The Problem Of Childhood Obesity

There is currently a food desert issue in the downtown area of Greeley, Colorado. Greeley is home to 96,539 people. A staggering 21% percent of the residents live in poverty ranking it the highest in the state. The issue in Greeley is not only the amount of people that live in poverty, but those who live in a not so desirable area. Greeley is divided into three sections. On the east side is where most of the poverty is found. The middle section of the city is average or middle class and the west side of town is the high class area where the wealthiest residents live. The issue at hand is the east side of Greeley. The most recent shut down of the only grocery store on that side has left the residents in that area struggling to find adequate groceries to fill their refrigerators and cupboards. Their only way to provide for their families is the local convenience stores. There is a convenience store on just about every corner however, there are multiple problems with having the convenience. One issue is that the prices at a convenience store are substantially higher than that of a regular grocery store. Symptoms include, lack of proper amenities on the east side of town including a grocery store. Transportation to and from the closest grocery store is limited and most people have to walk to the bus stop. The other symptoms include residents with children that can only get a hot meal at school. Most are on free or reduced lunches so the parents at least know

Food deserts are one of the biggest problems in society, as the authors of Food Justice bring up (Gottlieb & Joshi, 2010). In fact, Indianapolis is ranked worst in the nation for food deserts. So what is a food desert? A food desert is when places are left with the lack of availability of nutritious foods and high rates of poverty. Often times, these are known as grocery gaps because grocery stores move out of the area, normally located in low-income communities. It makes sense that they would move to make more profit, but it leaves those in the community left with essentially nothing. Also, most people living in a low-income community do not have access to transportation, so they cannot get to grocery stores that are outside of walking distance. This is why Gleaners, a local food justice organization, steps in and fills in places where grocery stores have left. The program that works to fix this is Mobile Pantries. As I will explore later, Mobile Pantries allows people who cannot reach grocery stores the ability to get nutritious foods they need. Mobile Pantries give people a sense of going to the grocery store and picking out healthy foods. While consumer choice is limited, as Patel mentions, Mobile Pantries still gives people healthy options (Patel, 2014). Gleaners is a part of the Food Justice Movement because while they are not changing consumer choice, they are providing individuals with the option of healthy foods and working to end hunger and obesity

Many of the people living in food deserts are people with low income. These low-income families often turn to the junk food provided at the convenience stores and fast food restaurants because it is all they can afford. Socio-economic status is a defining characteristic of food deserts. Food deserts are most commonly found in areas dominated by minorities and low-income families. Studies show that wealthy areas have about triple the amount of supermarkets as poor urban areas do. In addition to this, predominantly white communities have about 4 times as many grocery stores as predominantly black ones do. Studies also show that grocery stores in African-American neighborhoods are usually smaller and have less option when it comes to the

What exactly qualifies a neighborhood to be part of a food desert? Food deserts usually have a bunch of blocks without a corner grocery store. In a more severe case an entire neighborhood, or a whole bunch of neighborhoods do not have a mainstream grocery store. A mainstream grocery stored would be a grocery store like a Jewel, a Whole Foods, or an Aldi, where

Us Americans love to eat food and eat more than we need to. We tend to snack and constantly eat even when we even arent hungary. Childhood obesity has brought many problems for kids and has allowed them to suffer from things. Surgeon general Richard states that “Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physcial inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parent.” Childhood obesity is increasing among the years, it tends to have many health effects, environmental causes, theories, and many reasons on how to prevent it.

Food desert are urban, suburb, and rural boroughs without ready access to fresh healthy and economical food. The communities that are considered food deserts, has no grocery stores or supermarkets within a walking distance from their household. The families that live in those areas do not have access to transportation; therefore, they consume food that is accessible, which is usually processed. Most stores that people, living in a food desert, go to is convenience stores, which are usually near their households, and are accessible to some healthy foods. Another, place where many people receive their food from is fast food, and the food from those places is greasy and fattening. The lack of access to healthy food could lead to a lot of disasters,

“It's not the extremes and the treats that are the problem. It's the everyday,” Jamie Oliver. Obesity is one of the leading causes of military ineligibility among people 17 to 24, affecting nearly 30% of men and women in this age group. This greatly impacts the future of our country not only in health but in security as well and needs to be given a priority in our busy lives. In order to begin to combat the issue of obesity within the country we, as a government and a people, need to eliminate food deserts within the United States.

