1. Explain how the following can be causes of childhood obesity.

a. SES - socioeconomic status is an economic and sociological combined total measure

of a person’s work experience and of an individual’s or family’s economic and social

position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation. There is

correlation between the lifestyle and weight. In developed country, higher SES status

has activities such as reading, attending social events, or even gym memberships

which provides just as enough exercise to burn calories. Conversely, people who is

more involved with watching TV and shopping kind of sedentary activities are

associated with those people who doesn’t belong to SES social activities. Those who

has low SES tends to stay indoor within unsafe neighborhood with rare exercise

schedule.

b. Parental Education – There is correlation of obesity when infants are not breast-fed

and begin eating solid foods before 4 months (Berger, pp.353). Also drinking soda,

watching TV instead of playing outside, sleeping too little, those health effect stands

out when parents are not paying attention to children’s lifestyle.

c. Globalization – trade, economic growth, and urbanization with globalized food has

impacted those in developing country. Those high-calories and fatty foods in regions

used to suffered from malnutrition means the opposite of unhealthy diet and weight

gain, and obesity.

d. Culture – The context in which a child grows up, a complex combination of

environments, affects ones eating habits and physical activities. And it is more severe

in non-white ethnic groups, such as blacks and Hispanics, shown in chart in Berger’s

pp.253.
 e. Genes – Gene affects body weight by influencing activity level, hunger, food

preferences, body type, and metabolism (Berger PP.353). New genes that affect

obesity are discovered almost every month.

2. Discuss how the above factors may have impacted your own nutrition and health.

a. SES - I used to enroll in gym membership. Ever since I moved away from home I

have cancelled it due to busy schedule. Although being independent, that has affect

my SES somehow and has changed my affordability of lifestyle. I have gained weight

ever since.

b. Parental Education – Since childhood my mom feed me with breads, that supports my

high physical activities, though not a good source of nutrition, that I have some

cellulitis.

c. Globalization – There are fast foods everywhere, in where I grew up, providing sodas

and fries. Although recently we are alerting how those food affect your health, it is

too late and some damage has been done, such as diabetic symptoms and lowed

thyroid from environmental toxicities.

d. Culture – I eat and cook mostly my meals, mostly Asian food, which are coined to be

healthy.

e. Genes – My mom has the inclination of gaining some weight. I have the symptom

due to lowered thyroid activities.

3. On a global national level, what are some ways we can teach children to eat healthy? And

how may this impact childhood obesity rates? (Use information from Jamie Oliver's Ted

Talk).

We need to teach child about food, especially those already made that where it is made

from. We need to educate them what’s in those food we eat, how much sugar, and hold

the accountability of food production on labeling them. And we need to provide cooking

class to have children learn cooking as basic survival skill, that everyone needs to know

at least 10 recipes while leaving school.