Childhood obesity has been reaching epidemic levels, and it is one of the key physical and psychological problems which the world has to deal with. Being overweight affects the child’s physical and psychological well-being hence the need for a proper way through which the problem can be solved. Children that suffer from centers childhood are more likely to remain obese in adulthood, one of the key ways in which these people’s health is affected. Obese children are prone to non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, among others, at a young age. The mechanism of obesity is, at times, not understood, but parents and caregivers play a key role in the children’s state of obesity. The environmental factors, cultural environment, and lifestyle preferences subjected to these children greatly impact their weight and the kind of life they lead thereafter. Generally, obesity is linked with a high intake of calories and fat, and parents and caregivers tend to be responsible for these things as they are the key people that prepare meals for these children. Other factors include excessive intake of sugar, for example, soft drinks, high portion sizes, and lack of physical activity lead to high rates of obesity across the globe. Childhood obesity can affect children’s physical well-being, social and emotional well-being, as well as self-esteem, and it is the role of the parents to set the precedence which will ensure the children thank their future selves. Parents and caregivers monitor the kind of lifestyle children lead, what they take, and other factors to ensure they do not turn obese.
The world has been facing epidemiological and nutritional change, which is featured constant nutritional deficiencies shown through the high rates of anemia, iron and zinc deficiencies, and stunting, among others. The problem is becoming more serious among children where some diseases are cropping from the increase. Some diseases, such as blood pressure, are not closely related to children, but it is becoming a problem (Rundle et al., 2020). Socioeconomic status is shown to have an effect on obesity, with children from low-income families having to deal with obesity. Income is a key determinant of the foods which children take. Therefore, low income is a contributor to the obese nature of children as there is no guiding factor regarding the kind of foods that these children have to consume (Lee et al., 2021). Some families tend to be in survival mode hence the lack of keenness on what the parents give their children. As a result, it becomes a mess in the long run where the families have to deal with the negative effects of the foods which their children consume. Also, the parents tend to care less about their physical activities hence the freedom that leads them to have more fat deposits in their bodies.
Obesity is a global health problem and not a problem for the people of Hong Kong alone. Therefore, it calls for people around the globe to take roles in ensuring the lives of their children’s health are built under a strong foundation (Rundle et al., 2020). The stronger the foundation, the lesser the effort that families need to maintain their health in the future. However, having no concern for children’s health and letting them be obese is the foundation of the world’s problems (Lee et al., 2021). Obese contributes to unhealthy relations in the world hence the need to eliminate it through interventions that are effective.
The prevalence rise of cardiovascular diseases calls for the need to monitor obesity in children such that their future physical health is safeguarded at all costs (Jia, 2021). Hong Kong is a proper example of the problem, especially during COVID-19. The pandemic was a key effect on the problem in question as there were a lot of lifestyle changes that channeled many of these children to become obese (Chung et al., 2021). Based on reports, the rate of overweight children in Hong Kong changed from 7% to 24% for children ranging from 9 to 13 years (Rundle et al., 2020). This was a massive and shocking increase, thus the need for proper interventions to ensure the lives of these children are safeguarded for the future. The more obese children increase, the more physical and psychological problems increase in the nation.
Reports by health experts showed that the rise of obese children was attributed to the rise of disrupted routines, with many of these children leading unhealthy eating habits with their parents setting the wrong example. Statistics show that the number of children at the Kindergarten level and primary raised by 1.8 times during the pandemic, with one of the children being thrown into tantrums by the resumption of physical classes (Rundle et al., 2020). Studies done on parents showed that 13.5% of parents claimed their children became obese in the event of the pandemic, with 4.8% stating the problem existed almost two years ago (Chung et al., 2021). The problem calls for the parents to be the key guiding values in the lives of these children such that they are able to lead obese-free lives. The parents are shown to have been the leading examples in the unhealthy lives of the children, thus the need for proper interventions that prevent children from experiencing further struggle with their health.