Many Americans are suffering from nutrition issues. There are approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents aged 2-19 years that are obese (CDC). The proper health and nutrition for children is very critical to their growth and development. The media and its promotion of junk food is one way that affects obese children. Within this paper, I will discuss the long and short term impacts of obesity on children, their growth and development, describe a specific child who is affected by obesity, and give three ways to combat obesity that involves collaboration among schools, families, and communities.

A food desert is when places are left with the lack of availability of nutritious foods and high rates of poverty. Often times, these are known as grocery gaps because grocery stores move out of the area, normally located in low-income communities. It makes sense that they would move to make more profit, but it leaves those in the community left with essentially nothing. Also, most people living in a low-income community do not have access to transportation, so they cannot get to grocery stores that are outside of walking

Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming an epidemic in America. Children are becoming overweight from lack of exercise and overeating. A average US child eats fast food daily without exercise. More than 15 million US children live in “food insecure” homes which means they have limited access to the foods they need to stay healthy due to the cost of the items according to the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Children are consuming much more than they burn off from exercise daily. Due to children eating more than they burn off, they are suffering from different types of diseases. Researchers are still studying these epidemics. So far, statistics have shown that children are in fact becoming obese from not exercising

A food desert is an area, typically of low income and minority residents, that lacks access to nutritious and affordable food. Food deserts are places where there are not enough supermarkets, thus the population is deprived of whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. On the contrary, an area with many grocery stores and an abundant supply of affordable and healthful food, is known as a food oasis. In 2010 the United States Department of Agriculture reported that roughly 18 million Americans live in food deserts. These food deserts are defined by residents living more than one mile away from a grocery store in urban or suburban areas, and more than 10 miles away in rural areas (Lee, 2017). The food desert areas put those families and and individuals who are already at a disadvantage, and puts them in a position of greater disadvantages. Food deserts are a social problem for they have detrimental effects on society, and exacerbates the instability and inequality within a community.

This includes the distribution of health care services and resources, transportation, as well as income within the same city. Geography is also directly related to the social determinants of health since these are the circumstances in which people are born, live, and work (Jonas & Kovner 376). In urban areas, not having access to close and affordable quality fresh food, also known as food deserts, are linked to other health disparities and diet-related health problems. Just as with the previous example about Hispanic and Asian Americans, people living in food deserts might be able to have access to health care services, but do not have access to other elements related to their health such as healthy foods. It is also common that if people do not have access to healthy foods do not have access either to affordable quality health care services such as preventive

During the 1970’s, about 5% of American children between the ages of two and nineteen were considered to be “obese”. Over the past several decades, that percentage has risen to a whopping 17% - a change that is seemingly minute. It may only appear as a 12% increase, however, that 17% translates to 12.5 million children and teens burdened with the challenge of obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is defined as having a body mass index that exceeds the 95th percentile (U.S. Department of Health). In other words, the average between the mass and the height of an obese child is greater than that of 95% of all other children. As in any medical issue, the biggest concerns for childhood obesity stem from the potential risk factors that can result. Some of which include diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and even death. Thus, many have sought out the root cause of the issue as well as the most effective solutions. Childhood obesity, promoted by a processed diet, increasing portion sizes, and limited access to healthy, affordable foods, is an epidemic plaguing a vast number of children within the United States and will continue to do so if left to fester. Nonetheless, this ailment can be remedied through an extensive understanding of proper nutrition, dedication to maintaining dietary excellence, and emphasis on prevention.

Childhood obesity is an increasing problem here in the United States. According to Schuab and Marian (2011) “Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions” (P.553). The prevalence of child obesity and overweight has increased over the last 30 years all over the United States, becoming one of the biggest public health challenges (Moreno, Johnson-Shelton, & Boles, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to give a background of the obesity epidemic, a review of current policy, and make a policy recommendation.

Smaller governmental initiatives have proven effective, as well as campaigns run by non-governmental organization, yet a large scale federal initiative has yet to be established. Childhood obesity is an ever growing epidemic that has increased to unacceptable proportions. In order to prevent any further escalation of this public, federal legislation must be advocated for and passed that creates more opportunities for physical activity, increased access to healthy food, and puts an end to dishonest marketing. By bringing together leaders from across the industry, academia and public health with policymakers and their advisors, the Campaign provides the information and guidance that decision makers need to make the policy changes that