obesity thesis statement

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How To Write A Strong Obesity Research Paper?

Table of Contents

Obesity is such a disease when the percent of body fat has negative effects on a person’s health. The topic is very serious as obesity poisons the lives of many teens, adults and even children around the whole world.

Can you imagine that according to WHO (World Health Organization) there were 650 million obese adults and 13% of all 18-year-olds were also obese in 2016? And scientists claim that the number of them is continually growing.

There are many reasons behind the problem, but no matter what they are, lots of people suffer from the wide spectrum of consequences of obesity.

Basic guidelines on obesity research paper

Writing any research paper requires sticking to an open-and-shut structure. It has three basic parts: Introduction, Main Body, and Conclusion.

According to the general rules, you start with the introduction where you provide your reader with some background information and give brief definitions of terms used in the text. Next goes the thesis of your paper.

The thesis is the main idea of all the research you’ve done written in a precise and simple manner, usually in one sentence.

The main body is where you present the statements and ideas which disclose the topic of your research.

In conclusion, you sum up all the text and make a derivation.

How to write an obesity thesis statement?

As I’ve already noted, the thesis is the main idea of your work. What is your position? What do you think about the issue? What is that you want to prove in your essay?

Answer one of those questions briefly and precisely.

Here are some examples of how to write a thesis statement for an obesity research paper:

• The main cause of obesity is determined to be surfeit and unhealthy diet.
• Obesity can be prevented no matter what genetic penchants are.
• Except for being a problem itself, obesity may result in diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and many others.
• Obesity is a result of fast-growing civilization development.
• Not only do obese people have health issues but also they have troubles when it comes to socialization.

20 top-notch obesity research paper topics

Since the problem of obesity is very multifaceted and has a lot of aspects to discover, you have to define a topic you want to cover in your essay.

How about writing a fast food and obesity research paper or composing a topic in a sphere of fast food? Those issues gain more and more popularity nowadays.

A couple of other decent ideas at your service.

• The consequences of obesity.
• Obesity as a mental problem.
• Obesity and social standards: the problem of proper self-fulfilment.
• Overweight vs obesity: the use of BMI (Body Mass Index).
• The problem of obesity in your country.
• Methods of prevention the obesity.
• Is lack of self-control a principal factor of becoming obese?
• The least obvious reasons for obesity.
• Obesity: the history of the disease.
• The effect of mass media in augmentation of the obesity level.
• The connection between depression and obesity.
• The societal stigma of obese people.
• The role of legislation in reducing the level of obesity.
• Obesity and cultural aspect.
• Who has the biggest part of the responsibility for obesity: persons themselves, local authorities, government, mass media or somebody else?
• Why are obesity rates constantly growing?
• Who is more prone to obesity, men or women? Why?
• Correlation between obesity and life expectancy.
• The problem of discrimination of the obese people at the workplace.
• Could it be claimed that such movements as body-positive and feminism encourage obesity to a certain extent?

Best sample of obesity research paper outline

An outline is a table of contents which is made at the very beginning of your writing. It helps structurize your thoughts and create a plan for the whole piece in advance.

…Need a sample?

Here is one! It fits the paper on obesity in the U.S.

Introduction

• Hook sentence.
• Thesis statement.
• Transition to Main Body.
• America’s modern plague: obesity.
• Statistics and obesity rates in America.
• Main reasons of obesity in America.
• Social, cultural and other aspects involved in the problem of obesity.
• Methods of preventing and treating obesity in America.
• Transition to Conclusion.
• Unexpected twist or a final argument.
• Food for thought.

Specifics of childhood obesity research paper

A separate question in the problem of obesity is overweight children.

It is singled out since there are quite a lot of differences in clinical pictures, reasons and ways of treatment of an obese adult and an obese child.

Writing a child obesity research paper requires a more attentive approach to the analysis of its causes and examination of family issues. There’s a need to consider issues like eating habits, daily routine, predispositions and other.

Top 20 childhood obesity research paper topics

We’ve gathered the best ideas for your paper on childhood obesity. Take one of those to complete your best research!

• What are the main causes of childhood obesity in your country?
• Does obesity in childhood increase the chance of obesity in adulthood?
• Examine whether a child’s obesity affects academic performance.
• Are parents always guilty if their child is obese?
• What methods of preventing childhood obesity are used in your school?
• What measures the government can take to prevent children’s obesity?
• Examine how childhood obesity can result in premature development of chronic diseases.
• Are obese or overweight parents more prone to have an obese child?
• Why childhood obesity rates are constantly growing around the whole world?
• How to encourage children to lead a healthy style of life?
• Are there more junk and fast food options for children nowadays? How is that related to childhood obesity rates?
• What is medical treatment for obese children?
• Should fast food chains have age limits for their visitors?
• How should parents bring up their child in order to prevent obesity?
• The problem of socializing in obese children.
• Examine the importance of a proper healthy menu in schools’ cafeterias.
• Should the compulsory treatment of obese children be started up?
• Excess of care as the reason for childhood obesity.
• How can parents understand that their child is obese?
• How can the level of wealth impact the chance of a child’s obesity?

Childhood obesity outline example

As the question of childhood obesity is a specific one, it would differ from the outline on obesity we presented previously.

Here is a sample you might need. The topic covers general research on child obesity.

• The problem of childhood obesity.
• World’s childhood obesity rates.
• How to diagnose the disease.
• Predisposition and other causes of child obesity.
• Methods of treatment for obese children.
• Preventive measures to avoid a child’s obesity.

On balance…

The topic of obesity is a long-standing one. It has numerous aspects to discuss, sides to examine, and data to analyze.

Any topic you choose might result in brilliant work.

How can you achieve that?

Follow the basic requirements, plan the content beforehand, and be genuinely interested in the topic.

Option 2. Choose free time over struggle on the paper. We’ve got dozens of professional writers ready to help you out. Order your best paper within several seconds and enjoy your free time. We’ll cover you up!

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Obesity Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

Obesity Essay: A Complete Guide and Topics

By: Nova A.

11 min read

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: Aug 31, 2021

Are you assigned to write an essay about obesity? The first step is to define obesity.

The obesity epidemic is a major issue facing our country right now. It's complicated- it could be genetic or due to your environment, but either way, there are ways that you can fix it!

Learn all about what causes weight gain and get tips on how you can get healthy again.

On this Page

What is Obesity

What is obesity? Obesity and BMI (body mass index) are both tools of measurement that are used by doctors to assess body fat according to the height, age, and gender of a person. If the BMI is between 25 to 29.9, that means the person has excess weight and body fat.

If the BMI exceeds 30, that means the person is obese. Obesity is a condition that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and other medical conditions like metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and even some types of cancer.

Obesity Definition

Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as an accumulation of abnormal and excess body fat that comes with several risk factors. It is measured by the body mass index BMI, body weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of a person’s height (in meters).

Obesity in America

Obesity is on the verge of becoming an epidemic as 1 in every 3 Americans can be categorized as overweight and obese. Currently, America is an obese country, and it continues to get worse.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Causes of obesity

Do you see any obese or overweight people around you?

You likely do.

This is because fast-food chains are becoming more and more common, people are less active, and fruits and vegetables are more expensive than processed foods, thus making them less available to the majority of society. These are the primary causes of obesity.

Obesity is a disease that affects all age groups, including children and elderly people.

Now that you are familiar with the topic of obesity, writing an essay won’t be that difficult for you.

How to Write an Obesity Essay

The format of an obesity essay is similar to writing any other essay. If you need help regarding how to write an obesity essay, it is the same as writing any other essay.

