According to a 2010 report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past thirty years. As well as having an impact on health, studies have cited a relationship between obesity and poor school performance as well as a child’s readiness for learning and education. This can be correlated with studies finding “obese children have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem” (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, para. 2). It has also been documented that obese children miss more days from school than the general student population and “many will lack the energy to sustain the concentration needed to process new information” (Yaussi, 2005, p. 106). Poor nutritional habits have been identified as one of many contributing factors to the increase in childhood obesity. While a multi-disciplinary approach involving family, teachers, medical care providers and the community is desirable, schools, particularly teachers, are in a unique position to play a major role in the education of children and adolescents about nutrition and the prevention of obesity. “Schools are important settings to implement prevention and intervention due to their access, duration of exposure, and subsequent impact on the behavior of children and adolescents” (Pyle, Sharkey, Yetter, Felix, Furlong, & Poston, 2006, p. 372). The challenge of schools, then, is to design and effectively implement a successful curriculum incorporating traditional lecture style, core information with the learning styles and technology skills of today’s 21st century learners, the Net Generation. Twenty-first century learners are digital learne... ... middle of paper ... ...-376. Skinner, H., Biscope, S., Poland, B., & Goldberg, E. (2003). How Adolescents Use Technology for Health Information: Implications for Health Professionals from Focus Group Studies. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 5(4). Taras, H., & Potts-Datema, W. (2005). Obesity and Student Performance at School. Journal of School Health, 75(8), 291. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Healthy Youth!. Retrieved March 20, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/. Thornburg, R., & Hill, K. (2004). Using Internet Assessment Tools for Health and Physical Education Instruction. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 48(6), 53-55. Yaussi, S. (2005). The Obesity Epidemic: How Non-PE Teachers Can Improve the Health of Their Students. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 79105-108.
Many would argue that children should not focus on their weight because children should lead a youth with little worries, yet obesity affects a child much more than people with that argument think. Being overweight can cause increased risks for several serious diseases and even can result in decreased mental health on account of low self-esteem and social discrimination. Children who are overweight also are at least twice as likely to have heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic problems (Internicola, 2009). Sadly, children are being pressured into unhealthy lifestyles even more so than adults are.
From Kindergarten to 12th grade, children spend most of their time at school. School, what we adults think, is supposed to be the teachers of our children while we are at work. They feed them lunch, and possibly breakfast, five days out the week, keep them active, and teach them all about their body and health in health class. But, are they really taking care of them enough? Some schools fail to serve healthy foods, teach health class, or even provide enough time to be physically active. One in three kids are obese, that is reason enough to care about these children’s lives at school. Schools are one of the reasons that the younger generation has a fast growing obese rate.
Many children who are obese are the targets of bullying from other children. Self-esteem can be greatly damaged from a disease that can be prevented. Having an obese or once obese person tell the stories of struggle, difficulties and how life is greatly impacted by not eating right and exercising could have a great influence on just how serious obesity is. In the academic journal, “Childhood obesity and Self-Esteem”, has found that there are social and emotional effects from childhood obesity. Other than just low self-esteem, obesity can lead to “Smoking and consuming alcohol” (Strauss 3) compared to children who are not obese. Preventing obesity could also decrease the rate of smoking and drinking in children underage. The more than one solution to how this can be done, for parents and students, for schools “Replacing vending machines containing unhealthy foods and drinks and replace with healthy items” (Green 4). This has been increasing in many schools and even colleges; Montgomery College has also taken the steps of changing the vending machine. Another resolution for schools is to “Provide quality daily physical education for all students. Be sure to select activities that are fun, challenging, and aerobic in nature” (Green
In order to impede the epidemic of childhood obesity, the actual causes of the problem need to be evaluated and dissected. Obesity in children is becoming a huge problem in American society. In the past three decades, the rate of overweight children has increased by 300%. This is an alarming rate that is only climbing higher. Every member in society should take steps to becoming healthier. This would help the present generations as well as future generations to come. The lifestyle of Americans keeps us too busy to be a healthy society.
