Child abuse and neglect is no longer limited to inflicting pain, causing injuries, sexual abuse, or neglecting a kid. Statistics say that obesity is a new sign of mishandling and desertion.
Obesity has been the leading cause of unnecessary death not only in the United States but around the world. For the year 2016, over 2 billion people are overweight while 700 million are classified under the obese category. It is predicted that by 2030, 60 to 100 percent of the population will be obese. Obesity is not just a problem for adults, but it also is slowly affecting younger people.
Childhood obesity with type two diabetes in children is now rampant in the U.S. that one in three American children is overweight. The Huffington Post added that in the last three decades, childhood obesity has tripled and that there are more than 2 million obese children, which could lead to shorter life span in comparison to children battling cancer. Accordingly, experts are speculating that the next generation of Americans is going to die at a younger age than their parents.
As to how this is connected to child abuse and neglect, parents in the U.S. usually follow the standard American diet when feeding their children. This diet consists of grains, sugars and unhealthy fats such as those foods found in fast food chains.
Parents are also reportedly too busy about making money for their family that they give their children what they want since they could not give them time and attention. The basic needs, which are shelter, clothing, protection and food are usually met but the question is, are the foods being given nutritious?
Another factor is that parents are usually busy that they do not want to cook food at their homes and resort to fast food chains and restaurants. Fast food chains offer foods that are full of heavily processed grains, sugary carbohydrate sources, low-quality meat and low nutrient density. When a child consumes these types of food, his or her hunger increases since these foods do not have enough nutrition. Children then tend to eat more, leading to being overweight and obese.
Aside from fast food, children are also given sweets and sugary treats for them to behave. High sugar intake leads to excess insulin production, thus making kids more prone to heart disease and cancer.
As for the usual child abuse and neglect, Courier Journal reported that at least nine Kentucky children died from child abuse or neglect over the past year. There were 41 recorded to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Beating is the top cause of death or injury of a child, next is abusive head trauma. Parents are usually the attackers of these children.
