There is an epidemic so fierce, it is impacting families from California to Maine. It is not the
Ebola epidemic. It is childhood obesity. An estimated 1 in 7 children between the ages of 6 to 17
are overweight and/or obese. That is a staggering 14 percent. Compared to 5 percent
almost 20 years ago. Hispanics, African-Americans, and American Indians, females to
males are more prone to this devastating medical condition. So many divided on an
issue that everyone can see; the health and welfare of children. Obesity can be
controlled and possibly maintained. At what cost and how many are willing to pay the
price to fight this disease?
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) the average American
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Some parents say physical education is necessary in school
but teachers lack the time and schools lack fund due to the “no child left behind
legislation” which takes up time to prep students for testing from other courses.
Most children are products of the American public school system. School
systems nationwide are feeling the economic crunch along with the parents who send
their children to be taught. Districts everywhere are faced with daunting task of
“balancing the budget.” Schools are forced with cost of hiring new teachers, more
students attending with no increase in income, creating a equal academic environment.
Unfortunately school lunch is placed on the back burner in budget meetings. In the
United States, the average cost of 1 school meal, K-12, is $3 (Newman, Ralston, and
Clauson). It is expected to rise 10% every year. In addition, using more healthful food
will add another estimated $1.50 to each meal. Some say the added nutrition is
necessary for children to be healthy; nutrition experts speculate most healthy food will
end up in the trash due to poor lifestyle habits the children are subjected to at home.
Taxpayers and parents then lean to government for assistance and delegation.
Another solution that lawmakers, medical and most financial experts say will be
the best course of action is obesity awareness and training. Training and education for
Childhood obesity is becoming an increasingly severe problem in today’s society. This portfolio aims to explain different causations of childhood obesity, and evaluate the interventions that have been put in place to combat the issue.
Families across the nation are affected by this issue. Many parents have a lack of knowledge in regards to nutrition and activity, in hindsight the food industry impact families. The article The Childhood Obesity Epidemic discuss despite the government pushing for healthy food choice initiates, have to continue to maximize selling of their products that include junk food, therefore blame shifting towards the food industry (McHugh, 2016, p. 95).
The schools play an important part in the health of a child, there in schools they learn how to be active, eat healthy, and some schools districts provide a great program fun and fitness, but unfortunately, not all kids that need it participate in those programs, due to the lack of information to the parents.
Childhood obesity is a major public health epidemic which has significantly risen over the past three decades and there is no chance in sight of slowing it down unless real action is taken. This major health crisis continues to reduce individuals’ quality of life and has caused severe health problem like heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. In most cases, obese children grow up to be an obese adult. The prevalence of childhood obesity can be addressed through education initiatives such as school prevention programs because children spent a majority of their time outside of the home at school, therefore school provides a great opportunity to educate and improve a child’s health at an ideal point before the problem gets worst. My paper will focus on childhood obesity prevention in Hill Top Middle school Lodi, New Jersey.
Therefore we need to change the school lunch system even if we would spend a bit more money on school lunches.As a result, we would offer healthier and satisfying school lunches. It would only cost about $5 per child and annually about $27 billion dollars,it may sound to be a costly price. In response to that,there would be an immense outcome of benefits,such as lessening obesity and kids would be able to focus more in school because they would be obtaining healthier school lunches. Proven by researchers' children can process and learn more accurately by eating nutritious meals,unfortunately current lunch meals can not help improve that. Also,several kids are only able to get their meals at school because of financial circumstances.So if it was possible to have nutritious lunches they would get healthier vitamins and
many overweight children, for the first time ever the current generation of children is expected to have
The reasons for this epidemic might be the lack of proper nutrition and sedentary lifestyle of some American children. To end this epidemic, different courses of action are available to take to prevent the next generation of kids from being obese. By improving the health of American children, the economy is also benefiting from future workers that are healthy and active. A healthy and successful America can be reached by having healthy children who might be running America in the next decades to
A. The child obesity epidemic remains a major public concern in the United States and other countries.
Definition of Childhood Obesity: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), a child with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex are considered overweight. If a child or teen has a BMI over the 95th percentile they are considered obese (CDC, 2015).
The first lady Michelle Obama took the initiative to inform about the epidemic of obesity among children’s because “Over the past three decades, childhood obesity in America have triple, and today nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese” (Let’s Move). The percentage of young children ages six through eleven years have increase in eleven percent that means that children obtaining more weight, also among teenagers ages twelve through nineteen years old who have been obese and this number has increase from five percent to nearly twenty one percent over the
food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of
How would you feel if I told you this very epidemic was in your house now? America is
The question that has been debated for years is who is responsible for the children’s weight. In the articles that where researched during this paper the parents were responsible. The reason that they were responsible was because the decisions that parent make about their family and the lifestyle that they live affects their child’s health and it can also affect their health in the future. When you move out of your parent’s house you tend to mimic things that they did such as if they always bought Tide as their laundry soap when you got out on your own you probably bought Tide. Now when you were in a pinch one time you may have tried another brand because it was cheaper but for the most part you revert back to what you know. As a parent you should want your children to be as healthy as they can be a lot of parents that where talked to while researching the subject of childhood obesity seemed to just not have the knowledge about obesity.
Childhood obesity is an epidemic that goes on throughout the United States. Studies have shown how obesity in children may start, and how it affects each and every child in America. Childhood obesity has been getting attention in the media from famous celebrities all the way to the First Lady of the United States. There are many things that cause childhood obesity and very few ways to stop it. However, there are people out there who are trying to help by getting children active, eating healthy and getting back on track to having a healthy and long life.
Obesity has been a major health issue in the community for the past three decades, and has recently become a spreading concern for children (Black & Hager, 2013). Childhood obesity leads to many health and financial burdens in the future, and has become a public health priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016), childhood obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Black and Hager (2013) state that pediatric obesity is a major public health problem that effects a child’s mental and physical health. Having childhood obesity also increases the risk of developing adult obesity and many other chronic illnesses. Childhood obesity will be further explored in the following sections and will include: background, current surveillance methods, epidemiology analysis, screening and diagnosis, and the plan of action.