Obesity in children across America has become an increasing public health concern. Obesity has been identified as an epidemic that is plaguing our children in the United States. In some countries around the world children are dying of starvation everyday. How can this happen when here in America the opposite is a major problem? This is not to say that in America there are no hungry or starving children. It has been proven that our children suffer from obesity, and “children who are overweight or obese as preschoolers are five times as likely as normal-weight children to be overweight or obese as adults” (“Hope”). Obesity not only can cause a child to become more prone to having health problems down the road, but it can also make them feel insecure about themselves. There needs to be action taken in schools as well as in homes to help prevent this growing epidemic.
Many kids in America suffer from type 2 diabetes and obesity. Schools do not inform children enough on what they should know about to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Schools should give information about having a healthy lifestyle by what they offer kids for breakfast and lunch, offering health classes to children at young ages, and limiting the amount of unneeded material students are exposed to at school.
Amongst one of the bigger health issues in United States children is obesity. Obesity is a condition in which a person has accumulated an excess amount of body fat that it has become detrimental to their health. To track this health professionals use the term “obese” when a person has a body mass index (BMI) of over 30. Although BMI should not be the only determining factor of whether or not you child is obese as it only takes into account of height and weight, it is one of the better known systems of telling whether or not a person is overweight or obese (Nichols). Obesity comes with a range of other health conditions that can include but are not limited to cancer, diabetes, and depression. Not only do children and teens who suffer from obesity acquire many health diseases, they also tend to get failing grades and are bullied amongst peers. Most Americans correlate being obese with having an unhealthy lifestyle, but according to a 2006 Fox News article there may be other factors that attribute to obesity that include smoking, medicine, pollution, technology and lack of sleep. (“10 Causes of Obesity Other Than Overeating”). One part that does although indeed play a role in to child obesity rates is economics.
Shaya, Fadia T.; Flores, David; Gbarayor, Confidence M.; Wang, Jingshu. School-based obesity interventions: a literature review. Journal of School Health. April 1, 2008. Accessed on March 4, 2011 from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-180799519.html
Childhood obesity is a serious problem among American children. Some doctors are even calling childhood obesity an epidemic because of the large percentage of children being diagnosed each year as either overweight or obese. “According to DASH sixteen to thirty-three percent of American children each year is being told they are obese.” (Childhood Obesity) There is only a small percentage, approximately one percent, of those children who are obese due to physical or health related issues; although, a condition that is this serious, like obesity, could have been prevented. With close monitoring and choosing a healthier lifestyle there would be no reason to have such a high obesity rate in the United States (Caryn). Unfortunately, for these children that are now considered to be obese, they could possibly be facing some serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancers. All of these diseases have been linked to obesity through research. These children never asked for this to happen to them; however, it has happened, and now they will either live their entire life being obese, or they will be forced to reverse what has already been done (Childhood Obesity).
Obesity: Strategies And Solutions For Schools And Parents." Education 132.4 (2012): 915-920. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
"TeensHealth." When Being Overweight Is a Health Problem. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. .
Childhood obesity that is due to food insecurity has great influence over children’s health and future. The consequences of childhood obesity include diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, poor academic performance, behavioral problems, school absenteeism, and greater risk of obesity as an adult (O’Connor).
In further studies, obesity is proven to lead children to have behavior problems as they get older. “In addition, research has found that overweight children tend to become adolescents with lower self-esteem and significantly higher rates of sadness, loneliness and nervousness. They’re also more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such
Educational institutions have the potential to, first and foremost, educate and assist the young people of today with making the positive, healthful choices necessary to maintain good health. Over 4,500 students have been followed in recent research studies and these “thousands of sixth graders who participated in a school-based health program were less obese by eighth grade than a group of similar children who did not, according to a new study done for the National Institutes of Health” (Rabin). Schools need to create health programs focused on assisting all children suffering from being overweight or obese. Policies such as fitness programs, nutrition classes, and healthful meals can even impact every student by creating a strong foundation and awareness of the negative, long term effects associated with practicing unhealthy habits. Although the financial expenses would be necessary, the adaption of scho...
Obesity simply put, is an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity puts children at increased risk of disease and other health-related problems. Childhood obesity is a very serious and ongoing problem-putting children on the pathway to health conditions earlier in their life such as diabetes, elevated cholesterol, hypertension. Childhood obesity also has a link to depression as well as affects the self-esteem of children and adolescent. I recently performed a community teaching on childhood obesity and will be discussing the teaching experience, observation, summary of the teaching plan, epidemiological rationale for childhood obesity, evaluation of my teaching and the community’s response to the teaching.