Physical Activity is undeniably good for everyone, not only does it keep you fit and healthy but when started at a young age, it can set up good habits for life. Sometimes however, people do not take care of their physical wellbeing, resulting in obesity and other eating disorders which can be detrimental to their health.
Obesity is the condition of being seriously overweight. It is now considered a global health epidemic by the World Health Organization (2000) (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). Physical activity is important to children in the middle childhood age group because a staggering amount of children have become overweight in the last few decades and teachers play a role in preventing obesity by becoming a positive role model, teaching children about physical activity and the importance of nutrition, and understanding the way in which children develop and what their developmental needs are during those stages (McDevitt & Ormrod).
In middle childhood, approximately 40% of obese 7 year olds remain obese as adults, according to Epstein, Wing and Valoski (1985). Childhood Obesity is a major concern as it not only can have related social issues where children can get bullied, but can result in serious diseases in adult life such as Diabetes and heart conditions (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). It is because of these alarming facts and figures that it is even more important to instil the benefits of physical activity and eating habits in children.
During middle childhood (ages 6-10) there are many physical developmental changes happening within the child’s body. These include slowing but regular increases in weight and height and the fine tuning of gross motor skills that can then be used in more structured play activities.(McDev...
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...he role of recess in children’s cognitive performance. Educational Psychologist, 32, 35-40. Cited in McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J.E. (2010). Child Development And Education. (4th ed.). New Jersey. Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Budd, G. M., & Volpe. S. L. (2006). School based obesity prevention: Research, challenges and recommendations. Journal of School Health, 76, 485-495. Cited in McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J.E. (2010). Child Development And Education. (4th ed.). New Jersey. Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Haerens, L., Deforche, B. Maes, L., Cardon, G., Stevens, V., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2006). Evaluation of a 2-year physical activity and healthy eating intervention in middle school children. Health Education Research, 21, 911-921. Cited in McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J.E. (2010). Child Development And Education. (4th ed.). New Jersey. Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
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.
Exercise, food, technology, and money all play a role in causing childhood obesity. Lack of exercise among adolescents has been proven to be the leading cause of childhood obesity. According to a May 2012 Institute of Medicine report, only half of America’s children and one in four teens get enough activity to meet current guidelines (Doheny and Noonman 1). The recommendations call for children to participate in at least 60 minutes of vigorous to moderate physical activity every day (Hendrick 1). “Only four percent of elementary schools, eight percent of middle schools, and two percent of high schools provide daily physical ...
Over the last few decades the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has been steadily increasing in the United States drawing immediate concern for the coming generations and the overall health and well-being for society. While addressing this concern, a matter of significance has to be reviewed to undoubtedly warrant the attention of the nation and propose factors of government, community, organizational, and individual involvement. According to the Society of Behavioral Medicine, “Since 1960, overweight prevalence rates among children and adolescents have increased more than threefold. In 2003-2006, 16.3% of children and adolescents aged 2 – 19 years were at or above the 95th percentile and 31.9% were at or above the 85th percentile for age and sex based on the 2000 CDC growth charts.” (SBM). Below in Figure 1 taken directly from the CDC, is a chart helping put into perspective the dramatic increase of child and adolescent obesity from 1963 – 2008.
There is an alarming rise in childhood obesity throughout the United States, making it an epidemic in our country. Obesity has become a threat to the health of many children. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.(Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015)
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Schwartz, M. B., & Puhl, R. M. (2003). Childhood obesity: A societal problem to solve. The International Associaition for the Study of Obesity: Obesity Reviews, 4, 57-58-71.
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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).
Physical Activity is important to middle childhood (6 – 10 year olds) because it gives them good self esteem and looks after their holistic health. It teaches our children to make healthy choices with food and to exercise from an early age. As a teacher it is important to role model so children know what is expected of them. In the body of this essay I will talk about why physical activity is important in the middle childhood age and what my role as a teacher is in preventing and addressing obesity. Finally I will discuss ways a teacher could assist in preventing and or addressing obesity.
I believe that physical activity will improve one's health in two aspects – the physical state of one's body, and the mental health of the individual, both of which are crucial in maintaining the well-being of a person, and taps onto other domains mentioned in the Healthy Lifestyle Index Report (such as BMI, sleep, stress and depression).
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.
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...
Many studies have come to the conclusion that individuals who participate in health and wellness routines as well as a regular exercise program have a relatively increased degree of energy, lower healthcare bills, much better quality of life along with less stress, as well as improved health. Staying in good physical shape and healthy calls for everyone, to be conscious of their health, to be aware of the key fitness and health components and to follow them.
Exercising helps in many different ways such as gaining muscular strength and ability. A person's desire is to lose weight and have a perfect toned figure, but it also helps ease a lot of other conditions as well. Exercising is considered to be a mood booster. It helps improve self esteem and will lower depression. It will make a person a lot happier, and will help bring a positive reaction in the body. Physical activity is very important for obesity. It is really important for obese children or adults to get some form of exercise in their lives. It can be very beneficial for them and can help prevent long term illnesses. People that exercise on a daily basis do it because it helps them feel more positive about themselves and they will be more energized, motivated and focused for the day. It gives people an excessive amount of happiness.