Fighting for a Better Health Essay

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

Childhood obesity is a huge problem facing America today. It’s like an epidemic, spreading across America at alarming rates. Just in the past 30 years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled among children and quadrupled among adolescents. Today, it has been estimated that one in every six children or adolescents is obese ("Childhood Obesity Facts”). And if things don’t change soon, those numbers will just keep rising. This isn’t a problem that we can leave up to children to deal with themselves. Parents and adults need to take responsibilities for children’s health and futures. Children or adolescents who have a body mass index of over 30 are considered to be obese. Too much body fat can lead to many negative

Childhood obesity is the most common pediatric nutritional disorder in the United States (Balog, 2015). Most people believe that the solution to stopping childhood obesity relies entirely on education. Sadly, this is not true. While education is one of the main factors for solving this epidemic, there are many other factors that need to be resolved as well. One cannot rely on the simplistic idea that, once educated, Americans would make the healthiest choices. This is because Americans choose, buy, and consume their food based heavily on the taste, convenience, and economic motivations, not health reasons.

Food and drinks located at school are healthy and state approved. If these students don’t eat our food they’ll eat greasy and fatty food sure to give them health issues. These young teens idea of food is a burger with friends and a large soda; this is sure to get the overweight.

Many school in the United States have junk food in them for either fundraiser for sport or for the school benefits. Critics would say that school should sell junk food. I say they shouldn’t for the health of the kids.

According to National Heart Lung and Blood institute, in America, 1 in 6 kids are obese. Although obesity might not seem that much of a big deal, it is. Childhood obesity can lead to much worse health problems later in adulthood, such as higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, and even cancer, among many chronic health issues all caused by obesity. Many kids get about half of their daily calories at school, and for some, school is where they get all of their daily calories. Since school plays such a big part in affecting the lives of many kids across America, special attention should be shown to nutrition. This can help kids with obesity, as well as kids that don’t have much food at home to eat and only rely on school food. For many poor kids, they don’t have a lot of healthy foods at home, because they can’t afford it. So, they rely on cheap school food for their vitamins and nutrients. Because cafeteria foods, like hamburgers or beef and cheese nachos, are highly processed and filled with unnecessary fat ,those kids that rely on school for food won’t get the nutrients and vitamins they need and will go home hungry. Since kids are growing up, it is especially important for them to get the right food they need to grow up healthy and strong, and in a place full of kids that are growing up, it is only right to provide them with good and healthy food that will allow the kids to grow up into healthy adults without obesity, malnourishment, or any kind of health

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States, nearly twenty percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are clinically obese; however the government has no place trying to control this. (CDC, 2008) The current administration over steps its authority moving beyond the control of federally funded school lunches and into oversight of privately owned vending machines in public schools. Major corporations are being bullied into censoring their advertisement exposure to younger children so that the government won’t impose their own regulations. It is a parent’s responsibility and right to educate their children and control what they eat. The Federal government should not try to control what children eat by imposing regulations

In continuation, schools should not be deciding our eating choices. Schools want to ban candy and soda because they think this is the cause of child obesity. Like stated in the article, although these food items are banned it does not mean students will stop eating them. The student can purchase these things outside of school whenever they like. If schools really want to make a change in students lives to be healthier they have to do something

* Identifies and examines why individuals give different meanings to health * Explains how a range of health behaviors affect an individual’s health * Describes how an individual’s health is determined by a range of factors * Evaluates aspects of health over which individuals can exert some control * Describes factors that contribute to effective health promotion * Proposes actions that can improve and maintain an individual’s health * Forms opinions about health-promoting actions based on a critical examination of relevant information * Uses a range of sources to draw conclusions about health and physical activity concepts

State laws in California have banned the sale of sugary drinks and junk foods on elementary food campus, thus making it hard for elementary school kids to get their hands on them at will, furthermore reducing the risks of kids

Intro- a lot of people in America have obesity problems for eating fast food, sweets they don’t eat healthy. It could be better they don’t get enough exercise like they supposed to or water. Young teens are aware of the warning signs and risk factors of obesity and to struggle for the rest of their lives and they have eating disorders not eating healthy can cause diabetes they always eating junk food and not healthy foods they supposed to eat. Being overweight can cause you to die or have serious health problems.

Imagine armed low fat yogurt, granola bars, and trail mixed filled vending machines attacking schools nationwide to combat against child obesity. Odd, right? Forcing students to narrow down their choices of snacks because the government says so. It is important for young students to be able to learn how to make decisions because it is during this phase were the choices they make began having a long term effect on them later on. If students food choices are being made for them by the government, how can young adolescents be trusted with mature activities such as driving a vehicle? Young students are trusted with cars to begin learning the ropes and hopefully become better drivers and make better choices. Junk food should not be banned in schools because students are subject to making their own decisions, school vending machines are not the main source of child obesity, and there are larger issues than vending machines against child obesity.

The health behavior that was chosen to promote during our campaign was yoga. We encouraged students, staff, and faculty members at Knox College to partake in yoga classes offered by the school in order to reduce stress and target a particular health/illness outcome. The main physical health/illness outcome targeted in this campaign was reduced blood pressure. Yoga is also seen to improve cardiovascular health. We chose to focus on the benefits of yoga to improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health instead of just one or the other because most of the studies that we found while researching mentioned both decreased blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health occurring from practicing yoga.

The third reason for getting rid of the junk food ban is that schools are losing large amounts of money because kids will not buy the healthier snacks that are now provided by the school. Cary states that, “Greenville County Schools says forced changes to its in-school food vendors could cost it $1 million in sales this school year.” This is saying that schools could lose up to $1 million because of the changes in vending options. Cary also says that the ban on junk food could affect the after school tutoring programs because of budget cuts. So because of the ban on junk food, students grades and success are being limited because of lack of funding from vending machines and snacks sold throughout and after the school day. Finally, Cary states, “The ban has taken a bite out of fundraisers that sell cookies, candy bars, and popcorn. It also affects vendors who provide items for sale in schools.” This states that the ban on junk food is also affecting fundraising activities and outside companies who will lose millions of dollars because they can no longer sell their products to the schools.

The government banning junk food in schools is genuinely helpful to the students and future generations. Obesity is one of the biggest problems in the US, also lee and sprague said “15 percent of children between six and nineteen suffer from obesity.”(4). Showing that people who suffer from obesity are mostly children. With studying a group of students for over 3 years, but Scientists found out that states with strict laws on nutrition and sugar levels in the food that students are served had less weight, healthier bodies, and better results than with states with weak laws (Tavernise 7). Demonstrating how having strict laws helps students become healthy with no obesity or any health problems. Obesity is affecting people swiftly as Lee and Sprague mentioned “Obesity is rapidly becoming a public health problem in the United States,”(9). Obesity is becoming bigger and more dangerous rapidly and needs to