Over the past decade there has been a significant rise in the levels of obesity within children. Many children now suffer from obesity in fact one in four 11-15 year olds are now suffering from obesity. These figures show that our children are likely to develop health problems in the near future. According to Cancer Research UK (2008) the government is spending 372 million pounds in order to tackle growing levels of obesity.
There are many methods of developing knowledge about hot topic/issues. However when dealing with such a main issue in the world of sport it is essential we provide great depth of knowledge in order to have a better understanding of the issue. In order to engage knowledge about rising levels in obesity within children we would have to go with a research approach. The research approach is a way of doing things in a systematic manner which examines data theoretically. The Research approach uses a scientific nature which refers to the objectivity in research. This is why all knowledge should be based upon scientific research rather than common sense. The reason why I would adopt a research approach is because its type of research produces objective facts. Another reason is research is a recorded process which allows us to test for future research, therefore we can test children if they are obese then it can provide us with statistics to compare for future research and to see if we are making progress. The research approach allows us to identify common problems associated with obesity within children i.e. types of cancer associated with obesity. The research approach not only identifies common problems associated with obesity within children but also provides ways of reducing obesity levels within children and to see whether children enjoy physical activity or not. Tradition cannot determine a better understanding of obesity within children because this has become an important issue in the past decade therefore tradition has no relevance towards a better understanding of obesity within children. Also by someone telling stories or information about an important issue is highly unethical to gain knowledge about such an important issue. Therefore we need scientific evidence to make our understanding more logical. Authority cannot determine knowledge about obesity amongst children due to the fact that experts are smart but in order for them to gain knowledge they must use the research approach in order to gain their knowledge. Experience can defined as an individual personal experience, so if we compare this to obesity within children it is highly unlikely for every individual to have experienced knowledge about obesity however if we compare this to the research approach and gave individuals basic knowledge of obesity within children then it is more likely the individual will gain information about this issue.
I would adopt a quantitative paradigm when investigating high levels of obesity amongst children because quantitative paradigm is mostly