Development and Health
Diet, Exercise and Caloric Intake Balance in Weight Control
Healthy child and adolescent development is mainly determined by dietary intake and engagement in physical exercise (CDC, 2013). These three facts are essential in fostering better development in children and adolescents, and their importance should be communicated to the general public. Firstly, children and adolescents should have a balanced diet that will ensure that they are eating healthy. This guarantees that they get all essential nutrients including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals in balanced proportions. Adhering to recommendations arising from this fact ensures that conditions that arise due nutritional deficiencies do not occur. Secondly, caloric intake among children and adolescents should be well balanced so as to avert problems such as obesity, which result from excessive and unbalanced caloric intake (CDC, 2013). This second fact is important because the onset of obesity paves ground for other diseases such as type II diabetes, sleep apnea, and coronary heart diseases-just to mention, but a few. Thirdly, a regular exercising regime should be fostered among children and adolescents. Exercise is important in enhancing bodily development as well as in ensuring that excessive calories are burned up to prevent obesity (CDC, 2013). Apart from fostering better physical development, exercise also reduces stress levels and possible misuse of leisure time especially among adolescents that could possibly engage in risky behavior such as substance abuse and premarital sex.
The fact that fad diets often limit nutritional intake, tend to fail and can be unhealthy is one essential piece of information that should be communicated to the community (CDC, 2013). Based upon this fact, I can develop an educational program that will reach out to the public and especially those who are overweight and obese, and train them on how to balance their diet, caloric intake and exercise regimes so as to cut weight instead of depending on the fad diets. Dietary intake by expectant mothers during maternal periods is an essential precursor to healthy development, which often prevents diseases that start in the prenatal stage or early childhood. Using this fact, I could reach out to the community’s expectant mothers and train them on how to ensure that they take a balanced diet that will ensure that their child develops in a healthy manner. This will be important in preventing developmental problems that start at the prenatal and early childhood period. The fact that overweight and obese conditions lead to various disease is often ignored, and many people are oblivious of the fact that excess weight is a danger to their health. Using this fact, I can better community health by educating masses and especially parents on the importance of maintaining healthy weight limits so as to prevent health conditions that result from poor weight control (CDC, 2013).
Cerebral Palsy
In an interview with a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, I determined that the disease is one of the conditions that can significantly impair child development from an early age. The condition impairs development of motor skills, speech and the ability to learn. Cerebral palsy is caused by central nervous system (CNS) injury to the brain (Clinical Key, 2013). It is a non-progressive condition that starts during neonatal, prenatal and early postnatal stages. The fact that the condition affects brain development is connected to the fact that the condition also affects development of other body functions coordinated by the CNS (Clinical Key, 2013). Cerebral palsy affects the development of muscle control, and thus resulting in spasms, involuntary movements and impaired speech. Severe impairment to muscle control development often leads to extreme paralysis that impairs all movement and at times vision and even intellectual capabilities (Clinical Key, 2013). The condition may be caused by a variety of factors including intrauterine exposure to toxins, birth asphyxia, cortical development malformation, stroke, infection or trauma-just to mention, but a few (Clinical Key, 2013).
According to responses from the interview occurrence of such a condition on children negatively impacts on the family, and more so the parents. Cases of extreme motor impairment, which could result in paralysis at worse often lead to extreme dependency on the family in conducting activities such as feeding and cleaning of the child. The condition can lead extreme dependency, which often compels parents to forego their careers just to support the child through life. Dependency is further worsened by the fact that the affected children also having learning disabilities. These problems often overburden the parents and could lead to significant mental stress and burn out. Additionally, stigma often arises in some cultures, which makes some parents uncomfortable with letting their children to live a public life.
Personal Journal on Obesity
The obesity problem is a mainly a result of high caloric intake coupled by a sedentary lifestyle. The high caloric intake mainly consisting of highly refined carbohydrates as often seen in ‘junk food’ offered by fast food restaurants leads to a high conversion of carbohydrates into fats. This metabolic conversion coupled by a high intake of fats increases the percentage of fat-body weight, which is detrimental to health. The obesity trend, and more so childhood obesity is prevalent in developed nations and developing nations. The prevalence in this category of nations can be attributed to the existence of many fast food restaurant and habits of eating out instead of relying on traditionally prepared home meals. Eating out is common in developed and developing nations when compared to the least developed nations. Additionally, there are numerous fast food restaurants in the developing and developed world, and these contribute to the high consumption of ‘junk food.’ Technological advances, which have led to significant automation of most activities have made life comfortable in these nations, but also led to a great reduction in the chance to engage in physical activities. Sedentary lifestyles fostered by the same technological advancements in developing and developed nations are also to blame for the high incidences of obesity among both children and adults (Heavey, 2013).
According an article titled “U.S. childhood obesity fight sees some success: group” by Susan Heavey on the Chicago Tribune, exercise presents a perfect solution to the problem. According to the article, efforts by US companies and other organizations have begun realising success as rates of obesity decline within the population due to the development of exercising and its promotions across various states (Heavey, 2013). Apparently, exhibiting and condoning a habitual sedentary life is one of the factors that can promote childhood obesity because children learn by example (Heavey, 2013). In order to avoid such a negative example, it would be appropriate to engage in regular exercising so as to set an example to children and the youth. Through being an example by exercising and teaching children on how and why they should exercise I can enhance obesity prevention and reduction within the family as well as the whole community.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013). Adolescent and School health: Nutrition Facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/facts.htm
Clinical Key (2013). Cerebral Palsy, retrieved from https://www.clinicalkey.com/topics/pediatrics/cerebral-palsy.html
Heavey, S. (2013). U.S. childhood obesity fight sees some success: group. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-07/lifestyle/sns-rt-us-usa-obesitybre9261fh-20130307_1_childhood-obesity-food-deserts-food-industry
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