Essay On Obesity

According to the Institute of Medicine, every one in three children in the United States is either overweight or obese. That means one in three children in the United States is at an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other health risks due to their weight. One in three children is being ridiculed on the playground. One in three children is struggling every day because of their weight. There is a growing obesity epidemic in children in the United States and it needs to be stopped, beginning with the parents. I will focus particularly in Texas, where obesity rates are extremely high. Governor Rick Perry is recorded saying, “Texas obesity rates are well above the national average, and the negative effects are spreading” (8 Childhood Obesity Prevention). Texas’ extreme obesity rates are not only affecting the health of its people, but also its economy. The state’s resources are at risk with the epidemic rates increasing, and without transformation, grave danger is ahead, so measures need to be taken to insure the health and economic stability of the state and this needs to begin with parents of obese children. Overall, childhood obesity is a form of parental neglect and the state of Texas should mandate and regulate obesity prevention.

Obesity is defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduce life expectancy and/or increased health problems. “The problem of obesity is increasing in the United States. Understanding the impact of social inequalities on health has become a public health priority in the new millennium. Social, political, and economic factors now are acknowledged to be "fundamental" causes of disease that affect behavior, beliefs, and biology.” (Goodman, 2003)  In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. Obesity has not always been seen as a medical

* “Promote safe places for physical activity and provide lower income families with financial help to be able to afford after school activities.”(State of Obesity, 2014)

How would you feel if I told you that there is no one state with an obesity rate lower than 20%? Take this information and compare it to twenty years ago when every state had an obesity rate lower than 15%. Obesity has become not only the number one cause in death, but according to David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of “Don’t Blame the Eater”, it is the number one cost in health care with numbers rising well over 100 billion dollars a year (196). There are many people we could blame, such as the food industry or the government, but before we start pointing fingers elsewhere, individuals need to stand up and take personal responsibility for their own actions and health. Either way it is evident a

The new generation continues to increasingly fall under obesity’s evil spell. Although many Americans recognize that their children are obese, they fail to accept that this is an epidemic that should be controlled and given dramatic attention to. Research suggests that childhood obesity in the United States has doubled in the past decade. Despite the fact that we have necessary resources to control these statistics, Americans continue to expose their youngsters to unhealthy and fattening meals. It is no joke that America is the fattest nation in the world. Thus, preventing this serious issue should be perceived as a life-or-death situation where if we fail to control it, many more overweight children will grow up to be obese adults in the future.

Over the years the obesity rate in America has increased significantly. From 1990 to 2016, the average percentage of obese adults increased from 11.1% to 29.8%. The escalating obesity rate in America has made obesity prevention one of the top public health priorities. Being overweight has become the new normal in America. Obesity is caused by eating too much and moving too little, depression, and the input of social media.

Obesity, and more importantly childhood obesity, is drastically effecting the United States of America and other parts of the world, more and more each day. In the last 30 years, the amount of children who are six to eleven years old have doubled, and children who are twelve to nineteen years old have more than quadrupled. (“Facts”) The wild and wonderful state of West Virginia unfortunately has the title of the 2nd highest obesity rate in the United States at 35.7% as of 2014. The childhood obesity rate in West Virginia is 14.0% for two to four year olds, 18.5% for ten to seventeen year olds, and 15.6% for high school students in general. (“WV”) There was a census conducted in 2012 that showed that greater than one-third of children were overweight or obese too. (“Facts”) There is clearly a problem with West Virginia, the United States, and the world. Even though childhood obesity increases every year and is caused by many factors, it can be prevented.

The study was conducted in Memphis through a program called, ‘‘Get Fit with the Grizzlies.” The population was every fourth and fifth grade student in MCS during the year of 2006 to 2007. This specific population was targeted due to the extremely high body mass index statistics that were shown compared to other grade levels. Eleven elementary schools in the area were chosen randomly for the “Get Fit” program elevation. The purpose of this study was to create a program in Memphis to decrease obesity in elementary school children and provide them will knowledge of the importance of physical activity and diet in their everyday lives. In 2006, business operations staff for the Memphis Grizzlies, the National Basketball Association franchise for the city, approached MCS district staff to collaborate on a CRM health initiative, titled ‘‘Get Fit with the Grizzlies,’’ with the intent to decrease obesity among the school district’s elementary children. This school-based intervention focused on delivering information concerning physical activity and diet (Irwin, Irwin, Miller, Somes, & Richey, P. A., 2010). This will help my group and I when creating a successful program to increase children’s physical activity and prevent childhood obesity at the Police Activities League.

Obesity in school-age children is a problem in North Carolina. “North Carolina is the 23rd most obese state in the United States for children www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/Data/Texts/Quick%20Facts.pdf – 31.4% of youth in North Carolina are overweight or obese” https://www.healthiergeneration.org/...childhood_obesity/.../north_caroli... (Child Obesity Rate). There is a mandated physical education requirement for school-age children attending public schools in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Education Policy Manual states “that every kindergarten through eighth grade student should be engaged in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily” (Recess and Physical Activity). In spite of being clearly stated in policy and described in detail, many of the school-age children in North Carolina are still suffering from poor health. Based on the above information and recent research, the North Carolina State Board of Education needs to revise their policy on physical education. The new policy should state that school-age children in North Carolina “should participate every day in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity that is enjoyable and developmentally appropriate”. By increasing school-age children’s physical activity to 60 minutes a day, the obesity rate of school-age children in North Carolina will reduce.

