Diet and Health in Children: Refutation Essay

I do not agree with the contention that children are unhealthy merely because they consume a diet rich in sugars. The thesis statement is misleading by pegging the health status on diet alone. Various dimensions of human health have not been explored. From the preceding, it is apparent that the thesis only covers nutritional health. Sexual health and mental health are the other dimensions of the health status that have not been explored. A child may be feeding well but have serious mental problems. A mental disorder affects the emotional stability of an individual and renders them unfit for some functions. Such persons, irrespective of the fact that they feed well, will not be necessarily healthy. 

I do not agree that only diet contributes to poor health in young children. It is true that sugars contribute to deteriorating health in the young children. It is also true that because of the high sugar levels in the blood and the resultant complications, the young children are deemed to be unhealthy. The conclusion about the health status of the children is that they not well informed and does not account for all factors. The thesis statement presupposes that only dietary complications affect the health of children. Many issues contribute to an unhealthy status of an individual. Apart from diet, diseases adversely affect the health of an individual (Watson, 2008). Diseases that are not necessarily connected to the diet may affect the health of an individual. For instance, diseases such as HIV or Ebola are not diet related but could adversely affect the health of an individual. Biological factors also contribute to poor health. 

I do not agree that children are the only vulnerable members of the society. Diet problems exist even in adults. Cases of hypertension, heart attack, and diabetes in adults is conclusive proof that higher levels of sugar intake are prevalent in adults. If the health of an individual is determined by the manner in which their bodies handle sugar, then it is wrong to conclude that only young children are unhealthy. On the one hand, it is true that children are unhealthy because of the amount of sugars they consume. However, it is misleading to state that only the children who are affected. Such an argument is one sided and does not take into account all the connected factors. Non-diet related ailments could also cause poor healthy, as does sugar diet. To allege that only one factor is wholly responsible for poor health in young children is misleading. Despite the fact that adults alike are affected, they are less prone to attacks as they often exercise. Adults have a fitness workout plan, which they follow religiously. During the workouts, the excess sugar in the body is oxidized to release energy. Through this process, the excess sugar does not accumulate in the body leading to health complications.

It is true that sugary diet contributes to health complications in children. Some of these complications include hypertension, diabetes, or tooth decay. The thesis presupposes that the only form of health affected is food related. The thesis leaves out other forms of health such as mental and sexual health. Without incorporating the other aspects of human health, the conclusion by the statement is one-sided. In addition, the young children are at risk of contracting diet-related diseases. Adults alike are at a danger of contracting diabetes, hypertension, or heart attack. The higher level of susceptibility in children does not exclude adults from the effects of high sugar amounts in the diet. I agree that high sugar levels contribute to health complications in young children. I also agree that the young children are more susceptible to diseases because of sugar intake. However, I do not agree that the healthy status of an individual is only pegged on their dietary composition. I also do not agree that the young children who are affected.

References

Watson, S. (2008). Fast Food. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.