Hassan’s recently published book, School Nutrition and Activity: Impacts on Well-Being, he mainly focused on the development of children within the school environment. He stated that, “children… consume more energy via food and beverages which are not utilized appropriately” because children are less likely to participate in physical activity on a daily basis (Hassan, 2015). Nowadays, we, the community, do not exhibit healthy behaviors. We constantly make sure that our children have the latest electronics and various technologies that do not require them to be physical and exercise. Our children are constantly staying home, consuming lots of high calorie snack, putting them on the path to weight gain. As parents as well as the community, we must do our part in making sure our children are participating in healthy behaviors. By requiring daily physical activity and doing them together as a family/community, we begin to promote healthy habits throughout our society.
The amount of money a family has reflects greatly on the amount of resources they are able to obtain. According to Caprio et al, “recipients of food assistance[,] had more energy-dense diets, consumed fewer vegetables and fruits and were more obese” (2008) than those who received no form of government aid. People within the low SES bracket are unable to afford foods that...