Obesity in school-age children is a problem in North Carolina. North Carolina is the 23rd most obese state in the United States for children – 31.4% of youth in North Carolina are overweight or obese. (“Child Obesity Rate”) There is a mandated physical education requirement for school-age children attending public schools in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Education Policy Manual states that every kindergarten through eighth student should be engaged in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily (“Recess and Physical Activity”). In spite of being clearly stated in policy and described in detail, the school-age children in North Carolina are still suffering from poor health. Based on the above information and recent research, the North Carolina State Board of Education needs to revise the policy on physical education. The new policy should state that school-age children in North Carolina should participate every day in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity that is enjoyable and developmentally appropriate. By increasing school-age children’s activity to 60 minutes a day, the obesity rate of school-age children in North Carolina will reduce.

The rate of childhood obesity has grown an enormous amount over the years with more than 40 million children being overweight! That number is astonishingly high and it is very obvious that something needs to be done about this. Studies had shown in 2008 that more than 40 million children were said to be overweight and the sad truth is that they are still increasing rapidly to this day; also every 1 in 4 teenagers is said to not reach the fitness guidelines (Tanner) according to an article by Lindsey Tanner. For this problem to be resolved not only do the parents of children need to make sure their kids are staying active but also, the schools they attend need to make sure they are getting a well-balanced meal and have some type of physical activity during their school day. Each state in America is given a percentage rate on the number of obese people in that particular state. The highest ranking state is Mississippi with a percentage of 34.9 and the state ranking the least is Connecticut with 24.5 percent. Different researches have shown that each day 850 lives are taken due to obesity and each year there are more than 300,000 people that die from obesity related illnesses. These are deaths that most likely could have been avoided if these individuals would have had the proper exercise and diet in their lives.

Currently in the United States 1 out of 3 adults are obese and 1 out of 4 children are obese. Making us the second most obese nation right behind Mexico. Obesity is defined by an unhealthy amount of fat in the body. If obesity grows at this rate in 2030 over 50 percent of the population in America will be obese. Forty years ago this was not an issue what has changed in America to create this drastic increase in obesity? Our daily calorie intake a day has increased by 500 calories since 1970. In my research paper I will find information on how fast food has impacted Americans and the causes of obesity. I also would like to find some solutions that are being proposed to decrease obesity in America.

The United States has seen childhood obesity rates double in children and increase four times in adolescents since the 1980’s.1 The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2012, over one third of children and adolescents were considered obese or overweight.1 There is an urgent need to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, as obesity has been shown to have deteriorating immediate health effects and increase the risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, osteoarthritis and cancer in adulthood.1 Although there are many influential factors in a child’s weight, nutrition is one of the main ones to consider, as a complete and balanced diet also promotes healthy growth and development.2 Research indicates that school encompasses a significant portion of a child’s time, cognitive, physical and social development, and as such, has the responsibility to promote a healthy lifestyle for children.3 Because of the nationwide concern surrounding childhood obesity, recent federal wellness policy for public schools mandate that nutrition education, physical activity and other wellness promoting programs must be part of the school environment.4 The purpose of this review of literature is to evaluate if school nutrition is one of the major contributors to childhood obesity and how policy changes have affected the problem.

Childhood obesity is one of the major public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally. In 2013, the number of overweight children under the age of five was estimated over 42 million. Childhood obesity can cause premature death and disability in adulthood. Overweight and obese children will grow up to become obese adults and are more likely to develop diseases like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes at a younger age. Many factors can contribute overweight and obesity in children, however a global shift in dietary habits and lack of physical activity play a crucial role. Overweight and obesity are preventable. Unlike adults, children cannot select the environment they live or the food they eat, they are unware about the long term health consequences of their behavior. Therefore, it is important to have strict policies for the prevention of obesity epidemic. School play an important role in fighting against the epidemic of childhood obesity (World Health Organization, 2016). Even after the legislature has enacted laws to support school nutrition and physical education, many states including, Texas has not yet adopted these policies. It is important to have these policies in practice to prevent childhood obesity (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014). Government play an important role in making sustainable changes in public health. For that reason, the author is intended to

an environment for a child to not end up being victim to that statistics. School is like a second home, to many students spending up to 8 hrs or more in a school building. They should have the opportunity to incorporate physical activity into their day. Already there large umbers of obese children in the nation. “Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are obese: 18%”(CDC). There is about double the amount of adult s that is obese to children. Yet with physical education, the number of adults in future statistics that are overweight could vastly increases. The future generations could learn to improve there eating habits which can not only improve their own bodies but the overall