Childhood Obesity Research Paper

Childhood obesity is a major cause for concern within the United States. This is mainly due to children not getting the require nutrition that they need. Although study show that there is a decrease in obesity in children, it still remains at an all-time high. Children are failing to eat as healthy as they should, and it has become an even bigger problem now that they aren’t getting the require amount of food in their diets. The USDA made a decision a couple of years ago to reduce the amount of food given to children while they are at school. This hurts them tremendously, because the majority of the food they eat comes from being at school all day. The other half lies on the parents when they go home and eat dinner. It is very important for children to eat healthy and eat the required amount of food according to various dietary guidelines. First Lady Michelle Obama has started a new campaign to help kids and parents combat obesity in children. One thing that the campaign has placed emphases on is getting healthier food within school. Although they are getting healthier foods in school they are beginning to change the proportion they are giving students. Through the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign students should be giving healthier foods and also be allowed to have the correct proportion to help them maintain a healthy diet.

What search terms did you use to locate this research study to analyze? What database did you use? What was your rationale for selecting this particular study to analyze over the others identified in the search results? What is the full reference of for the study in APA format?

The current state of affairs isn’t ideal for school children as many schools offer children foods of minimal nutritional value with some schools still allowing fast food restaurants to provide their services in high schools and middle schools. The current policies actually contribute to the toxic environment that many children face both at home and at school as those most impacted by the obesity epidemic are minority and poor urban children who don’t have healthy choices at home or in school. Part of the problem

Statement of Health Problem: Childhood obesity has been a significant problem across our nation for decades, and can be clearly associated with insufficient nutrition, health, and wellness. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for adolescents within the same age group ("Defining Childhood Obesity"). The most recent data show that the national childhood obesity rate for those between 2-19 years old is 18.5% ("The State of Childhood Obesity"). This equates to nearly 1 in 5 school age children being classified as obese ("Childhood Obesity Facts").

I will be researching childhood obesity in the United to states because I want to better understand the cause's and how it can be prevented.  I have chosen to research childhood obesity to help my readers understand the influence they may have in children's lives and in their future. By asking questions such as, when does the onset of child hood obesity occur, I hope to find out what social institutions play the biggest role. With social institutions comes the question of relevance of socioeconomic status, and the impact that has. I lastly will be asking the question of the long term effects of childhood obesity. My goal is to understand why so many

School lunch programs need to change, and in order to implement this, “In 2004, Congress required every single school in the district to develop local wellness policies regarding food available in school, nutrition programs, and physical activity programs”(Haugen & Musser,2012). The government was trying to put in place programs to help children be healthy in their food choices as well as ways to get healthy if they were already overweight by incorporating physical healthy programs. Schools need to limit the amount of fatty choices and put more healthy products in their school cafeterias. Nutrition education programs can help students to learn the dangers of obesity and show them that their health is something that needs to be taken seriously

“Childhood Obesity in Florida.” States of Obesity. Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.

Obesity has been around for centuries and over the years it has become vastly more common in our society. Originally obesity was not as much of a problem as it is now, but over the past few decades it has transformed into a serious issue in the United Sates and even across the globe. It has turned into such a widespread issue that the World Health Organization has even labeled it as a global epidemic in 1997 (Spruijt-Metz 129). Childhood obesity specifically has become a major issue as obesity rates in young children have tripled over the past 30 years alone (Spruijt-Metz 130). This has a huge impact on our society because childhood obesity is a common indicator of adult obesity and this leads to an increased chance for harmful health problems

Childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled for adolescents in the last thirty years. Obesity and overweight rates in children are higher among families living below the poverty line. The diabetes rate is higher in children living in poverty. Families that are living in poverty cannot afford the fresh produce and healthier foods due to the rising cost.

Heart Disease. Breast Cancer. Lung Cancer. These issues are well known and attention about these issues is made aware to our society. For example, PSAs, special awareness months, and well known charities have dedicated themselves to these issues. Childhood obesity is a huge issue among our children that has not had as much luck in being at the forefront of the public’s mind as the aforementioned health issues. Childhood obesity is a growing health issue in the United States. Studies have shown that it affects more than 30 percent of the children within this country. It is now known as the most common chronic disease of childhood. The number of cases has tripled

It is undeniable that obesity has become somewhat of an epidemic in America, an epidemic that has had a notably poignant effect on much of today’s youth. In addressing the problem of overweight people, especially children, one must acknowledge that “fast-food chains and food manufacturers must bear some of the blame for the country’s weight problem” (Goode 427). Though some accountability lies on parents, children and consumers, the fast-food industry integrates several components that encourage and perpetuate corpulence. For example, portion sizes have grown substantially over the years. Not only that, but the manipulation of prices makes fast food easily accessible by al social classes. Additionally, the heavy bombardment of advertisements

Childhood obesity is a complex health issue. Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on health. It occurs when a child is well above the normal or healthy weight for his or her age and height. If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that their children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, their children have an 80 percent chance of being obese. In the past 30 years, the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled among children ages 2 to 5, has nearly tripled among youth ages 6 to 11, and has more than tripled among adolescents ages 12 to 19. Research has shown that obese children are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults.

Leann Birch, Ph.D. ,once stated at the annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition, “If we wait until kids start school, we miss our best chance to prevent obesity”. Children are living in a world where they are tempted to everything they see and find themselves in a situation where they are not taught what is right and wrong when it comes to eating and are influenced by their surroundings. In the different articles its stated that the main focus was to find a way to minimize the number of children going through childhood obesity and also how parents can prevent childhood obesity in their children's life at a young age. There are many ways children are exposed to unhealthy nutrition and which has increased child obesity but there

As you are aware, the United States suffers from an increase in obesity. The United States ranks among the top 10 most obese countries, one-third of our nation’s population is considered overweight/obese, and approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 are obese. With these statistics, it is evident that many American’s are not practicing good eating habits. I thank you for your effort of trying to reduce this problem. Your approach to start teaching at a young age is clever, and your tactic to implement federal requirements in public schools has come to benefit many individuals. After reviewing your lunch program, I was impressed with the strict rules to ensure that a healthy diet is promoted. With further research, I wanted to suggest a few more options to enhance your program and strengthen the fight against obesity.

Thirty percent of the worlds children are obese. Obesity is a disease that is putting children and adults health at risk. Nutrition and eating healthy is something everyone should do. A world where everyone is obese is a world that will end in shambles. The government putting regulations on our school lunches and other types of food could help solve the worlds major problem of obesity.