Hong Kong was featured with more than 450 days of school closures, with the pandemic lasting over two years. Within this period, the children were under the care of their parents, with these parents setting the basis of the lives that they had to lead (Chung et al., 2021). According to the Hong Kong Paediatric Foundation (HKPF), Department of Pediatrics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine), the problem with obesity was boosted by the change in the sleeping patterns of the children, eating, lack of exercise and the prolonged use of gadgets (Rundle et al., 2020). Also, the opening of schools faced many of these children unwilling to resume learning (Huang et al., 2022). Therefore, there was a need for proper interventions in schools such that these children are helped to resume their daily lives and reduce the rates at which they were turning obese.
The pre-pandemic and post-pandemic analysis has parents giving answers on the factors that might have contributed to many of their children being obese. These parents indicate that in the pre-pandemic period, 50% of the parents witnessing children eating fewer snacks and sugar compared to the period of the pandemic. Based on these people, almost 60% of the children consumed more snacks interfering with the appetite of their regular meals (Huang et al., 2022). Also, 80% of the children spend used less of their time engaging in outdoor plays, and 60% spend less time in after-school activities (Rundle et al., 2020). It shows that these children did not have time for any physical activity, which would stimulate their metabolic rates. Besides, 90% of the children spent their time using electronic devices, meaning that they were not experiencing any physical activity (Lee et al., 2021). Additionally, more than 40% of the children spent more of their time sleeping. The older these children got, the poorer their lifestyle turned, including their eating habits. The parents had to spend more of their money on food compared to any other form of spending they engaged in.
The increased cases of obesity can be linked to mental health since mental health is a health problem. There is a huge relationship that underlies mental health and obesity in these children, such as self-stigma. Being overweight impaired physical health, and these children have the ability to see the difference which exists between them and their fit peers (Jia, 2021). Obesity crushes children’s self-esteem, and as a result, they may be having a series of psychological struggles that makes them separate themselves from their friends. Some of their friends can laugh at them hence the high rate of children struggling with mental health due to their obese nature (Lee et al., 2021). In Hong Kong, the issue of these children’s self-stigmatization rose after the pandemic, with many children experiencing changes in their physical appearance hence the dislike that some of them had by comparing themselves with their peers. Research conducted by Chan et al. (2019) shows that many children that are obese tend to pull from crowds and separate themselves as a way of self-stigmatization. These children see themselves as unfit in their groups hence the acts of pulling out such that they may experience peace within themselves (Rundle et al., 2020). However, these people do not experience any form of peace but a series of psychological struggles that affect them in the long run. The more a child is featured with being overweight, the more their self-stigma rises, accompanied by more mental health problems. Therefore, there is a need to find ways through which these children can resume their normal lives and get physically fit.
The problem of self-stigma is linked with decreased self-esteem, and it can have adverse effects on the lives of children if not checked. The weak self-esteem translates to feelings of shame as well as lacking confidence. Lack of confidence has left many of these children with poor academic performance as they do not feel comfortable engaging and learning with their peers (Jia, 2021). School learning is featured with more of these children engaging in discussions and making inquiries about what they do not understand. Children experiencing self-stigma do not have the ability to engage their peers and learn hence the poor performance which is seen in their performance in the long run. Society tends to instill different stereotypes about a given way of appearance. Therefore, the appearance of a given child is linked with the child knowing the stereotype and reflecting on how their peers view them. The reflection makes these children isolated from their friends and their struggle with mental health.
Self-stigmatization has caused some of these children to turn into depression as it gets hard for them to control their thoughts and feelings. Depression is one of the worst mental health problems which people experience, and it is worse when experienced by children. In Hong Kong, the perception of being overweight as a flaw is the cause of the depression that many children experience (Jia, 2021). Self-isolation is characterized by anxiety, and these are the key signs of depression that most children should be safeguarded from. The children’s state of depression increases as they age since it gets difficult for them to change their weight as they age. The perceived body image tends to be more detrimental to these beings, and the continued state of depression affects the children in the long run (Rundle et al., 2020). These children have a lower quality of life compared to their peers, and the reflection makes it difficult for them to lead a meaningful life free of mental health struggles.
