Childhood Obesity Reading Comprehension Exercises [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2016 the number of overweight children under the age of five, is estimated to be over 41 million. Almost half of all overweight children under 5 lived in Asia and one quarter lived in Africa. Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016 By 2025 the World Obesity Federation estimates that 15.8 per cent of the world’s children will be obese. In China alone, up to 50 million children are expected to become obese – the highest number of obese kids in the world – followed by India with 17.3 million. Both countries are expected to surpass the US. By 2030 almost half the world’s population will be overweight or obese if current trends continue. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable. The WHO Member States in the 66th World Health Assembly have agreed on a voluntary global NCD target to halt the rise in diabetes and obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents is defined according to the WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents (overweight = one standard deviation body mass index for age and sex, and obese = two standard deviations body mass index for age and sex) Child obesity is a problem that didn't actually come to light until the 1990s, when the number of obese children and adults saw a significant increase. In the 1980s, the number of children regarded as overweight was around 5%, while those found to be obese was only around 2% – within a decade these figures had more than doubled. Obesity is a multi-factorial condition, which means that a combination of factors, including access to cheap, energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods and drinks, reduced activity and living in ‘obesogenic’ environments together cooked up a perfect storm. These factors are likely to have given the ideal conditions for the obesity epidemic to take hold. Global increases in childhood overweight and obesity are attributable to a number of factors. Weight gain occurs when we take in more energy (calories) from food and drink than we use up in our day-to-day activities. In recent years There has been a global shift in diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other healthy micronutrients. And in recent years, a trend towards decreased physical activity levels due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of recreation time, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization.

https://www.who.int

Match the words with their synonym. ______ prevalence ______surpass

______prevent ______stationary

______block.

______aim

______target

______ Become established

______to halt

______outperform

______deviations

______contagion

______come to light

______change

______epidemic

______to terminate

______to take hold

______ reveal

______sedentary

______prediminance

Answer the following questions. Justify your response with quotes from the text. 1. The rate of obesity is expected to stagnate in the future. (give projections)

True

False

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. Obesity is restricted to under-developed countries

True

False

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

3 In your own words, state how each of the following has contributed to the rise of obesity. Behavior:

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

Environment:

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

Genetics:

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

4. Why is childhood obesity so dangerous? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 5. Name noncommunicable diseases associated with obesity in children. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Discussion:   Think of some possible solutions to help reduce child obesity.

The Guardian view on childhood obesity: forget small steps, tackle big food New research shows that school-based programmes won’t solve the crisis. Without tougher action on the food industry, it will cash in – while the rest of us pay Sun 11 Feb 2018 18.37 GMT Last modified on Sat 18 Aug 2018 16.13 BST Campaigners warned that would not be enough; now research proves they were right – even when such initiatives tackle both diet and exercise, and make efforts to reach out to families. Children in schools in the West Midlands were given a year of extra physical activity sessions, a healthy eating programme and cookery workshops with their parents. It failed to have any significant effect on children’s weight. The researchers’ conclusion was clear: much more ambitious action is needed. The causes of the obesity epidemic are multiple and complex, as the landmark Foresight report produced over a decade ago underscored: we live in an obesogenic environment, and some more so than others (more than twice as many children in deprived areas are obese as in affluent areas). TVs and smartphones in bedrooms and reliance on cars play their part; so too do food deserts, where fruit and vegetables are expensive or inaccessible. It is cheaper to fill a hungry child with doughnuts than with apples. But one factor leaps out: greed. The problem is not gluttony by a generation of Augustus Gloops but the avarice of the Willy Wonkas who press junk food on consumers, then profess surprise at the results. The tactics of big food are, as the global health organisation Vital Strategies points out in its report Fool Me Twice, strikingly similar to those of big tobacco over the years. But big food has the advantage that everyone needs to eat, while no one needs to smoke, and that a biscuit does not damage health as a cigarette does. Thus, these companies tell us that we should not restrict individual freedom; that it is up to people to show self-discipline; and that their products are fine as occasional indulgences. Never mind that they present family-size packs as if they are suitable for individuals (nor that highly processed foods, packed with salt and sugar, tend to be cheaper to produce, store and deliver – as well as being habit-forming). Other countries have been far bolder in tackling the industry, instead of relying on voluntary action. In Latin America, governments have forced companies to remove cartoon characters from cereal boxes, imposed junk food taxes and ordered school tuck shops to replace high-salt and -sugar products with fruit and vegetables. Tougher rules reshape consumer perceptions and decisions. And in doing so, they can also push companies into changing products. A ban on junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed is long overdue. It should be supplemented by a ban on promotions and price cuts for “sharing” bags of chocolates, as Action on Sugar urged last month. And the sugar tax on drinks could be extended to food products, with the revenue channeled into initiatives making fruit and vegetables more affordable and attractive to consumers. The government’s failure to force change means that the rest of us will pay the price – in ill health and higher taxes – as big food rakes in the profits.

1. The opening line says, "it will cash in – while the rest of us pay". what do you think the author meant? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. In recent years, health promotion campaigns have been implemented.

True

False

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ What did the campaign entail? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Did it work? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ When was the landmark Foresight report published? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

How have the following factors led to obesity? ________________________________________________________

Food

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Technology

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Transport

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

What strategies do big food companies employ to get us to buy junk food? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Why do you think they work so well? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

10. Name some ways in which various governments have tried to fight against obesity ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ What kind of changes does the author think are necessary to combat obesity? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ In your opinion, how does obesity effect the following groups. The Child

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Society

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

The state

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Describe and analyze the 2 documents. Document 1

Document2

____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________