Obesity Essay Introduction

The trick is to start your essay with an interesting and catchy sentence. This will help attract the reader's attention and motivate them to read further. You don’t want to lose the reader’s interest in the beginning and leave a bad impression, especially if the reader is your teacher.

A hook sentence is usually used to open the introductory paragraph of an essay in order to make it interesting. When writing an essay on obesity, the hook sentence can be in the form of an interesting fact or statistic.

Head on to this detailed article on hook examples to get a better idea.

Once you have hooked the reader, the next step is to provide them with relevant background information about the topic. Don’t give away too much at this stage or bombard them with excess information that the reader ends up getting bored with. Only share information that is necessary for the reader to understand your topic.

Next, write a strong thesis statement at the end of your essay, be sure that your thesis identifies the purpose of your essay in a clear and concise manner. Also, keep in mind that the thesis statement should be easy to justify as the body of your essay will revolve around it.

Body Paragraphs

The details related to your topic are to be included in the body paragraphs of your essay. You can use statistics, facts, and figures related to obesity to reinforce your thesis throughout your essay.

If you are writing a cause-and-effect obesity essay, you can mention different causes of obesity and how it can affect a person’s overall health. The number of body paragraphs can increase depending on the parameters of the assignment as set forth by your instructor.

Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that is the crux of its content. It is necessary to write an engaging topic sentence as it helps grab the reader’s interest. Check out this detailed blog on writing a topic sentence to further understand it.

End your essay with a conclusion by restating your research and tying it to your thesis statement. You can also propose possible solutions to control obesity in your conclusion. Make sure that your conclusion is short yet powerful.

Obesity Essay Examples

Essay about Obesity (PDF)

Childhood Obesity Essay (PDF)

Obesity in America Essay (PDF)

Essay about Obesity Cause and Effects (PDF)

Satire Essay on Obesity (PDF) 

Obesity Argumentative Essay (PDF)

Obesity Essay Topics

Choosing a topic might seem an overwhelming task as you may have many ideas for your assignment. Brainstorm different ideas and narrow them down to one, quality topic.

If you need some examples to help you with your essay topic related to obesity, dive into this article and choose from the list of obesity essay topics.

Childhood Obesity

As mentioned earlier, obesity can affect any age group, including children. Obesity can cause several future health problems as children age.

Here are a few topics you can choose from and discuss for your childhood obesity essay:

• What are the causes of increasing obesity in children?
• Obese parents may be at risk for having children with obesity.
• What is the ratio of obesity between adults and children?
• What are the possible treatments for obese children?
• Are there any social programs that can help children with combating obesity?
• Has technology boosted the rate of obesity in children?
• Are children spending more time on gadgets instead of playing outside?
• Schools should encourage regular exercises and sports for children.
• How can sports and other physical activities protect children from becoming obese?
• Can childhood abuse be a cause of obesity among children?
• What is the relationship between neglect in childhood and obesity in adulthood?
• Does obesity have any effect on the psychological condition and well-being of a child?
• Are electronic medical records effective in diagnosing obesity among children?
• Obesity can affect the academic performance of your child.
• Do you believe that children who are raised by a single parent can be vulnerable to obesity?
• You can promote interesting exercises to encourage children.
• What is the main cause of obesity, and why is it increasing with every passing day?
• Schools and colleges should work harder to develop methodologies to decrease childhood obesity.
• The government should not allow schools and colleges to include sweet or fatty snacks as a part of their lunch.
• If a mother is obese, can it affect the health of the child?
• Children who gain weight frequently can develop chronic diseases.

Obesity Argumentative Essay Topics

Do you want to write an argumentative essay on the topic of obesity?

The following list can help you with that!

Here are some examples you can choose from for your argumentative essay about obesity:

• Can vegetables and fruits decrease the chances of obesity?
• Should you go for surgery to overcome obesity?
• Are there any harmful side effects?
• Can obesity be related to the mental condition of an individual?
• Are parents responsible for controlling obesity in childhood?
• What are the most effective measures to prevent the increase in the obesity rate?
• Why is the obesity rate increasing in the United States?
• Can the lifestyle of a person be a cause of obesity?
• Does the economic situation of a country affect the obesity rate?
• How is obesity considered an international health issue?
• Can technology and gadgets affect obesity rates?
• What can be the possible reasons for obesity in a school?
• How can we address the issue of obesity?
• Is obesity a chronic disease?
• Is obesity a major cause of heart attacks?
• Are the junk food chains causing an increase in obesity?
• Do nutritional programs help in reducing the obesity rate?
• How can the right type of diet help with obesity?
• Why should we encourage sports activities in schools and colleges?
• Can obesity affect a person’s behavior?

Health Related Topics for Research Paper

If you are writing a research paper, you can explain the cause and effect of obesity.

Here are a few topics that link to the cause and effects of obesity.Review the literature of previous articles related to obesity. Describe the ideas presented in the previous papers.

• Can family history cause obesity in future generations?
• Can we predict obesity through genetic testing?
• What is the cause of the increasing obesity rate?
• Do you think the increase in fast-food restaurants is a cause of the rising obesity rate?
• Is the ratio of obese women greater than obese men?
• Why are women more prone to be obese as compared to men?
• Stress can be a cause of obesity. Mention the reasons how mental health can be related to physical health.
• Is urban life a cause of the increasing obesity rate?
• People from cities are prone to be obese as compared to people from the countryside.
• How obesity affects the life expectancy of people? What are possible solutions to decrease the obesity rate?
• Do family eating habits affect or trigger obesity?
• How do eating habits affect the health of an individual?
• How can obesity affect the future of a child?
• Obese children are more prone to get bullied in high school and college.
• Why should schools encourage more sports and exercise for children?

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Topics for Essay on Obesity as a Problem

Do you think a rise in obesity rate can affect the economy of a country?

Here are some topics for your assistance regarding your economics related obesity essay.

• Does socioeconomic status affect the possibility of obesity in an individual?
• Analyze the film and write a review on “Fed Up” – an obesity epidemic.
• Share your reviews on the movie “The Weight of The Nation.”
• Should we increase the prices of fast food and decrease the prices of fruits and vegetables to decrease obesity?
• Do you think healthy food prices can be a cause of obesity?
• Describe what measures other countries have taken in order to control obesity?
• The government should play an important role in controlling obesity. What precautions should they take?
• Do you think obesity can be one of the reasons children get bullied?
• Do obese people experience any sort of discrimination or inappropriate behavior due to their weight?
• Are there any legal protections for people who suffer from discrimination due to their weight?
• Which communities have a higher percentage of obesity in the United States?
• Discuss the side effects of the fast-food industry and their advertisements on children.
• Describe how the increasing obesity rate has affected the economic condition of the United States.
• What is the current percentage of obesity all over the world? Is the obesity rate increasing with every passing day?
• Why is the obesity rate higher in the United States as compared to other countries?
• Do Asians have a greater percentage of obese people as compared to Europe?
• Does the cultural difference affect the eating habits of an individual?
• Obesity and body shaming.
• Why is a skinny body considered to be ideal? Is it an effective way to reduce the obesity rate?

Obesity Solution Essay Topics

With all the developments in medicine and technology, we still don’t have exact measures to treat obesity.

