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Toulmin Argument

Memphis Christie

ENGL 102-048

Toulmin Argument Essay

18 April 2013

It’s Mommy and Daddy’s Fault I’m Obese

            Child obesity is a very serious concern. “One out of every five children in the U. S. is overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise” (“Obesity in Children”). This staggering statistic leaves researchers and doctors everywhere faced with the difficult question of deciding, who is to blame for this continuing crisis? I believe parents should be held accountable for child obesity because as parents they have the most influence and control over the childhood habits that may result in obesity. Child obesity is preventable if mothers and fathers realize the dramatic effect obesity has on the child and their future in society. According to Sharron Dalton, author of Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic,

Fast paced lives and tough economic times have made of all incomes and backgrounds busier than ever, constantly pressed for time and struggling to meet the demands of work and family life. Harried parents often are unavailable, too tired, or simply lacking in interest and know-how to prepare healthy meals and play actively with their kids. For them, fast-food takeout or “heat-‘n’-eat” packaged meals are cheap and easy alternatives that prove irresistible. Parents grab food on the go and snack mindlessly while working or watching TV; their children follow suit. (“Our Overweight Children”)

Despite the fast pace of the world in which children are being raised today, parents need to realize the importance of taking a time-out and being there for the needs of the family. This may include having to lose out on time in other areas in order to be home to cook a well prepared meal a few times a week, or missing out on the latest episode of “Desperate Housewives” because the children should come first. The adults serve as role-models for the children, if the parents enforce the importance of eating healthy, and getting sufficient exercise, then the child will mimic this example.

A common mistake often made by parents is in forcing a child to eat all of their food. “Children whose parents exert an excessive degree over what and how much their children eat are more likely to be unable to regulate their food intake in a healthy manner” (“Our Overweight Children”). Forcing a child to eat before being allowed to have dessert or leave the dinner table can unknowingly have negative effects on that child’s health. It unknowingly sets the tone of healthy foods as something required or demanded of the parents, turning off any desire for the item, and unhealthy foods a source of reward and appeal. In the same light, “when parents require their children to eat everything on the plate, kids then lose the ability to use their own feelings of hunger and fullness to decide how much to eat (“Childhood Obesity”). This habit can stay with a child for their entire lifespan; instead they should be urged to eat until they are full. Overeating is a top benefactor in the existence of obesity and a hard habit to break especially when it begins at such a tender age. Instead of enforcing serving sizes parents should be enforcing exercise routines and adequate meals. It is not how much is eaten that will make the difference, but of what nutritious value is in the food being consumed.

Most of a child’s meals are prepared at home so how is it that, “children eat only two or three servings of the five recommended vegetables and fruits daily, and one serving is likely to be fried potatoes or potato chips”(“Our Overweight Children”). Parents need to be asking themselves, how are they allowing this to occur? Well to answer this question, a child will only eat what is made available to them so if when they pull open the snack cabinet and are greeted by Dorito chips and packaged brownies then this is what they will eat.  A parent may argue that there are also healthy options available in the house, in which the child chooses to pick between the chips and brownies when in actuality that parent is still at fault. “Parents should promote healthful food choices among toddlers and young children by making a variety of nutritious, low-energy-dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables, available to them” (“Preventing Childhood Obesity”). Do not put the child in a position where they will be subjected to unhealthy snacking instead, eliminate the bad choices and give them the ultimatum of deciding between an apple and an orange. The book, “Preventing Childhood Obesity” supports the idea that the more a parent exposes their child to healthy food options, the more likely that child will be to eat their fruits and vegetables even without the reinforcement of mom or dad. These habits will stay with the child into adulthood because of such a healthy foundation growing up that limited bad choices. Too often parents are afraid to tell the child no, although they may seem be upset at the time, they will appreciate the authority down the road as healthy adults.

Parents should also be held responsible for child obesity levels because of the activities they allow their children to engage in opposed to physical activity. According to “The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,” children spend an average of seven and a half hours engaging in some form of media, from video games, computers and above all television use. “TV viewing is a contributing factor to childhood obesity because it may take away from the time children spend in physical activities; lead to increased energy intake through snacking and eating meals in front of the TV; and, influence children to make unhealthy food choices through exposure to food advertisements” (“Overweight and Obesity”). Engaging with the media may seem like a good way to occupy the children’s time while the adults busy themselves with household chores but it also makes them vulnerable to laziness, bad eating habits, and increases the desire for unhealthy foods. Television can have a negative influence on kids; however, parents need to realize that they have even more influence. Kids are not getting active because television use plays such a heavy role in their lives. Parents have the control to minimize the amount of time a child spends on the couch but choose not to. Just think if for two out of those seven and a half hours were instead spent at the park engaging in physical activity, obesity levels amongst the youth would decrease tremendously.