Suffering from different diseases from the health struggle increases the rate of depression since these children reflect on how their weight has shifted to affect the way they lead their daily lives. Based on research, some children suffer from the stigma since the causality of the stigma are these children are viewed as lazy, weak-willed, unsuccessful, and undisciplined (Rundle et al., 2020). The building of the stigma is based on negative stereotypes, thus the need for these children to separate such that they are able to find peace in their own company (Jia, 2021). Most children do not choose to look the way they look in these cases, and no one should have the right to look down on them. Therefore, there is a need for a proper approach that helps these children with their depression as well as a lead better life. The issue of obesity in children is contributed by different parties. The social workers may engage these parties and look at the matter on a different level. Parents and children can be engaged by these social workers ensuring that the children get a proper recovery plan. The social worker is more connected to the matters of obesity, and they can utilize different approaches to ensure the children reach the required weight. Also, the life these children live at school affects their weight gain, and the social workers can work hand in hand with the teachers in pursuit of helping the children.
The social worker can start by engaging parents and seeing into the matter. These social workers understand the dynamics of parents, and they can show them the paths to follow such that they are able to help their children with the issue of obesity. The social worker acts as a counselor, and he or she can lay out a strategy for how these parents can help their children reduce weight and avoid gaining weight. Parents have a huge role to play in ensuring their children are not obese, and through the help of social worker counseling, they can attain this goal. The social worker can point out the things which these parents need to focus on, such as; monitoring the meals which these children take. Parents play pivotal roles in the foods which children take as they are the key buyers. Some of the foods which have been affecting these children include excessive intake of sugar. The counselor can point out their responsibility for buying food and tell them the kind of meals they should administer to their children. A social worker in obesity acts as an advocate of better behavior, and the indication can help these parents in changing their behaviors, thus helping the children avoid becoming obese. The more these parents can follow the directions of the counselor, the more they can be able to help children from the struggle of being obese. The counselor has to make known to the parents the dangers of taking a lot of sugar and how controlling it can be a game changer to these children (Jia, 2021). The counselor is featured with great experience in the field of health and obesity, and they understand the importance of limiting sugar and monitoring the diet of the children. The counselor has to show the parents the foods they should purchase, especially those that bear nutritional values. Controlling obesity cannot be attained by these social workers alone but through the cooperation of the parents and counselors such that they are able to identify where the problem is. The social worker has to advocate for the removal of foods that do not add value to the health of these children.
Some of these parents have been shown as the leading examples of the unhealthy diets and the sugary foods which these children take. Here, mindfulness-based counseling is needed as the social worker can use it to pay attention to the thoughts of the parents on why they focus on poor and unhealthy diets and how they have affected them at a personal level. The counselor engaging these parents and getting a piece of their minds can end up with the counselors finding ways of helping them. The problem of childhood obesity must be solved by focusing on the primary characters rather than the children first. The counselor understands that if the parents set the precedence of bad dieting, it is clear that these children have to follow suit. Therefore, these parents should be compelled by the need to show children the best path they should follow through dieting (Jia, 2021). As a result, the counselor here has the role of setting goals with these parents and helping them understand the consequences of poor dieting as well as obesity (Wu et al., 2021). If these parents understand the problem which surrounds obesity, they can be able to lead a life that safeguards their life and that of their children. The mindfulness-based counseling can be used for parents that are obese. Mindfulness-based counseling allows the counselor to listen to the individuals without judging them after understanding these parents. It can be a great path through which they are helped to set the precedence for great dieting, which helps them and their children lose weight.