Here are some insights you can discuss in your essay:

• How do obese people suffer from metabolic complications?
• Describe the fat distribution in obese people.
• Is type 2 diabetes related to obesity?
• Are obese people more prone to suffer from diabetes in the future?
• How are cardiac diseases related to obesity?
• Can obesity affect a woman’s childbearing time phase?
• Describe the digestive diseases related to obesity.
• Obesity may be genetic.
• Obesity can cause a higher risk of suffering a heart attack.
• What are the causes of obesity? What health problems can be caused if an individual suffers from obesity?
• What are the side effects of surgery to overcome obesity?
• Which drugs are effective when it comes to the treatment of obesity?
• Is there a difference between being obese and overweight?
• Can obesity affect the sociological perspective of an individual?
• Explain how an obesity treatment works.
• How can the government help people to lose weight and improve public health?

Writing an essay is a challenging yet rewarding task. All you need is to be organized and clear when it comes to academic writing.

• Choose a topic you would like to write on.
• Organize your thoughts.
• Pen down your ideas.
• Compose a perfect essay that will help you ace your subject.
• Proofread and revise your paper.

Were the topics useful for you? We hope so!

However, if you are still struggling to write your paper, you can pick any of the topics from this list, and our essay writer will help you craft a perfect essay.

Are you struggling to write an effective essay?

If writing an essay is the actual problem and not just the topic, you can always hire an essay writing service for your help. Essay experts at 5StarEssays can help compose an impressive essay within your deadline.

All you have to do is contact us. We will get started on your paper while you can sit back and relax.

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As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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Obesity as a Disease: The Obesity Society 2018 Position Statement

Affiliations.

• 1 Department of Internal Medicine (Endocrinology & Metabolism) and Department of Pediatrics (Pediatric Endocrinology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
• 2 Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
• 3 Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
• 4 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
• 5 George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
• 6 Department of Pediatrics, Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
• 7 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
• PMID: 30569641
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.22378

The emerging obesity epidemic and accompanying health consequences led The Obesity Society (TOS) in 2008 to publish a position paper defining obesity as a disease. Since then, new information has emerged on the underlying mechanisms leading to excess adiposity and the associated structural, cardiometabolic, and functional disturbances. This report presents the updated TOS 2018 position statement on obesity as a noncommunicable chronic disease.

© 2018 The Obesity Society.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Obesity — Essay On Obesity In America

Essay on Obesity in America

• Categories: Obesity

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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Effect of Social Media on Child Obesity: Application of Structural Equation Modeling with the Taguchi Method

Datis khajeheian.

1 Department of Media Management, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran 141556311, Iran

Amir Mohammad Colabi

2 Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 1439813141, Iran; ri.ca.seradom@ibaloc

Nordiana Binti Ahmad Kharman Shah

3 Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; ym.ude.mu@anid

Che Wan Jasimah Bt Wan Mohamed Radzi

4 Department of Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; ym.ude.mu@hamisaj (C.W.J.B.W.M.R.); ym.ude.mu@idabatanej (H.S.J.)

Hashem Salarzadeh Jenatabadi

Through public health studies, specifically on child obesity modeling, research scholars have been attempting to identify the factors affecting obesity using suitable statistical techniques. In recent years, regression, structural equation modeling (SEM) and partial least squares (PLS) regression have been the most widely employed statistical modeling techniques in public health studies. The main objective of this study to apply the Taguchi method to introduce a new pattern rather than a model for analyzing the body mass index (BMI) of children as a representative of childhood obesity levels mainly related to social media use. The data analysis includes two main parts. The first part entails selecting significant indicators for the proposed framework by applying SEM for primary and high school students separately. The second part introduces the Taguchi method as a realistic and reliable approach to exploring which combination of significant variables leads to high obesity levels in children. AMOS software (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was applied in the first part of data analysis and MINITAB software (Minitab Inc., State College, PA, USA) was utilized for the Taguchi experimental analysis (second data analysis part). This study will help research scholars view the data and a pattern rather than a model, as a combination of different factor levels for target factor optimization.

1. Introduction

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that around 170 million children below the age of 18 were suffering from obesity and overweight [ 1 ]. Some researchers consider this concern regarding children as one of the greatest and most crucial threats to public health in the last twenty years [ 2 , 3 ]. Obesity is now acknowledged as a severe hazard to society due to its rapidly expanding prevalence [ 4 ]. Consequently, focus should be geared toward preventing child overweight and obesity.

Previous studies on childhood overweight and obesity modeling illustrate that the main factors are family environment and children’s lifestyle. A number of studies indicate that family environment is an important determinant of children’s lifestyle [ 5 ] and both have an impact on child BMI level. Hence, information on children’s lifestyle is often collected based on household environment surveys. Decision makers are able to use such information to allocate resources prudently when planning activities aimed at improving the overall lifestyle of children and adolescents. Previous studies specify that several factors are associated with the children’s lifestyle index, including parental lifestyle [ 6 ] and parental socioeconomic status [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. In general, family socio-economic status [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], child-feeding behavior [ 13 ], children’s physical activity [ 14 , 15 , 16 ] and food intake [ 17 ] are the most familiar factors involved in childhood obesity modeling. Moreover, some researchers added television viewing and computer use [ 5 , 18 ] in studies to develop models to analyze children’s health and lifestyle. With the current development of digital technologies, especially mobiles and tablets, the daily average use has been increasing among children, youth and adults. Progressively prevalent social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, WeChat, etc.) have altered many aspects of our daily lives. Consequently, the structure of children’s lifestyle in terms of social media usage has also changed.

While the main feature of Web 1.0 was cognition and of Web 2.0 connection, the main feature of social media today is the provision of a space for cooperation [ 19 ]. Cooperation promotes the concept of online communities based on social participation [ 20 ]. Waring et al. [ 21 ] showed that in terms of weight loss, online communities provide social support for users to engage with others in weight loss activities. A survey by Pagoto et al. [ 22 ] showed that for 100 adults, Twitter followers are more significant sources of encouragement for weight loss rather than family and friends. Higher positive feedback was received from Twitter followers, and thus greater attempts at weight loss have been reported. Evans et al. [ 23 ] found that bloggers who report their weight loss goals on their weblogs feel accountable to their readers and thus increase related activities. Waring et al. [ 21 ] argued that “even in the absence of interaction, adults may find following others attempting to lose weight, obesity experts, and related organizations’ social media feeds for information helpful to their weight loss efforts.” Gruver et al. [ 24 ] suggested that social media peer groups may offer a promising new way of providing families with the knowledge, strategies and support they need to adopt obesity prevention behaviors.

In contrast, social media can also have negative effects. Mazur et al. [ 25 ] showed that children who use social media more are at greater risk of sleep disturbance that leads to obesity. They reported a 40% decrease in obesity in children whose parents limit their screen-time than in children without such limitation. Content that users consume on social media is another important subject. Holmberg [ 26 ] discussed the persuasive effect of food marketing through social media on obesity. He argued that social media can be used proactively in clinical practice, to inspire people to behave in healthier ways, such as cook at home and consume healthier diets. For example, users can share photos of their kitchen and healthy meals while clinical staff provide feedback. Nonetheless, Swindle et al. [ 27 ] believe that digital technology delivers solutions and can facilitate nutrition educators to connect with at-risk populations. The Internet, for instance, has long been the most extensive supply of health data [ 28 ]. Studies report the successful use of social media like Facebook for educating parents on child obesity prevention [ 29 ]. However, to develop a research framework for obesity Hall et al. [ 30 ] suggested factors within broader social and environmental contexts that contribute to the risk of obesity. A current study by Huang et al. [ 4 ] proved that daily average technology use has a significant effect on children’s weight. Moreover, they found that the relationship between family socio-economic status, technology use by children and children’s weight is stronger in the obesity model than the non-obesity model. However, there are insufficient studies on the impact of daily social media use on children’s BMI level according to different educational levels from primary to high school.

