Negative Effects of Today’s Food on Elementary-Aged Children Essay

Some may say if foods contain sugars and trans fats, then don’t eat them; however, the foods containing sugars and trans fats are still unhealthy for everyone. Not everyone knows the consequences of not taking trans fats and sugars out of today’s foods. These trans fats can cause heart disease and other diseases from foods. These are the foods that people want their children to eat, they don’t want their children to end

Health issues like obesity are rampant due to low levels of nutrition in food served in public schools. Childhood obesity is a serious disaster in today's world as it is on the reverse spectrum of as eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa, but still carries with it serious health implications that can affect an individual throughout their lifetime. One specific factor playing a role in childhood obesity is the fact that the food eaten by children is not nutritious.

This article shows that fast food today is convenient because people have a lot of work to do in a very short time, so so thinking about driving through the fast food restaurant is easier and better than cooking. Therefore, one thing parents don't know is that fats, sugars, and salts are engaging their children primordial tastes. The most widely recognized disease that impacts children is obesity. Studies show that 15-20% of children aged 12-18 are overweight. In addition, obese children can affect emotional and

The fast food is high in fat and an added drink is nothing but sugar. Another factor of a bad diet is over eating or portion size, “Consuming large portions, in addition to frequent snacking on highly caloric foods, contribute to an excessive caloric intake” (Sahoo par 17). Well, unhealthy food is high in calories, it doesn’t fill you up, these calories are known as empty calories. This means kids are eating more calories than they need without even realizing it. When children pick up these bad eating habits young they tend to stick. When eating a plethora of calories daily, exercise is needed to burn the extra calories the body doesn’t need. Children who are not exercising enough and eating too many calories causes obesity. According to the Mayo Clinic, a medical research group, sedentary activities like playing video games have become a huge factor in childhood obesity. Children who are not exercising are not burning calories meaning they are more likely to gain weight (Staff par. 7). With the increase in technology such as cell phones, video games, and computers, children are not getting enough exercise. Children used to get daily exercise in school through PE and

68 percent of students say they buy food from the cafeteria every day. Proper nutrition is tied to better academic performance. This means that kids will not do their best in school if they are fed unhealthy lunches (Black). The unhealthy lunches kids are given at school are the main contribution to childhood obesity. According to scientists, children who eat too much fat, sugar, sodium or processed food and too few vitamins and minerals are likely to develop a higher risk over time for several chronic health problems (Angela). These health problems include heart disease, and diabetes. At this time, more than ever, 55 percent of Americans are obese and 20 percent of Americans are overweight (Three Facts About School Lunches). Many schools offer healthy choices, but they did not decrease the calories in them, and they typically still offer unhealthy snack items (Three Facts About School Lunches). In a school cafeteria with both healthy and unhealthy choices offered to kids, most kids are not willing to choose the healthier choices over the unhealthy ones. So where an apple is avoided and a bag of potato chips is selected as a child’s first choice for a snack

No fat diets can actually do more harm than good. The body needs moderation of all energy producing macronutrients; fats, carbohydrates and proteins. By not eating any fat, the body starts to utilize the fats stored in the body, thus depleting the stores and people lose weight. However, once those stores are gone, the good fats or HDL’s, are no longer able to filter out the bad cholesterol. This can lead to increased cholesterol levels in the blood and heart disease. A no fat diet also causes poor vitamin absorption of the necessary fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fats transport those vitamins from the liver to various parts of the body.

Many schools around the nation are feeding unhealthy food products to children, such as fries, sodas, sweets from vending machines. It is shown that, “an estimated 17% of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”

Low fat diet advocates, like Pritikin, recommend foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, thereby allowing larger portions and good nutrition while eating less calories.

Obesity rates among children have risen over the last two decades (Gatto et al. 2012), with roughly one third of the youth population being overweight or obese. This is of concern due to the association between obesity and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, asthma, psychological or psychiatric problems, dyslipidemia, and hypertension (Gatto et al. 2012; Contento et al. 2010). Additionally, high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and energy-dense foods along with a low intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains has been linked to childhood obesity (Beasley et al. 2012). Studies have shown that most children in the United States do not meet the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. For children two

This trend is senseless and unreasonable. A diet high in sugar can create just as much damage as a diet high in fat. High-sugar diets can have both short and long term consequences. High-sugar diets can also lead to the onset of type II diabetes, which is extremely common throughout the U.S. Millions of people are diagnosed with type II diabetes each year and two significant contributing factors are high-fat and high-sugar diets. It is important to understand the difference between “good” and “bad” fats. The “good fat” (unsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, Omega-3s) have the potential to lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease. All types of food, including those containing “good fat,” should be regulated and consumed in moderation.

My first reason is the most important reason. Children should be eating less amounts of junk food, why? because of the health benefits in the long run. Furthermore, children have little knowledge of the outcome. They get high risks of heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes. Children are unaware of these risks.

In 1990s low-fat diets were conventionally followed by the people that did not have any strong scientific evidence ((http://authoritynutrition.com/7-ways-the-low-fat-diet-destroys-your-health/)). Generally, fat-free diet or low-fat diet plans encourage us to switch to harmful food items which are made of ‘easy’ carbohydrates such as breads, rice, sugary juices or starchy foods. Such diet plans impose great amount of health risk by causing easily digestible carbohydrates to raise our blood glucose and triglyceride levels quickly. This in long run increases the risk of weight gain, diabetes and heart diseases. Additionally, the low fat diets lower testosterone hormone levels in the body leading to increased body fat, osteoporosis, depression

For years the USDA has advised that we should reduce the amount of saturated fat in our diets. The logic follows that cutting out fat will lower cholesterol levels. Michael Lester states: “The removal of fats from out diet has led to an increase in consumption of carbohydrates and processed low-fat alternatives, which has contributed to record levels of diabetes and obesity." ("The Truth About Fat.").Is it possible that by searching for fat-free alternatives, we could be doing more harm than good? A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that when people followed either a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet for one year, those who cut back on carbs lost significantly more weight and body fat than those who restricted fat from their diet. Researchers also found that people who followed a low carbohydrate diet were able to reduce their risk of heart

Fast food tastes best when they are fresh out of the restaurant. No matter how big the portion is, fast food can be hardly eaten as leftovers. So children have gradually trained their stomachs-adults likewise-to hold fattier, oily, sugary foods that come in super sizes. The initial issue seemed to be just being overweight and obese, as these children who consume more fatty foods than necessary grew up to be a fat generation of adults. But now, the fast food monster has grown bigger and wilder that it brings children critical health issues at much younger ages.

I sit down to watch T.V to catch my shows I’ve missed. Once I press the on demand button, the first commercial is McDonald ten pieces chicken nugget with small fries for two dollar and fifty cents. I think to myself I could make a healthy dinner but I feel so tired for school and work. So before I could change in to my pajama, I decided to go to McDonald that a block away. Never thinking of how much calories goes into the meal that I’m about to take in. Fast food is America guilty pressure and because of that American people have become inactive when it comes to cooking. America society of the twenty-first century have gone to the breaking point where they want easy harmless food that cheap instead of eating healthy organic food. Fast food companies are targeting mostly children and students and make millions of dollars in profit. I know this because I’m a students and there are days I just want a burger then salad. Each and every day people choose to eat at fast food restaurants because it quick, especially for people with jobs and are always in a hurry, but many do not know the truth behind these fast food companies and the dangerous effects that happens when we eat fast food a lot. In this Research paper I will explain the reason eating fast food affect a person body, the danger and statistic of obesity in children and how