 Fig. 1 Illustrates an active way of having fun (“NY Metro”).

Amongst all reasons that child obesity should be blamed on the parents, the rush for instant gratification that has such a heavy influence in American households is by far the most alarming. Parents are not taking into account the effects this lifestyle poses to their children in regards to health. Parents would rather pop a meal in the microwave for two minutes then to take the time to prepare a well cooked, nutritious meal for their family. It is easier to stop at a fast food chain such as Burger King on the way home from work then to take the time to find a better option. “Research studies have shown that most eating and physical activity habits are exclusively established in childhood where parents have the highest level of influence over the child” (Families in Crisis). If a parent takes their family to McDonald’s for dinner every night it implies to the child that McDonalds is an acceptable diet. Obesity amongst children would not be such a huge issue if parents began to stress and demonstrate a healthier lifestyle and influence over their youngsters. There are healthy meal options available at the same low cost as one at a food chain such as McDonalds. All it takes is a little extra time to ensure a healthy future for a child.

 Fig. 2 Illustrates a family eating a healthy meal opposed to a fast food alternative (“My Street Grocery”).

“Eating frequently with the family at home has a positive effect on overall diet quality, according to a study of nine-to fourteen-year-old children. The kids who ate dinner at home four or more times a week ate more fruits and vegetables and less fried foods…”(“Our Overweight Children”). Parents often do not realize how beneficial it is growing up to eat dinner together as a family. Fewer and fewer children are sitting down and eating meals in traditional ways in return never being granted the opportunity to develop eating behaviors and food preferences. Parents can argue that between work and responsibilities that they do not have the time to prepare a meal at home but even with this said; shouldn’t the child’s health be a first priority? In today’s fast-paced lifestyles it is important to set aside the time, a recommended four times a week to have a nutritious family meal.

Just as important it is in understanding how parental influence plays a role child obesity, it is just as important in knowing that sometimes despite a parent’s effort to ensure healthy eating habits for the child, the child may still suffer from obesity. Parental influence may have the strongest impact on a child’s weight; however there are other factors that may also be causing obesity such as medical disorders, medications, stress and depression. The best thing any parent can do is in paying attention to their family. Make sure that they are visiting the doctors routinely, engaging in physical activity, eating right, and most essentially are happy. Despite even the greatest parent’s efforts, children are going to make their own decisions when it comes to health habits just as they will in every other aspects of their life. None-the-less every child looks up to their mom and dad as a role-model. Parents that make the effort to ensure the health and overall quality of their kids are the ones that will make the biggest difference in a child’s life.

Work Cited

"Childhood Obesity: Are Parents to Blame?" Yahoo! Shine. Yahoo! Contributor Network, 4 Jan. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

Collins, Harper. "Obesity In Children And Teens." Obesity In Children And Teens | American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mar. 2011. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

Dalton, Sharron. Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley: University of California, 2004. Print.

Google Image. Digital image. My Street Grocery. N.p., 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.

Google Image. Digital image. NY Metro Parents. NY Metro Parents Magazine, 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.

Gunn, Sandra. "Families in Crisis; Childhood Obesity." Peek-A-Boo Parenting. N.p., 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

Iannelli, Vincent, M.D. "Childhood Obesity: Who's to Blame?" About.com Pediatrics. The New York Times Company, 26 Jan. 2008. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

Koplan, Jeffrey, Catharyn T. Liverman, and Vivica I. Kraak. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2005. Print.

Moran, Barbara. "Solving the Childhood Obesity Puzzle, One Piece at a Time." BU Today. Boston University, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

"Obesity In Children." Preventing Obesity in Children, Causes of Child Obesity, and More. Ed. Roy Benaroch. WebMD, 11 July 2011. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

"Overweight and Obesity for Professionals: Childhood: Problem." CDC.gov. Ed. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.

"Parents Blamed for Childhood Obesity." Live Science. Tech Media Network, 09 Feb. 2009. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

Ryan, Joey M. "Parental Stress Linked to Children's Obesity, Fast Food Use and Reduced Physical Activity." Parental Stress Linked to Childrens Obesity The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia RSS. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.