Iran has been facing the problem of child obesity and overweight in the last two decades. A study by Soltani et al. [ 31 ] demonstrated that more than 18% of children in elementary school (6–11 years old) exhibit the highest prevalence and risk of obesity and overweight. The challenges of obesity and overweight during childhood and the teenage years have negative and dangerous ramifications for premature mortality and morbidity as well as physical disability later in adulthood [ 32 ]. The association between obesity/overweight and eating habits while watching television was studied by Ghobadi et al. [ 33 ] in Iran. Unfortunately, there are very few studies in Iran that investigate the impact of child behavior like technology use, average sleep time and physical activity considering the family environment and especially the family socio-economic status, child-feeding behavior and children’s BMI level. Nevertheless, research on the simultaneous integration of the interrelationships among three well-known concepts, i.e., family socio-economic status, family child-feeding behavior and children’s healthy and unhealthy food intake into one model remains scarce.

Descriptive statistics [ 34 ], Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) [ 35 , 36 ], neural networks [ 37 ], regression [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ] and fuzzy sets [ 43 ] are popular statistical methods of analyzing obesity. Among these statistical modeling techniques, regression (bivariate or multivariate) is the most widely used to analyze child obesity modeling. In recent decades, a new modeling application, structural equation modeling (SEM), has been applied in child obesity analysis studies [ 44 ]. With the SEM technique it is possible to hypothesize all kinds of interactions and associations among research variables in a single causal framework. This approach is supportive for research scholars to better understand the concept of latent variables and their action within the model and output interpretation. This method has been employed in a wide range of studies, especially in public health [ 45 , 46 , 47 ]. Ordinarily, SEM has a robust capability of combining both measurement variables (observed) and constructs (non-observed) with the causal relations among them, which leads to a dependent (or output) variable. SEM has served as a better alternative to general linear models (GLMs), such as linear or non-linear regression, factor analysis, etc.

Statistical modeling like regression, SEM, partial least squares (PLS) or even mathematical modeling techniques including neuro-fuzzy inference systems can determine the significant independent (input) variables. However, they are not able to illustrate which levels or categories of independent variables lead to higher, lower or nominal dependent (output) variable rates. Therefore, statistical or mathematical modeling techniques cannot answer the question: what level or category of independent variables leads to higher or lower dependent variables? The Taguchi method can answer this question. This method has been applied in various engineering studies [ 48 , 49 ] but Taguchi experimental analysis lacks in public health studies. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to introduce the Taguchi method to identify a pattern that combines input variables that lead to child obesity.

2. Taguchi Method Structure

The Taguchi method is based on measuring the standard deviation and calculating the variation in the expected value as follows:

• High standard deviation denotes that the observed values are spread out from the expected value due to noise factors.
• Lower standard deviation denotes that the observed values are near the expected value on account of noise factors.

It is not easy to control noise factors, but researchers believe that both observed and noise factor values can be controlled by the Signal-to-Noise (SN) ratio. The SN ratio defines the impact of noise factors on performance characteristics and quantifies the variability [ 50 ]. Based on optimization type, there are three SN applications, which are defined as follows:

• (a) SN =   − 10 log   ( ∑ y 2 n ) if seeking an optimal situation based on a smaller rate.
• (b) SN   =   − 10 log   ( ∑ y 1 / 2 n ) if seeking an optimal situation based on a larger rate.
• (c) SN   =   10 log   ( y ¯ s y 2 ) if seeking an optimal situation based on a nominal rate.

where y is the observed data, n is the number of observations, y ¯   is the average of observed data, and s y 2 is the variance of y .

Figure 1 shows the analysis process based on the Taguchi method.

Taguchi method analysis process [ 51 ].

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. sampling procedure.

The cross-sectional research design was applied in the current study. According to the statistical sampling concept, cross-sectional research design applies any assumed research population sample at one point in time to obtain the essential data. The education system in Iran is divided into two main levels:

• Primary school level: 6 years long, from 6 years old (grade 1) to 11 years old (grade 6),
• High school level: 6 years long, from 12 years old (grade 1) to 17 years old (grade 6).

Both primary school and high school students were considered for the data collection. The data were collected in Tehran, Iran, from 5 September 2017 to 20 February 2018. Tehran has 35 public primary schools and 62 high schools. A combination of cluster and stratified sampling was used in the current study. The data collection contained three steps. The first step entailed cluster sampling, whereby every high school and primary school reflected one cluster. All schools were contacted by phone and email to explain the project objectives and request collaboration for this research. At the end, 12 high schools and 19 primary schools confirmed participation in this project. In the first sampling step where every school was denoted a cluster, a total of 31 clusters (12 + 19 = 31) were obtained. Sixty (60) questionnaires were distributed to every cluster (school). Stratified sampling entailed the second step of the sampling procedure. Here, six strata (every school grade = 1 stratum) were considered in every cluster. Every school has six grades (six strata), and 10 questionnaires were distributed for each stratum. In the third step, random sampling was used to select participants from volunteer parents. Therefore, the sample number was 31 × 6 × 10 = 1860 questionnaires. Eighteen (18) bachelor and master students of management and public health were trained for the data collection phase.

3.2. Measuring the Indicators

3.2.1. obesity level.

In this study, BMI represents the obesity level. Song et al. [ 52 ] defined BMI as a measure of relative size based on the mass and height of an individual with the following formula:

Child BMI is measured in the same way as for adults, except it is then compared to the typical values of other children of the same age. Instead of comparing against overweight thresholds and fixed underweight values, the BMI is compared against a percentile of children of the same gender and age [ 53 ]. Table 1 provides the child BMI categories. A BMI below the 5th percentile indicates underweight and above the 95th percentile, obesity. Children with a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentiles are considered overweight [ 53 ]. The weight and height information were collected from the students’ health cards. The children’s BMI levels were measured by considering 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for ‘underweight,’ ‘normal range,’ ‘at risk,’ ‘moderately obese’ and ‘severely obese.’

BMI categories for children.

3.2.2. Family Socio-Economic Status

In the current study, family socio-economic status was measured in terms of four criteria: father and mother’s age, education, income and work experience, as follows:

• Age: (a) less than 31 years old (value 1); (b) 31–40 years old (value 2); (c) 41–50 years old (value 3); (d) 51–60 years old (value 4); (e) over 60 years old (value 5).
• Education: (a) less than high school (value 1); (b) high school (value 2); (c) diploma (value 3); (d) bachelor (value 4); (e) master or PhD (value 5).
• Job Experience: (a) less than 5 years (value 1); (b) 5 to 10 years (value 2); (c) 11 to 15 years (value 3); (d) 16 to 20 years (value 4); (e) over 20 years (value 5).
• Income: (a) less than 2MT [MT: Million Tomans] per month (value 1); (b) 2 to 3MT per month (value 2); (c) 3 to 4MT per month (value 3); (d) 4 to 5MT per month (value 4); (e) over 5MT per month (value 5).

3.2.3. Food Intake of Children

Kröller and Warschburger [ 13 ] introduced seven factors to measure the food intake of children, which is divided into two groups: healthy and unhealthy food intake. This concept was applied in the present work to measure the food intake of children. Healthy food intake includes the consumption of whole grain products (including whole grain rice, pasta, bread, and cereals), fruits (including all kinds of unsweetened fruits, frozen or fresh) and vegetables (including frozen, dry or fresh), whereas unhealthy food intake entails the consumption of fast food (e.g., hot dogs, pizza, and burgers), chips (e.g., nuts, chips, and pretzels), soft drinks (including all types of sweetened beverages) and sweets (e.g., cookies, candies, chocolate, and cake). Every indicator was measured using a five-point scale. The responses obtained were coded as 1 for ‘never’, 2 for ‘rarely, 3 for ‘sometimes’, 4 for ‘mostly’ and 5 for ‘always.’

