Monika Zelazo

Professor Sotirakopoulos
English 1102
13 May 2016
Are Parents to Blame?
Obesity in children seems to be a big issue in todays society, its on tv, at
schools even in the papers. The number of obese children in todays world is higher
than it has ever been. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the United
States, approximately 17% (or 12.7 million) of children and adolescents aged 219
years are obese. This shows that the US has the highest percentage of obese
children. There are many causes as to why so many kids are obese, but my focus will
be the influence the parents have on their kids health. Parents play a crucial role in their
kids health, as caregivers they are responsible for their kids to eat healthy diets and for
the amount of exercise they get. But, with the financial demands in todays society, the
parents spend more time at work than at home, which prevents them from being able to
monitor and encourage their kids to live healthy lifestyles.
To fully understand this issue, we must first understand what obesity really is.
According to the CDC, Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a
particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors.
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat. It is important to note the difference
between the two, being overweight is not the same as being obese. Being overweight
describes your current state, meaning that you may have a few extra pounds than
others your age it does not necessarily mean it is all fat. Being obese is a lifestyle in a
way because it is not just being a few pounds heavier, but being significantly heavier.
When you are obese it means that you not only weigh more than others in your age

group but this extra weight is solely brought on by fat. It is important to note, that along
with obesity come many different health problems such as diabetes, that if not
monitored and medicated can lead to death. So, when kids are a bit chunkier it is not a
problem, it could be that they have not lost their baby fat yet. It becomes a problem
when the kid keeps gaining a significant amount of weight and they do not seem to stop
gaining.
Parents should keep track of their kids weight and encourage them to eat healthy
but in todays society they do not have the time to monitor their kids. According to
Jennifer S. Savage, in her journal article Parental Influence on Eating Behavior:
Conception to Adolescence, In most families, women still have primary responsibility
for feeding children. Changes in employment patterns and family structure, however,
leave women with less time to devote to this activity. From 1975 to 2004, labor force
participation among mothers with children under eighteen years of age increased from
forty-seven to seventy-one percent. Whereas, before women spent all their time taking
care of their kids, now they have no time which results in; The percentage of children
aged 611 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to
nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 1219 years who
were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period" (Childhood Obesity
Facts). There is a positive correlation between mothers going into the workforce and the
increase in obesity among children, which means that there seems to be a direct
relationship between the two.
Parents do not really have a choice when it comes to work. They have to work to
support their families and most jobs require them to be away from home all day. That is

why when the parents are home with their kids they should be setting a good example
for their kids. Kids see their parents as role models and they want to be just like them.
According to Alan Greenblatts article, Obesity Epidemic, Parents select the foods of
the family diet, serve as models of eating that children learn to emulate, and use feeding
practices to encourage the development of culturally appropriate eating patterns and
behaviors in children. It is the parents job to encourage healthy eating, but according
to my field research they fail to do it. I chose to do an observational study where I sat at
a McDonald's and recorded the number of families that came there. From April 24 to the
30 I sat at the McDonalds on Lake Street and Roselle Road. I observed at different
times; breakfast time, lunch time, and dinner, and I recorded the number of parents that
came in with their children. My results showed; that during the work week an average of
4 families (parent/s and kid/s) came to Mcdonalds for breakfast, an average of 2 came
in for lunch, and an average of 7 came in for dinner. However on the weekend, an
average of 12 families came in for breakfast, an average of 7 came in for lunch, and an
average of 8 came in for dinner. My results show that more parents get their kids fast
food on the weekend than in the work week. This shows that when parents have the
time to spend with their kids instead of using that time to show them healthy diets they
choose to feed them unhealthy food instead. Parents, need to show kids that their are
healthier options.
With the busy work schedule most parents have, it is hard to monitor your kid's
eating habits. However, there are other ways parents can help their kids live healthy
lives. There are three simple things parents can do. First is to restock the pantries at
home with healthy food options, such as fruits and vegetables, and get rid of all the food

high in calories and sugar. The second thing parents can do is eat healthy around their
kids, parents are role models to their kids, if you as a parent eat unhealthy food, your
kids will do the same. The last thing parents can do is talk with their communities or
school teachers and encourage them to provide kids with time for physical activity
("Ways Parents Can). Even with the busy schedules, these three easy things can
help provide a solid foundation to making kids healthier. But, before any parent takes
these steps they must realize the problem. According to CBS News, In 69 studies of
more than 15,000 children, researchers found many parents with an overweight child
thought their son or daughter was at a healthy weight or below. Many parents do not
see that their kids are unhealthy which causes problems because then they do nothing
to help their kids live healthy lives. But, it is important to note that even if you do not
think your child has a problem with obesity, it cannot hurt to take those three easy steps
to help keep your child healthy.
Overall parents play important roles in their kids health. Blaming the parents is
not my intention, I just want to raise awareness, to show parents that it is their
responsibility to provide their kids with a healthy lifestyle. Parents are the most
important role models that kids will ever have so it is their job to make sure that they are
good role models and not bad ones. In todays society, obesity is a widespread
epidemic amongst kids. But, with the help of their parents kids can grow up to be
healthy adults that can pass on their healthy lifestyles to generations to come. By
raising your kids in a healthy environment, parents can help them avoid health problems
in the future.

Works Cited
"Childhood Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 19 June 2015. Web. 13 May 2016.

Clark, Heather R., et al. How Do Parents' Child-Feeding Behaviours Influence Child
Weight? Implications For Childhood Obesity Policy." Journal of Public Health
29.2 (2007): 132-141.

Greenblatt, Alan. "Obesity Epidemic." CQ Researcher 31 Jan. 2003: 73-104. Web. 13

May 2016

"Half of Parents of Overweight Children Don't Think They Have Weight Issues: Study."
CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 May 2016.

Savage, Jennifer S., Jennifer Orlet Fisher, and Leann L. Birch. Parental Influence on
Eating Behavior: Conception to Adolescence. The Journal of law, medicine &
ethics: a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics 35.1 (2007):
2234. PMC. Web. 13 May 2016.

"Ways Parents Can Prevent Childhood Obesity." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag.
What Works in Programs to Prevent Childhood Obesity. StatePoint Media, Inc.
Web. 13 May 2016.