Dangers of Childhood Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Dangers of Childhood Obesity - Research Paper Example This increase has also been coupled with illnesses and medical conditions associated with obesity among children and it has become a matter of grave concern. The result of the increase in the prevalence in childhood obesity have been increasing calls in the political arena for more legislation to be passed at the state level to ensure that this problem is brought under control. Furthermore, Mitgang states that the appropriateness of these legislative interventions have, however, been brought into questions especially when one considers that it might be an infringement on the rights of individuals. There have been arguments for direct intervention by the state governments because a large number of obese children tend to also develop other medical complications related to their condition. Among these complications are diabetes, hypertension, as well as the risk of cardiovascular diseases which make it more difficult for the public health sector to shoulder the burden of dealing with th ese children. While this may be the case, despite the wide support for there to be legislative interventions to curb childhood obesity, there are some who believe that interventions should be limited to such instances where obese children are at a short-term risk of loss of life, or when it is judged that their condition might cause serious harm to them. Therefore, according to Mitgang (2011) in current political and medical circles, there has been a proposition for the development of a specific standard for intervention which involves the adoption of a case by case study with the intention of determining the risk factors of health problems for children with obesity. The first of these is that healthcare practitioners have to determine the severity of a child’s illness associated with obesity because this is the only way through which the risk to his health can be