3.2.4. Family Child-Feeding Behavior

Birch et al. [ 54 ] designed the child feeding questionnaire (CFQ) for measuring family child-feeding behavior. The six factors in CFQ are modeling, controlling, pressuring, rewarding, monitoring and restricting. A five-point scale was also applied to measure these indicators. The responses obtained were coded as 1 for ‘never’, 2 for ‘rarely, 3 for ‘sometimes’, 4 for ‘mostly’ and 5 for ‘always.’

3.2.5. Other Factors

In addition to the above factors, the following are also included in the present research framework:

Children’s Social Media Use

Social media has been defined by different authors. Kaplan and Haenlein [ 55 ] define social media as “a group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of UGC”. Khajeheian [ 56 ] shows that by advances in technology, social media can be used in various devices, such as mobile-devices, laptops and PCs, tablets, video consoles and even television sets. Doub et al. [ 57 ] consider social media as a platform which is accessible through Internet-connected devices including computers, tablets, and smartphones.

In our study, the average number of hours per day that children use social media (e.g., on TV, mobile, tablet, etc.) is divided into four categories: (a) less than 1 h per day (value 1); (b) 1 to 2 h per day (value 2); (c) 2 to 3 h per day (value 3); (d) 3 to 4 h per day (value 4) and (e) more than 4 h per day (value 5).

Children’s Physical Activity

The average number of times per week that children do physical activities is coded into four categories: (a) none (value 1); (b) 1 or 2 times per week (value 2); (c) 3 or 4 times per week (value 3); (d) 5 or 6 times per week (value 4) and (e) every day (value 5).

Children’s Sleep Amount

The average number of hours per day that children sleep are divided into four categories: (a) less than 6 h per day (value 1); (b) 6 to 7 h per day (value 2); (c) 7 to 8 h per day (value 3); (d) 8 to 9 h per day (value 4) and (e) more than 9 h per day (value 5).

From 1860 questionnaires distributed (1140 to primary schools and 720 to high schools), 1563 were completed and returned (958 from primary schools and 611 from high schools).

4.1. Descriptive Statistical Analysis

Table 2 and Table 3 and Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 present the research variable distribution among primary and high school students. Based on Table 2 , 12.00% of primary school children (115 out of 958) from the study sample are underweight, 72.55% (695 out of 958) are in the normal range and 15.44% (148 out of 958) are overweight and obese. However, among high school students, 15.06% are underweight, 65.79% are in the normal range, and 19.14% are overweight.

Distribution of children’s social media use among primary and high school students.

Distribution of children’s physical activity among primary and high school students.

Distribution of children’s sleep amount among primary and high school students.

Body mass index (BMI) distribution.

Distributions of parents’ characteristics (primary school and high school).

Among the sample population, 57.3% of primary school students and 42.9% of high school students use social media 3–4 h per day. Moreover, 21.9% of primary school students and 36.8% of high school students use social media more than 4 h per day. In general, 79.2% of primary school students and 79.7% of high school students use social media more than 3 h per day ( Figure 2 ).

From 958 primary school students, 43% do no physical activity, 40.4% do physical activity 1–2 times per week, 10.5% do 3–4 times per week, 5.6% do 5–6 times per week, and only less than 1% do physical activity every day. However, among high school students, 25.2% do not exercise, 59.7% do so 1–2 times per week, 9% do 3–4 times per week, 4.1% do 5–6 times per week and around 2% do exercise every day ( Figure 3 ).

Based on Figure 4 , most primary school students (49.1%) and high school students (36.5%) get 7–8 h of sleep per day. More than 18% of primary school students get 8–9 h of sleep per day. However, among high school students, more than 30% get 8–9 h of sleep per day.

Based on Table 3 , for the primary school group the fathers’ age categories are 41–50 years old (52.4%), then 31–40 years old (25.9%) and 51–60 years old (12.7%). For the high school group the fathers’ age categories are 41–50 years old (49.8%) and 51–60 years old (36.2%). In the primary school group, 6.2% of mothers are less than 31 years old, 26.6% 31–40 years old, 37.9% 41–50 years old, 25.9% 51–60 years old, and 3.4% over 60 years old. For the high school group, the distribution is: 0.7% (less than 31 years old), 36.8% (31–40 years old), 39.6% (41–50 years old), 21.6% (51–60 years old) and 1.3% (over 60 years old).

The highest education level for parents is diploma. More than 57% of fathers and around 35% of mothers of primary school students have a diploma. These values for high school students are 55% (father) and 32.9% (mother). Almost 27% and 37% of fathers of primary school and high school students have bachelor degrees, and 37% and 33% of mothers have bachelor degrees respectively ( Table 3 ).

4.2. SEM Analysis

Figure 5 illustrates the SEM research framework for both primary and high school students. Seven factors are considered as research model inputs. Four factors including children’s healthy food intake, children’s unhealthy food intake, family socio-economic status and family child-feeding behavior are latent constructs. The remaining factors, including children’s social media use, children’s physical activity and children’s sleep amount are measurement structures.

SEM research model.

4.2.1. SEM Analysis Validity and Reliability

Fornell, Larcker [ 58 ] defined the following terms and conditions for the reliability and validity of a questionnaire:

• (a) Validity: for every latent variable the Cronbach’s alpha value must be equal to or higher than 0.7.
• The factor loading of every indicator of all latent variables must be higher than 0.70.
• The average variance extracted (AVE) for every latent variable must be equal to or higher than 0.50.

Figure 6 represents the Cronbach’s alpha outputs of four latent variables for both primary and high school. Evidently, all indices are higher than 0.7. Therefore, the research model validity is accepted.

Cronbach’s alpha outputs.

Table 4 presents the factor loadings of children’s healthy food intake, children’s unhealthy food intake, family socio-economic status and family child-feeding behavior in both primary and high school models.

Factor loading analysis of the research latent variables.

Table 4 presents the factor loadings of the indicators of four research latent variables for both primary and high school separately. In the primary school model the age (father), age (mother), education (father), and modeling, and in the high school model the age (father), age (mother), rewarding, modeling and restricting have lower factor loadings (below 0.7). Therefore, these indicators must be excluded from the SEM analysis. By excluding some indicators, the study reliability is thus confirmed. Figure 7 presents the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) analysis outputs for both primary and high school levels. This figure illustrates that all research group variables have acceptable AVE values.

AVE analysis outputs.

4.2.2. Normality Testing

In SEM analysis, kurtosis and skewness are the most familiar indices for normality testing. If the absolute value of the kurtosis index is below 7 and the skewness index value is below 2, then the normality of the indicator is acceptable. Table 5 provides the normality test analysis of each variable for both primary and high school models. The normality of all indicators (which was accepted according to Section 4.2.1 .) is accepted individually according to the skewness and kurtosis outputs. Furthermore, based on the multivariate normality test output, the kurtosis values are 8.391 and 9.023 for primary and high school. These values are lower than 10, and therefore the multivariate normality is accepted [ 59 ].

Normality test.

4.2.3. Model Fitting

Figure 8 shows the output of SEM model fitting. The goodness of fit index (GFI), relative fit index (RFI), incremental fit index (IFI), Tucker Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and normed fit index (NFI) values are within acceptable ranges.

Model fit analysis.

