Healthy Development in Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood

Healthy Development in Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood

Healthy growth and development is imperative in all aspects of life ranging from childhood into adulthood. Many obstacles often can effect being healthy and staying healthy throughout the lifetime. Young children who are faced with issues such as poverty and obesity, may have health problems that impedes normal development. Adolescents often have eating disorders, or tend to partake in risk taking behaviors that may severely decrease their lifespan. Finally, adults also face many impediments to proper development, and may even see deterioration when they engage in substance abuse, or develop dysfunctional anger.

Childhood Obstacles and Solutions

Poverty is still a very real event in the United States. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), twenty one percent of children live below poverty level, and forty two percent of children are from low-income families (NCCP, 2012). Living in poverty can contribute to poor health due to the lack of available health resources, and often lack of nutrition these children receive (Santrock, 2009). Not only does poverty contribute to poor health, but it can also hinder cognitive development, as well as other social, behavioral and emotional development (NCCP, 2012). To solve this pertinent issue of poverty in the United States, programs should be put into effect to educate low-income families on nutrition and health care. Federal programs such as the WIC program are helping mothers to learn the resources available to them for health care, and providing nutritional education, screening, and free healthy foods (WIC, 2012). Another program that is taking place in Hawaii believes that the solution is to treat the entire family (Santrock, 2009). Each week one case worker will visit 25 families and helps with any immediate family crises, ensures that children are getting appropriate health care through contact with a physician, and work closely with the parents to educate them about their roles.

Another health risk that low-income children may acquire is obesity. Although obesity shows no socioeconomic boundaries, uneducated parents who are not aware of the risks of their children being too sedentary, and eating high fat foods are more likely to have children who are obese (Santrock, 2009). With parents tired after a long day of work, many children find themselves sitting around, playing video games, on the computer, or watching TV. They are not getting the exercise necessary to healthy development. They are also eating processed, high fat foods that are lacking the nutrients their bodies need. Santrock (2009) refers to a study of overweight children where 50 percent of them ate dinner in front of the TV. Home cooked, well-balanced meals where the family sits down together for are no longer commonplace, but should be. Family walks, or even telling the children to play outside may be helpful to employ exercise. Most importantly, families and children should be educated on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, and offered free or low-cost programs to participate.

Adolescent Obstacles and Solutions

Eating disorders often occur in teenage girls from middle or upper class families due to poor images of their bodies (Santrock, 2009a). Anorexia Nervosa is the most prevalent, and is described as the restrictive type and binge type (Santrock, 2009b). The restrictive type usually has the young woman or girl eating a diet that is not enough caloric intake to stay healthy. The binge type may diet, and then relapse and have a binge, which may possibly include purging after the binge. Many experts believe that girls' poor body image stems from the unrealistic images of thin models displayed by the media (Derenne & Beresin, 2006). One step to a solution is for parents and healthcare providers to talk with their children about media influence and the messages that it is portraying. Parents can also limit television time, and watch it with them to respond to any negative effects (Derenne & Beresin, 2006). Finally, Derenne and Beresin (2006) recommend that the government "allocate funds to produce exciting, media-driven advertising campaigns to provide information to kids and families about good nutrition, exercise, and" most importantly "self-esteem" (p. 260).

Teenagers