The counselor helps these parents know that they are role models to their children and the path they set is the path these children follow. Therefore, they have to set a great path to the well-being of their children. If a bad course is set, these children follow (Wu et al., 2021). Mindfulness-counseling approach can give these parents an opportunity to meditate on the situation such that they can get the big picture of the matter which the social worker might be advocating. The social worker has the role of advocacy which ensures their end goal is attained in the long run. Some of the parents may link their actions with low income, but the counselor has to make the people understand that the actions have longer consequences than the satisfaction they get each moment they engage in bad meals and activities.
Besides, these counselors must cooperate with the parents and show them how a good sleep schedule can help in monitoring the weight of their children. The social worker must focus on the problem and devise a solution for these parents. The solutions must focus on helping these children in the long run, as the counselors have to ensure their advocacy is understood and followed. The counselors understand how the excessive use of gadgets affects the sleep schedule of the children. Therefore, they have to make the parents understand the effects the lack of sleep has on the children’s metabolism. The more these counselors make the parents understand, the more the health of the children is safeguarded. The parents are the primary beings in the matter, and the knowledge instilled in them must ensure they understand better. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the children affected by obesity were said to have had excessive use of gadgets accompanied by poor sleeping schedules. A poor sleeping schedule is a key contributor to obesity, as the body is not given enough time to undergo metabolism (Rundle et al., 2020). If these parents had the knowledge of the social worker before, they would be aware of the paths to take and ensure their children are not pushed to self-stigmatization around their peers.
The social worker understands the psychological operations of the body, which these parents may not be aware of. As a result, making these parents know how lack of sleep and poor schedule creates an imbalance of the hormone, which plays a role in overeating and weight gain. The counselor must instill more knowledge in the parents regarding the matter, and the more they understand, the more they utilize the knowledge to help their children. Leptin and ghrelin are two key hormones that regulate appetite, and once sleep is altered, the production of the hormones leads to increased appetite (Jia, 2021). The increased appetite increases the food intake rate in the children, making them more obese. These counselors making the parents know the biological aspect of the matter can help the children a lot.
Also, the social worker’s advocacy should be channeled toward the children as they are the subject of the problem in question. The ability of the counselors is accompanied by enough knowledge on how to deal with these children. Many children do not understand the problems with obesity, although they may face discrimination from their peers (Jastreboff et al., 2018). Therefore, these social workers can engage the children in a counseling session that aims at ensuring they accept to follow new paths in their meals such that they may regain their confidence. The counselors may make the children understand why they need to exercise and follow the meals which their parents administer to them (de & Delgado, 2022). Also, by ensuring these children understand such sessions, the children may be engaged in setting goals that they may achieve through what they learn in the sessions. Counseling by these social workers may go a long way toward restoring the health and confidence of the children. The only thing these children need is to understand and follow the directions and goals they set with the counselors.
Additionally, the goals set by these children and the counselors should be clear for the comprehension of these children. They may set goals such as engaging in physical activity. Based on health standards, it is required that children remain active for almost 60 minutes a day. The case of obesity is characterized by zero physical activity; most of these children are left to lead a life according to their wants (Jastreboff et al., 2018). The more these counselors make them understand the matter, the more they are likely to embrace the good habits. The children need to understand why physical activities are important and how they stimulate their metabolism rates, reducing fat accumulation. Furthermore, the counselors may make them understand that their engagement in set goals can help in limiting their ability to suffer from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes (de & Delgado, 2022). The comprehension of the negative effects of diabetes on children at a deeper level is what makes it easy for them to follow the directions of the counselors
Also, the counselors may move forward to school advocacy. At school, there are activities that these children can engage in, such as sporting activities, to help in reducing obesity and keep their weight in check (Jastreboff et al., 2018). The teachers, at this point, should be the driving force in the engagement with these social workers. The teachers may learn how sporting activities may be used to increase the aerobic activities of the children and stimulate their metabolic rates (Rundle et al., 2020). Through playing these games, the teachers can be helpful in their lives and reduce the problems which these children face at school.