4.2.4. Multicollinearity Analysis

In SEM analysis, multicollinearity among latent variables is a serious problem. Weak discriminant validity of the research model employed usually causes multicollinearity. In Figure 9 , the double arrow represents the covariance among latent variables. Kline and Klammer [ 60 ] determined that if the correlation between two latent variables is bigger than 0.85, the research model has a multicollinearity problem. Based on the SEM measurement model outputs presented in Figure 9 , the correlation among the four latent variables does not exceed 0.85 for both primary and high school, which validates there is no multicollinearity in the current research model.

Full measurement model.

4.2.5. Structural Model

A structural model is used to recognize the hypothesized relationship among research variables, which is linked to the presumed model’s conception. Figure 10 and Table 6 present the structural primary and high school models.

Structural primary and high school models.

SEM analysis outputs for primary and high school students.

From the seven relationships in the primary school model, the impact of both family child-feeding behavior and children’s healthy food intake on child BMI is not significant. However, in the high school model, family child-feeding behavior and children’s sleep amount do not have a significant impact on child BMI. In the primary school model, children’s social media use (β = 0.51), family socio-economic status (β = 0.36) and children’s physical activity (β = −0.33) have the highest values. However, in the high school model, family socio-economic status and children’s social media use can be said to have the same severe impact on child BMI.

4.3. Taguchi Method Analysis

In this part of the study the significant research variables were selected from the SEM analysis. Then the Taguchi experiment was designed, data was extracted from the main dataset and data analysis was done based on the Taguchi method. In the primary school model, two variables including family child-feeding behavior and children’s healthy food intake were eliminated from the Taguchi experimental analysis. Therefore, the Taguchi analysis for primary school entailed five variables: family socio-economic status, children’s unhealthy food intake, children’s social media use, children’s physical activity and children’s sleep amount. Every variable had five levels; therefore, the L 25 (5 5 ) Taguchi experimental design was applied. Thus, at least 25 participants must be extracted from the entire primary school dataset. In the high school model ( Figure 10 ), three variables were excluded from the Taguchi experimental design, namely family child-feeding behavior, children’s healthy food intake and children’s sleep amount. Therefore, the Taguchi experimental design for high school involved four variables: family socio-economic status, children’s unhealthy food intake, children’s social media use, and children’s physical activity. In this part of the study, the L 20 (4 5 ) Taguchi experimental design with at least 20 participants from the high school dataset was used. MINITAB software was employed in this data analysis step. Table 7 contains the coding structure for data analysis with MINITAB software.

Taguchi method coding.

Figure 11 and Figure 12 express the Taguchi method outputs from MINITAB software for primary schools and high schools.

Taguchi output for the primary school obesity model with MINITAB software.

Taguchi output for the high school obesity model with MINITAB software.

The structures in Figure 11 and Figure 12 differ. The primary school pattern involved five variables and the high school pattern had four variables, which were chosen based on the SEM outputs. Figure 12 illustrates that the highest BMI occurred for families with moderate socio-economic status and children who always consume unhealthy food, use social media more than 4 h per day, have no physical activity and sleep more than 9 h per day. However, according to Figure 12 , the highest BMI in the high school pattern was observed for children who mostly or always eat unhealthy food, use social media 2–3 h per day or more, have no physical activity or only once per week, and come from a family with very high socio-economic status.

5. Discussion

The main objective of this study was described in two main sections. The first section introduced an obesity model for primary and high school students by applying SEM. In this part of the study, the main effective indicators on the BMI of both groups were identified. The second section introduced a pattern based on the Taguchi method from the data and variables extracted from the data analysis in the first section and the Taguchi design process.

Based on the above objective, data was collected from 1569 participants (958 from primary schools and 611 from high schools). The research model introduced in Figure 5 includes four latent variables (family socio-economic status, family child-feeding behavior, children’s healthy food intake and children’s unhealthy food intake) and three measurement variables (children’s social media use, children’s physical activity and children’s sleep amount). This discussion contains two parts in terms of SEM and Taguchi method outputs.

Based on Table 2 , primary school children have a 5.74% risk of becoming overweight. However, in the high school group the risk is 8.11%, which is higher than primary school (range: 8.11%–5.74% = 2.37%). Generally, 15.44% of primary school participants are obese and 19.14% of high school participants are overweight.

5.1. Discussion on SEM Outputs

According to the SEM analysis of the primary school model, R 2 is 0.83. This means that 83% of child BMI variation is dependent on family socio-economic status, family child-feeding behavior, children’s unhealthy food intake, children’s social media use, children’s physical activity and children’s sleep amount. In the high school model the variation is 75% with significant effects from family socio-economic status, children’s unhealthy food intake, children’s social media use, and children’s physical activity. The R 2 value is lower in the high school model than primary school. As mentioned before, the R 2 value for the high school model is 0.75, which means that a 25% variation in BMI is related to other indicators that are not involved in the present research model.

5.1.1. Obesity and Family Socio-Economic Status

Studies by Crouch et al. [ 61 ] and Walsh and Cullinan [ 62 ] confirmed that family socio-economic status has a significant impact on children’s weight. In the current study, child BMI was considered instead of weight. In both primary school and high school models, family socio-economic status has a significant impact on child BMI. However, the structure of significant indicators of family socio-economic status for primary school differs from high school. In both models, the parents’ age has no impact on family socio-economic status. Moreover, in the primary school model, the mother’s education has a lower factor loading. Therefore, these indicators were deleted from further data analysis (see Table 4 ).

5.1.2. Obesity and Physical Activity and Sleep

Physical activity and amount of sleep have been considered in previous studies related to child obesity modeling [ 63 ]. These two indicators were included in the present research models. Physical activity has a negative significant impact on child BMI in both primary school (β = −0.33) and high school (β = −0.48) models. However, this impact is higher in the high school model. Children’s sleep amount has a significant impact on child BMI in the primary school model (β = 0.23) but not a significant impact in the high school model (β = 0.14). Therefore, the impact of children’s sleep amount and children’s physical activity in the primary school model differs from the high school model.

Two meta-analyses and systematic reviews related short sleep duration with obesity in children [ 64 , 65 ]. In the current study, it was found that the average daily sleep amount of children (primary school students) is significantly and positively related to BMI. For high school students, the impact of sleep amount is not significant on their BMI level. However, a study by Taheri, Lin [ 66 ] revealed that short sleep duration is related to alterations in metabolic hormones that promote energy intake. Another study by Spiegel, Tasali [ 67 ] confirmed that metabolic hormone alterations as a consequence of reduced amount of sleep is also associated with an increase in subjective hunger and appetite for unhealthy foods.

5.1.3. Obesity and Social Media Use

In both primary school and high school models, children’s social media use has significant impact on child BMI. The impact in the high school model (β = 0.68) is much higher than in the primary school model (β = 0.51). Therefore, according to the high school model, students who spend more time using social media on devices like TV, video games, laptop/PC and mobile telephones exhibit a greater increase in BMI than primary school students. This variable with different definitions has been used in various studies. In this study, it was applied along with other important variables like healthy and unhealthy food intake, sleep amount, and physical activity. The SEM outputs confirm that in the primary school obesity model, children’s social media use has the highest impact (highest regression coefficient β = 0.51) among other input variables. Even two significant latent variables (i.e., family socio-economic status and children’s unhealthy food intake), which are a combination of some other indicators, have lower impact than children’s social media use (as one indicator). This indicator in the high school model is in second place after family socio-economic status with very little difference. Essentially, in both primary and high school obesity models, children’s social media use has the highest impact on child BMI. Therefore, it can be said that children’s social media use is a curtailing indicator of BMI increase in children.

