Thursday, 10 October 2013

Essay Draft#1

Sorry for late posting!!Here is my essay draft. =)

  Globalization can be defined as increasing cross-border interaction and integration of various aspects of human activity. Contemporary media technologies such as satellite television and the Internet have created a steady flow of transnational images that connect audiences worldwide (Kraidy, 2002). It contributes to McDonaldization, which is a process of growing fast food restaurants such as McDonald, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut all over the world. For example, McDonald is the biggest fast food chain in the world, with 32,000 outlets in 117 countries (Salisbury, 2011).

  In Singapore, many shopping malls are filled with McDonaldized shops that sell the same predictable products in all of their stores. It increases accessibility of children to fast food restaurants. Besides, most women involving in labor force prefer fast food to homecooked food for their kids. Children who face a lot of stress from school put fast food as their first choice because it is efficient, cheap and fast. These reasons contribute to increasing fast food consumption and obesity among children in Singapore. To ameliorate this problem, Singapore government can restrict the fast food advertisements and implement school-based intervention.

  Child obesity is the main problem resulting from growing of fast food restaurants. According to Eveline (2013), Singapore’s childhood obesity rate has inched upwards over the past decade. In 2011, about 11 percent of school going children are overweight, based on the Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age norms introduced in 2010. From 2000 to 2009, the prevalence rate hovered around 9.7 percent, based on weight-for-height norms. Diet is one of the important factors to cause child obesity. For instance, fast food is extremely unhealthy as it is high in cholesterol, sugar, salt and even chemical additives. Each fast food meal is packed with more calories than children needs in a day and actually excess calories are hazardous to children as it will be stored in the body and converted to fat. This directly increases the risk of suffering from chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.) Indisputably, more weight-related health problems may be experienced by obese children if they do not have well control of their dietary habits.

  Furthermore, child obesity can affect mental health and emotional development of children. People who were obese in childhood are more likely to have poor body image, as well as low self-esteem and confidence. They may be mocked and discriminated by their friends. Studies have shown that adolescents and young adults with obesity in the West are less likely to achieve higher education and better pay, and less likely to be married. This can lead to reactive depression. (Eveline, 2013) Unequivocally, this is a bad phenomenon as it will affect future human capital in Singapore.

  To solve these problems, policy approaches can be used to raise awareness of children as well as public. Singapore government can restrict the fast food advertisements especially those are targeted on children as they are more susceptible to commercial persuasion. Research found that children, especially the younger ones, do not comprehend the persuasive intent of advertising. They generally lack the capability to effectively evaluate commercial claims and appeals, and therefore tend to accept the information conveyed in advertising as truthful, accurate and unbiased. (Health Promotion Board, n.d.) For example, children cannot be blamed if they love Happy Meals at McDonald’s. Therefore, restriction of fast food advertisements can effectively reduce obesity among children.

  Moreover, school based intervention can be implemented by Singapore government. According to Hartman (2012), Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) focuses on promoting mental wellness at an early age to ensure children have the coping skills to go through different life stages. In Singapore, children face a lot of stress to cope with their hectic school life. Therefore, coping skills are essential so that they will not become addicted to fast food due to shorter waiting time. To improve the efficiency to reduce child obesity, Singapore government can stipulate some regulations to limit the types of food that can be sold in school. For example, school can provide healthy meal plan for students instead of selling fast food to limit students’ exposure to sugar, salt and cholesterol.

  In conclusion, increasing fast food consumption among children can raise obesity and affect their physical and mental health. Singapore government should recognize this problem and try to mitigate it through policy approaches.

References:

Kraidy, M.M.. (2002). Globalization of Culture through Media. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1333&context=asc_papers

Salisbury, P.. (2011, Jun 16). The Globalization of “Fast Food”. Behind the Brand: McDonald’s. Global Research. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from

Eveline. (2013, March 27). The weighty issue of obesity in children. Health. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Healthy Weight – it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle!. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from

Health Promotion Board. (n.d.). Public Consultation on the Proposed Strengthening of Food Advertising Guidelines for Children. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from

 

Hartman, P.. (2012, May 2). Singapore Revisited. Childhood Obesity News. Retrieved 10 October 2013 from

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