However, there are limitations linked with the approach of counseling since it may not lead to the right results. Most obese children may have been affected at a deeper level, and the approach of counseling and making them learn more by being less useful. The mindfulness counseling approach may have the parents meditating on the problem and knowing the goals they need to attain. However, it may fail to be effective (Jastreboff et al., 2018). Some of the parents may fail to follow the clear path given by the social workers hence the failure of the approach. At this point, children need to have more interventions since their mental health continues to be troubled. The new interventions which can be implemented at this point are the clinical interventions that take the children in a healthcare setting. The problem might be left to get worse, but seeking clinical intervention may help safeguard the children as much as possible.
The children in the counseling intervention may find it difficult to follow directions given and goals set, leading to them being engaged in the clinical settings. The mental health effect of their obese nature leads them to anxiety and depression, and the less effectiveness must be taken over by other forms of interventions (Jastreboff et al., 2018). The forms of intervention at this point can be pointed as the mix interventions where each intervention has a key role in the pursuit of helping the child. Some of the forms of mixed interventions may include the use of CBT.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is designed to help individuals such that they are able to maintain long-term weight loss. The therapeutic session has the ability to control some of the causes of obesity with ease compared to the other form of intervention where goals are set, and directions are given (Kang & Kwack, 2020). CBT is used to increase the motivation of the individuals as well as control their diet. CBT understands obesity as a serious health problem, and it helps with changing lifestyles (Sagar & Gupta, 2018). The counseling of patients might have focused on changing lifestyles but failed due to the lack of a proper approach. CBT does is that it involves the use of therapy, and each of these therapy sessions can help motivate children to change their ways through eating healthy and exercising, among others. More sessions of CBT can help in changing the children on the right path and reducing their depressive states.
Furthermore, the social worker can add positive reinforcement in intervening in obesity. Positive reinforcement involves encouraging a given pattern of behavior that is rewarding. Positive reinforcement may include parents, teachers, and children in attaining weight loss goals (Carr & Epstein, 2020). The positive reinforcement must involve all these parties where several steps may be proposed, such as parents engaging in family walks in the evenings and teachers creating a schedule where children play certain games together. Also, teachers may force discriminative children to be positive at school. The positivity shown at school can play a great role in ensuring the children’s depression is limited, and they are able to embrace their journey into being fit. These mixed interventions are key to the mental health of the individuals. Mindfulness-based counseling, cognitive behavioral approaches, and positive reinforcement are key interventions to restoring the path of the children in the right direction.
In conclusion, the problem of being overweight in children has been reaching epidemiological levels and needs ways through which the problem can be solved. Obesity in children is a key problem that has been affecting them, leading to different kinds of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. Sometimes, parents and caregivers may fail to comprehend their contribution to the obesity of children. Therefore, these people need to understand such that they are able to apply the right interventions in safeguarding the lives of their children. In Hong Kong, obesity has been a major problem, with COVID-19 raising its level eighteen times. Most of the children in Hong Kong are said to have become obese in the course of the pandemic. The factors which led to the obese nature are the high intake of sugary foods, poor sleep schedules, and spending a lot of time using gadgets, among others. The problems need to be met with proper interventions, and using social workers is the best way through which the problem can be solved. Social workers play major roles in advocating the need for an excellent weight in children. These counselors are useful to parents, children, and teachers at school. Mindfulness-based counseling has been pointed out as an excellent way through which parents can be engaged, especially those who are fat, and encourage unhealthy behaviors in their kids. The ability to meditate and engage them at a deeper level is of great help. Also, these social workers advise children and teachers on the paths they should follow. However, their approach has some limitations, such as an inability of the children and parents to follow. Therefore, mix intervention is paramount to helping children reduce depression from stigmatization. CBT helps these children maintain their weight loss through therapy sessions. These sessions can help their mental health and survival in all environments. Also, positive reinforcement involving parents ad children can help these children in avoiding depression and living a mentally free life while losing their weight.
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