As a result, the outputs from this study illustrate that increased daily use of social media is independently associated with greater BMI levels for both primary and high school students. This relation has been confirmed in a number of current studies [ 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]. However, according to the present study, the relationship between social media use and BMI level has the highest value among others. There are a few reasons for this result. Griffiths and Page [ 72 ] mentioned that obesity has been related to victimization and social isolation. Using technology may promote sedentariness and replace otherwise active behaviors, and may thus contribute to energy imbalance. Technology use has also been related to increased energy intake despite the absence of hunger, resulting in surplus energy intake in adolescents [ 73 ]. Moreover, Andreyeva et al. [ 74 ] approved that the advertising of unhealthy food like fast food and sugar sweetened beverages via technologies also affects the increased consumption of these foods among different generations, especially children and youth. These kinds of advertisements are not limited to TV, but are also found on the Internet and particularly in current mobile telephone applications. In current years, a number of energy drink companies have become main sponsors of some video games even. Adolescents and children are significantly immersed in these applications and become targets of optimum unhealthy beverage/food advertising. Our data analysis supports the notion that social media used with all kinds of technologies can significantly impact the increase in child BMI for primary and high school students.

5.1.4. Comparison of SEM with Other Statistical Modeling

Three main advantages of SEM along with statistical disadvantages are presented below:

• Application of latent variables. A particular advantage of SEM is the use of ‘latent variables.’ According to Bollen [ 75 ], “latent variables provide a degree of abstraction that permits us to describe relations among a class of events or variables that share something in common.” Latent variables refer to constructs that are not directly observable. However, the other technical modeling including regression and even the adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) do not have this ability.
• The ability to perform simultaneous estimation. There is a common limitation among correlation analysis , t -test, ANOVA, MANOVA and regression analysis. All these approaches can express a single correlation between the independent and dependent variables. In regression analysis, however, one or more independent variables are involved in a research model, but there should be only one dependent variable. In SEM it is possible to determine two or more dependent variables with different measurement and latent variable structures. MANOVA and canonical correlation may involve more than one independent and dependent variables, but analysis is restricted in that it is only possible to determine the linkage between independent and dependent variables. On the other hand, SEM can have the relationships among several dependent variables in a single model.
• SEM is able to estimate the direct and indirect effects in a single model. Gefen et al. [ 76 ] believe that the most significant advantage of SEM technique is the ability to simultaneously model and examine the indirect and direct associations that exist among multiple independent and dependent variables.

5.2. Discussion of the Outputs from the Second Section

The outputs from the first section were used in the second section. Based on the SEM analysis outputs, the significant variables in obesity modeling were extracted and the Taguchi experiment was designed. The primary school model involved family socio-economic status, children’s unhealthy food intake, children’s social media use, children’s physical activity and children’s sleep. For the high school model, the family socio-economic status, children’s unhealthy food intake, children’s social media use, and child sleep amount were extracted ( Figure 10 ). L 25 (5 5 ) and L 20 (4 5 ) were designed for the primary school and high school patterns. Figure 11 illustrates the MINITAB software output according to the Taguchi method design for primary schools. This figure represents a pattern which indicates that families with moderate socio-economic status and with children who always have unhealthy food intake, use social media more than 4 h per day, have no physical activity and sleep more than 9 h per day have children with the highest BMI. This pattern differs for high school students. The highest BMI in the high school pattern ( Figure 12 ) is experienced by families with very high socio-economic status and with children who mostly or always eat unhealthy food, use social media 2–3 h per day or more, and have no physical activity or only once per day.

The Difference between the Taguchi Method and Other Statistical Modeling

The concept of data analysis with the Taguchi method is quite different from other statistical modeling, like regression, SEM, PLS and ANFIS. The output of modeling techniques is about the significance or non-significance of the independent variables in the research model. However, those outputs are not able to answer the following question:

The combination of what levels or categories of independent variables leads to dependent variable (higher or lower values) optimization?

Data analysis with the Taguchi method can answer the above question. The interpretation of Figure 12 is:

• The highest BMI in the high school pattern is observed for children who mostly or always eat unhealthy food, use social media 2–3 h per day or more, do no physical activity or only once per week, and come from a family with very high socio-economic status.
• The impact of two levels of unhealthy food intake (mostly and always) on BMI is the same.
• The impact of three levels of social media use (2–3 h per day, 3–4 h per day and more than 4 h per day) on BMI is the same.
• The impact of two levels of physical activity (none and 1–2 times per week) on BMI is the same.

According to the above discussion, it appears the Taguchi method is able to introduce a pattern of with a combination of different research variable levels. This feature is not feasible with statistical modeling, like regression, factor analysis, or even SEM, PLS and ANFIS.

6. Conclusions

There are currently serious overweight and obesity problems worldwide. Hence, researchers in this area seek to understand the effective variables and introduce solutions to control the BMI. Previous studies have utilized a range of methodologies to analyze overweight, such as descriptive statistics including diagrams, tables and charts, other modeling methods like regression and SEM, or even nonparametric analysis using fuzzy sets. This study combined SEM with the Taguchi method to introduce an improved pattern for public health studies in order to better understand the obesity levels of primary and high school students. The SEM output yielded significant effective variables on child obesity and the Taguchi method introduced a pattern based on a combination of significant variables that lead to high BMI in children.

Acknowledgments

This research is done under University of Malaya support with project number: BK043-2016 and GC002C-17HNE.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: D.K., A.M.C., N.B.A.K.S., C.W.J.W.M.R., H.S.J.; performed the experiments: D.K., A.M.C.; analyzed the data: H.S.J.; contributed reagents and materials: N.B.A.K.S., C.W.J.W.M.R.; wrote the paper: D.K., A.M.C., N.B.A.K.S., C.W.J.W.M.R., H.S.J.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Childhood Obesity: Causes/Solutions Research Paper

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Thesis Statement

Introduction, statistics about the problem, causes of childhood obesity, steps the government should take to eliminate the problem, works cited, note card i, note card ii.

Childhood obesity is one of the biggest developing health problems associated with the things such as types of foods that children consume, genetic factors, addiction to highly pleasurable foods, and diminished physical activities.

Therefore, failure of the government to take precautionary measures such as controlling the foods served to children, introduction of BMI checking to schoolchildren, and planning of anti-obesity campaigns amongst others will automatically threaten the health of children and that of the population of the nation at large.

Obesity is the development of more weight than the body of an individual is supposed to carry. Ideally, the body of a person should carry weight within a certain range according to the height of the given individual. Much weight for a specific height is deemed overweight and consequently underweight for a much less weight for a specific height.

Therefore, childhood obesity is the development of more weight, which is mostly fats, more than the height can accommodate. It is usually 20% more body fat weight in a child. Childhood obesity is a serious health problem to society due to the frequency of obesity cases that are being reported of late.

The greatest concern brought about by childhood obesity is that it has been identified as a precursor to certain adulthood ailments if not controlled. Thus, controlling it is a way of eliminating some adulthood ailments. As Riley reveals, childhood obesity leads to such ailments as; “hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression, type two diabetes, and high cholesterol among others” (395).

According to Green and Riley, childhood obesity has increased threefold since the year 1981. Sixteen per cent percentage of the population of children between the ages of 6 and 19 years suffer from obesity (917).

In the United States, 23% of children coming from poor families are likely to suffer from obesity compared to 14% of those who come from families that are doing well socially and economically (Riley 395). Obesity has led to a rise in the cost of healthcare for the national government with obesity cases consuming up to 71million dollars in terms of treatment between the years 2008-2009.

