IndexProblem/Problem StatementAudience AnalysisStrategies for Persuasive CampaignsI. Theories of persuasion II. Psychosocial perspective III. Strategic ApplicationMeasurement and ConclusionChildhood obesity is a condition characterized by the presence of excess fat in the body of a child over the age of two (Birch, et al, 2011). There is no definite and direct way to determine whether a person has excess fat in their body, instead, body mass index (BMI) is used to determine whether a person is obese or not. BMI is based on the concept that a healthy body should have a specific ratio of weight to height, a higher ratio would indicate a greater amount of body fat, and weight loss initiatives are highly encouraged (Dawes, 2014). Due to the increasing rate of childhood obesity, it has become a public health issue and there is an increasing need to raise awareness among parents on the precautionary measures to be taken. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This article will focus on the main reasons for childhood obesity. It will analyze the measures taken to mitigate childhood obesity and the challenges faced by society and obese children. Solutions to these challenges will be presented and recommendations made. Problem/Problem Statement Childhood obesity was not a public health issue approximately twenty years ago, however, due to the increase in the obesogenic environment, it has become a national childhood disaster (Dawes, 2014). This environment is characterized by bad eating habits and less physical activity; basically these are factors that can be controlled once realized. Lifestyle changes have led to changes in the eating habits of both parents and children; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chances of childhood obesity increase if both parents are obese (Birch, et al, 2011). Childhood obesity forms a vicious cycle of an unhealthy future population, which can easily hinder development. This is mainly because childhood obesity will lead to obesity in adulthood and associated disorders such as respiratory problems, hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. The government will focus and invest more on caring for the sick population than on developing curricula and infrastructure. Furthermore, the population will not be able to achieve sufficient results as all attention will be focused on disorders, invention, innovation and investment will be hindered. Having obese children as a future involves a greater opportunity cost than not having them. The main reason for obesity, especially in children, is the food that is consumed. Let's take a closer look at current food consumption; the population feeds on more industrial meat than before. In 2011, 110.9 million pigs, 34.1 million cattle, 853,000 calves, and 2.2 million sheep were slaughtered for human consumption in the United States alone (Lymbery & Oakshott, 2015). The consumption of products from intensive farming is harmful to human health. Due to the increasing use of antibiotics and growth hormones during animal incubation and rearing, products contain residues (Casuto, 2007). The effects are subsequently transmitted to humans, explaining the extremely fast rate at which adolescents mature and the increase in obesity. Consumption of the products also leads to drug resistance in both animals and humans, consequently increasing the population affected by lifestyle-related diseases. There is also consumptionexcessive intake of junk and canned food that contain processed fats and other preservatives that are easily absorbed into the body and quickly form fat that is stored by the body (Dawes, 2014). Excess body fat makes it difficult for children to engage in physical activities as they tire easily, obese children in this case, are unable to enjoy the benefits that come with being children.Theses; Childhood obesity can be prevented by following a balanced diet and practicing a healthy lifestyle. Audience Analysis The most important target audience for the message in this document is parents and guardians. Parents do not have extensive knowledge about proper nutrition but they have channels through which they may be able to learn and understand the concept. According to Casuto, 2007, 65% of obese children come from single-parent families, African-American families or Latino families. This is especially true because parents in this group live in poor neighborhoods, are constantly away from home for work, and sometimes cannot provide the nutrition their children need. Most parents are of the opinion of reducing childhood obesity, on the contrary, with the increase in crime rate, they believe that safety comes first. They are convinced that once children are allowed to run around outside, they will find themselves involved in gang shootings. The parents' attitude is positive but their actions are counterproductive to the cause, needless to say, they continue to take care of their children. Parents are open to the idea of ​​increasing children's play time as long as safety is strengthened (Koplan et al. al 2005). In this case, they will not feel the need to worry about their children while they are at work. Most parents are usually at home during the night and late night television advertising would be the perfect way to reach them. Alternatively, leaflets sent by post can be used to raise awareness of steps they can take to ensure their children do not become obese. The secondary target is children; they need to be taught that the importance of proper nutrition is far greater than the instant gratification they get from consuming junk and processed foods (Koplan et al 2005). The number of obese children has more than doubled in the last 30 years, in 1979 only 7% of children were obese, by 2011 the number had risen to 18%. Currently one in three children is obese. This is one-third of the entire American child population between the ages of 6 and 11 (Koplan et al 2005). Finally, the unintended target audience is schools. There are currently 98,817 public schools in America, children spend eight or more hours a day in school and this is where much of the learning about personal, academic and social lives occurs. Schools have extensive knowledge about good child nutrition and can use this to ensure there is a balanced daily diet for all students. Strategies for Persuasive Campaigns I. Theories of PersuasionAttribution Theory: Conditional AttributionConditioning plays a vital role in persuading a crowd, especially when it comes to changing the type of lifestyle. It requires a mentoring role followed by voluntary actions on the part of the mentee. Conditioning is more of a mental and emotional game, such as creating an impression about a product and convincing people about its benefits. In this case, children can be guided by people they adore, for example their favorite celebrity, parents or even a sports player. They can be encouraged to practice a healthy lifestyle and conditioned to it. Pavlov's conclusions on conditioning will be applicablebecause after a while, even without parental guidance and supervision, children will have become accustomed to the new lifestyle and this will become their daily routine. At the same time, conditioning must be done separately to ensure that it is not forgotten. This means that conditioning will be a continuous process that will be associated with better health and what will be defined as beauty at the time of conditioning. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Cognitive dissonance is based on the premise that, as humans, we strive for consistency. What is defined as wrong by the mind, one's actions and one's body should abstain from it, consequently forming brain-body harmony. Children can be taught that consuming fatty and processed foods is dangerous for their bodies, they should be taught the importance of exercise. Once they have been taught this, actions will follow suit as their minds will try to harmonize thoughts and actions. Achieving harmony between mind and action is the hard part, once established; it is followed by the need for consistency in life. Parents and schools should strive to ensure a consistent environment that does not try to change children's routines randomly. Cognitive dissonance also fosters competition to outdo each other and be better. It is a spirit that is useful in sporting activities and can increase the level of talent to be discovered in children and consequently make them leave the house to participate in outdoor activities.II. Psychosocial PerspectiveSocioeconomic StatusResearch has found that lower parental education leads to lower income. Parents cannot afford adequate nutrition for children; Furthermore, parents are always working and spending more time away from home. Children are left to decide what they should eat and always turn to junk food and processed meat. According to the World Health Organization (2013) most cases of obese children are found in families considered to be in transition. Transitions are lifestyle changes that are mostly the result of parents' lack of stable income. This is especially true in single-parent families which are on the rise due to the declining role of marriage as a social institution (Parizkova & Hills, 2005). Adverse Life Events Obesity can be a coping mechanism for children who may experience life events. These events include but are not limited to the death of a family member or friend, domestic violence, sexual abuse, lack of a social network, and parental psychopathology (Koplan et al 2005). All these problems can be addressed by undergoing proper counseling over a period of time and having a stable social support system, however due to lack of time and resources; the child is left behind upon his own death. Exposure to Media and Food Advertising Currently in America, the average child watches television more than 3 hours a day, which is more than the recommended 2 hours a day (Parizkova & Hills, 2005). Watching television has absorbed time that was previously spent by children in physical activities. Additionally, while you watch television you consume more food than you are aware of and energy is stored because you are not doing any activity. Media publicity about the consumption of unhealthy foods has increased and this pushes adolescents and children to try to have these foods.III. Strategic Application Childhood obesity is a public health problem, but it is not being addressed with the level of seriousness and sobriety it deserves. This is because it is seen as a lifestyle diseasewhich is acquired by choice and which can be easily avoided (Parizkova & Hills, 2005). The truth is that it is a lifestyle disease that requires serious measures to be taken by all parties involved in children's lives, including the media. Children are the next generation and they need to be raised, the lack of proper nutrition will not end with them, but will serve as the beginning of never-ending health-related problems. Persuasion Material The best persuasion material to use is an advertisement with images to emphasize the visual effects. There will be a photo of an obese child and a non-obese child followed by what children should eat to avoid becoming obese. The visual effect will make children understand the type of food to avoid and what to indulge in. Challenges in managing childhood obesity The most crucial challenge in managing childhood obesity is that the actions needed to be taken are beyond the capabilities of the children themselves. Simply educating the child about the importance of healthy eating will not be enough if the parents cannot afford it or do not want to be involved in the process. Children are therefore left at the mercy of the choices made by their guardians and the prevailing economic conditions on which they cannot have any impact. The other challenge is the current public health and public school regime which has not yet understood the severity of the condition. It is necessary to have concrete plans on how to help children and involve them in maintaining their health (Parizkova & Hills, 2005). This can be complemented by having a well-structured counseling platform to address psychological problems affecting children (Birch, et al, 2011). There should also be sessions where children are taught about the combination of a balanced diet and its importance. The lunch menu should always include less fat and more fiber and fiber-rich foods. Solutions to Childhood Obesity The first and most important solution is to teach new parents how to feed their children properly from the beginning. Junk food should be avoided at all costs, parents should strive to have a balanced and healthy diet and children will follow in their footsteps (Voigt, et al 2014). Children's needs should be clearly stated and the consequences of poor eating habits should be clearly stated. Secondly, children should be encouraged to engage in sport from an early age so that it can be cultivated as a culture (Dawes, 2014). This recreational activity will allow children to redirect negative energy that may lead them to depression and excessive consumption of junk food. Schools should be involved in creating awareness and collaborate with organizations that deal closely with childhood obesity. A good example is SPARK, an award-winning public health program that educates teachers and other educators about appropriate physical activities for children to undertake in an effort to combat childhood obesity. Teachers are given the necessary physical activities and explain how they can be made fun so that children capture their attention. State and local governments, together with parents, may be able to offer well-equipped and staffed gymnasiums to schools to fully capture the interests of children. With this in mind, schools can offer various sports ranging from ball games, athletics, ballet and gymnastics. Technology in this case can be used to drag children from the comfort of their couches to camp (Parizkova & Hills, 2005). The government should limit and control the number of food advertisements.