The health of our children is, and should be, our society’s number one priority. However, due to a myriad of contributing factors, we seem to be falling short, specifically regarding children’s current rates of obesity, a chronic and prominent disease involving excess body fat that is unfortunately growing every year.
In the early 2000s, many children played on or owned a Wii or Wii U, popular gaming consoles equipped with a wide range of games. The most popular were Just Dance and Wii Sports, both of which encouraged children to engage in physical activity, which they loved. The colourful, upbeat routines in Just Dance kept us kids hooked, while Wii Sports allowed players to stay active in a variety of ways from their own living rooms. They permitted the socialization and active movement for all children in the early 2000s, whenever we weren’t outside—and we were always outside. Now, the time of healthy, engaging video games is over, and children prefer to play games that require no movement, encouraging a sedentary lifestyle. While Nintendo Switch Sports exists, and newer versions of Just Dance continue to be released, they have only a fraction of the popularity that their predecessors boasted.
While this may not seem like much, it contributes to increasingly inactive lifestyles among children and shapes long-term habits. These outcomes are especially evident when you look at the stats. According to the Government of Canada, the obesity rates among children and teens have nearly tripled over the past 30 years. The effects of obesity are chronic and will likely continue into adulthood. As a result, individuals may experience low self-esteem, serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, and deeply ingrained unhealthy habits.
Furthermore, access to healthy food for children and adolescents is steadily declining, likely due to rising prices of fresh produce, increased fast food consumption, and limited time for busy parents. Sometimes it’s easier for working parents to order food, and, simultaneously, healthy, well-balanced home-cooked meals are becoming pricier to make. Fresh vegetables, berries, and eggs are steadily increasing in price, putting parents in a tough position. Go over your budget or feed your kids unhealthy food? Not to mention that most kids’ snacks are chock full of artificial sweeteners and fats. Look into any classroom at lunchtime, and all you’ll see are gummy wrappers, popcorn bags, and half-eaten cookies. While healthier versions are available, these are hardly sold in bulk at Costco, giving fatty-filled snacks the advantage.
Additionally, many drinks made available to children are chock-full of sugar and caffeine. Caffeine increases one’s appetite, making drinks like Prime top contributors to our growing problem. To make matters worse, these sugary, caffeine-filled drinks are constantly advertised to children through YouTube promotions, in-game ads, and more. The bright colours, along with celebrity promotions, make it hard for children to resist the urge to beg their parents for them.
Caffeine is not only a direct contributor to weight gain but is also an indirect one. Consumption of caffeine makes any individual prone to sleep problems, but these symptoms are heightened in children, who are still developing. Poor sleep has been linked to obesity because it disrupts hormones that regulate metabolism and influences eating habits. This premature disruption of a child’s metabolism is a serious concern that should not be overlooked.
Lastly, the general environment of childhood has significantly changed. Many communities now lack safe and engaging play spaces for children. I remember walking down to the park with my siblings all the time to run around and play, but now the parks are nearly deserted. I don’t blame parents for opting out of public areas due to rising crime rates and a general lack of trust, but this collective withdrawal limits kids’ outdoor entertainment. If there are no fun playgrounds to climb on and no new people to meet, why go outside? When you’re stuck in your backyard or on the street, it’s no wonder they get bored within the hour. Some parents also don’t trust sending their kids to other people’s houses to play since they don’t know the families well enough. I feel this is a valid sentiment since I, too, would be afraid of accidents occurring due to lack of supervision on another parent’s part if it was my kid. Fun exercises, like swimming, are morphed into painful deaths in the mind of a watchful parent, and no one can fault them for it. Playing in the street? Potential road kill. Turn your back for a second, and your kid is gone. This is why many parents have accepted the reality of their kids being home-bound; they fear a much worse outcome. However, if the price for this peace of mind is an unhealthily overweight child who will suffer the consequences for years to come, I don’t think it should be paid.