According to statistics, there has been a 50% increase in obese cases among children of 7-12 years during the years 1991-1998. Eyler finds that the United States of America government has had to come up with policies and legislation that would reverse the trend by the year 2015 (2294). This effort is an indicator to the seriousness of the problem and the concern that the government has towards it. What causes childhood obesity?

The Foods in the Market

One of the biggest causes of childhood obesity is the type of food a child eats. Following the increase in populations and the decrease in the land for agricultural production, scientists have come up with ways of producing high yields of crops on remarkably small pieces of land for feeding the populations. Most of these foods are produced using biotechnology and bioengineering, which lead to high crop yields. Most crops produced using the methods have been cited as sources of obesity upon producing food from them.

High yield crop production involves altering of the genetic makeup of the crops. When consumed by children and or other people, the effects are directly transferred to them. Animals that used as food to human beings are usually fed on foods with high hormones to spur quick growth of the animals. When children feed on products from these animals, the hormones are directly transferred to them thus triggering a faster development of their cells and body tissues hence leading to obesity.

Genetic Factors

Genetic factors can also be attributed to be a cause of childhood obesity that happens when a child grows bigger than the actual size, and then it is cited as a family trend. Some people are naturally grown. This condition sometimes inherited and passes from one generation to the other.

The study further revealed that there is a 75% chance of children being obese if their parents were obese and a 75% chance of children being thin or slim if their parents were thin. This fact is a sure indicator that obesity is a genetic factor that is passed on from parents to their children. The situation can be controlled if the children engage in activities that can enable them burn the extra calories and fats.

Addiction to highly pleasurable foods

According to Pretlow, addiction to highly pleasurable foods can be one of the biggest causes of obesity in children between the age of 5years to 19years (297). Most of these highly pleasurable foods are extraordinarily high in calories thus leading to extremely fast weight gain in children and young adults.

The advent of fast food outlets has exacerbated the problem because most of the foods sold in fast food outlets are highly pleasurable besides containing excess calories. Addiction to these kinds of foods can be equated to some extent to the addiction found in substances like drugs. Addiction to highly pleasurable foods thus leads the child eating more and more of the food. Because they are not in a position to burn the loads of calories gained by their bodies, they tend to begin piling more and more fats in their bodies.

Diminished physical activities

Childhood obesity can be attributed to diminished physical activities among children. Most children nowadays do not engage in physical activities as compared to the past. In the past, most parents would engage their children in physical activities like doing household chores while going out to play at the same time as a way of engaging in fun. That trend has changed dramatically in the recent past with most children engaging in activities that are not energy sapping.

The trend has changed with the introduction of computer games in society. Most children have ended up becoming couch potatoes because they spend almost all of their playing time playing computer games, which are addictive in nature. The increase in television programs has also led to children getting addicted to watching television. Reilly finds that television companies have come up with tailor-made programs for children thus leading to television addiction (395).

Controlling the food served in schools

The government should come up with a policy guideline on what types of food can be served in school kitchens. Nutritionists should recommend the foods because they have the right calorie contents for children at specific ages.

This campaign will see the government prepare a school feeding diet program that is based on healthy eating habits, which are aimed at reducing obesity and hence eliminating it in the end. An observation by Wojcicki and Heyman contends that an awareness program starting from schools is a sure way of controlling obesity (1630).

Introduction of BMI check in schools

The government should introduce a regular body mass index check to all children in schools as a way of checking and regulating the problem. A regular body mass index check will make the children aware of their weight status and the need to keep healthy bodies and lifestyles.

Such checks can also be used for recommending specific physical activity programs to the children as a way of enabling them burn the excess fats that have accumulated in their bodies. Children growing up with the awareness of the right body mass index will be able to control overweight problems when they occur in the future thus ensuring a healthy nation.

Develop a nationwide anti obesity campaign

The government should develop a nationwide campaign that will see the awareness levels of the population increased to such an extent that everyone in society is aware of the problem. Huang observes that a nationwide campaign to eliminate obesity will enable parents bring up their children with awareness of the obesity problem (148).

Most parents are usually unaware of the obesity problem in their children thus ending up not taking the right steps to stop it. The society today is made up of parents who spend a lot of their time chasing their careers than taking care of their children and hence the need to remind them of their responsibility.

Childhood obesity is a complex problem that cannot be easily wished away due to the many different elements that cause to it. It needs a multipronged approach that will control it. The problem with obesity is that it cannot be eliminated. Thus, there is a need for the government to put measures as discussed above to minimize it as much as possible.

Eyler, Army et al. “Patterns and predictions of state childhood obesity legislation in United States: 2006-2009.” American Journal of Public health 102.12 (2012): 2294- 2302. Print.

Green, Gregory, and Riley Clarence. “Physical activity and childhood obesity: Strategies and solutions for schools and parents.” Education 132.4 (2012): 915-920. Print.

Huang, Terry. “Prevention and treatment: Solutions beyond the individual.” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 35 (2007): 148-149. Print.

Pretlow, Robert. Addiction to highly pleasurable food as a cause of the childhood obesity epidemic: A qualitative internet study . Washington D.C: Routledge, 2008. Print.

Riley, John. “Childhood obesity: An overview.” Children & Society 21.5 (2007): 390-396. Print.

Wojcicki, Janet, and Melvin Heyman. “Reducing childhood obesity by eliminating 100% fruit juice.” American Journal of Public Health 102.9 (2012): 1630-1633. Print.

Summary Note Card:

Following the rising impacts that obesity has had on the US citizens, leave alone the children, there has been a call to the government to pass bills that emphasize the need to reduce the danger caused by this fatal disease. Patterns and Predictors of Enactment of State Childhood Obesity Legislation in the United States: 2006-2009 points out the efforts that the US is making to curb the rising trend by 2015. The article reveals how the US has made it a priority to pass bills that address needs of the obese people as a way of ensuring that they are not left to die of the disease when measures can actually be implemented to rescue them and the US at large.

Quotation Note Card:

Eyler et al state, “…the number of bills introduced from 2006 to 2009 with obesity prevention content is encouraging, as is the enactment rate of these bills.”

Eyler, Army et al. “Patterns and predictions of state childhood obesity legislation in United States: 2006-2009.” American Journal of Public health 102.12 (2012): 2298. Print.

Paraphrase Note Card:

According to Eyler et al, the period 2006-2008 has been characterized by tremendous efforts by the US government to publish many bills that specifically touch on the issue of obesity. The findings indicate that the earlier on observed obesity trend in the US will be changing with time with fewer reports of obesity cases.

Despite the many efforts put in place to fight obesity, it is alarming to find out how obesity prevalence is rising in the UK and the US specifically among children and adolescents.

This revelation indicates that the current strategies used to fight the disease do not have a well-crafted message to persuade the children and adolescents to change their eating habits and or engage in strenuous activities to help rid themselves of the many useless calories whose accumulation has led to their obese nature. Hence, there is room for more studies on the best strategies to use to reach the affected children and adolescent if at all eliminating obesity is the goal of both the UK and the US.

“Successful prevention of obesity in future will require good examples or models of interventions which have achieved objectively measured and sustained behavior change”

Riley, John. “Childhood obesity: An overview.” Children & Society 21.5 (2007): 395. Print.

Due to the observed failure of the current strategies to help the obese children and adolescents, there has been a call for future research to incorporate interventions that will have the capacity to alter the observed high rates of obesity among the US and the UK children and adolescents.

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