Childhood Obesity

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Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity are all health issues of concern to children in the United States today. These illnesses that previously had been limited to the adult population now plague America’s youth. A contributing factor to such serious illnesses is a skewed view of nutrition. Children in the United States are starved in a different way than children of third world countries. American children are starved of the proper nutrients and whole foods that are the cornerstone of good health. To eliminate these illnesses, children and their parents need to be better educated on healthy eating habits. Nutrition can stop, reverse or prevent the development of illness and decrease medical costs. An examination of childhood obesity in America reveals the nexus with the school lunch policies at the federal and state level. Flaws in these policies due to funding and nutrition guidelines cause children to suffer from the poor quality foods available in school and subsequently experience from numerous health defects.

Childhood obesity is on the rise; rates have nearly tripled since the 1980s (CDC, 2011). According to the Center for Disease Control, 17% of children in the United States are classified as obese. One in every three children are overweight or obese (AHA, 2012). Overweight children have a body mass index between the 85th and 95th percentile in their age and sex category (CDC). For a child to be classified as “obese” their BMI must be above the 95th percentile for children of their age and sex (CDC). Such serious rates of obesity should implement more change. However, the harmful effects of obesity occur over a period of time and serious implications may take years to arise and be handled seriously. Ob...

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Dell’Antonia, K.J. (2011, November 3). Lobbying against the too-healthy school lunch. Slate.

Retrieved from http://www.slate.com

Freedman, D.S., Mei, Z., Srinivasan, S.R., Berenson, G.S., & Dietz, W.H. (2007). Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa heart study. Journal of Pediatrics, 150(1), 12-17.

Hellmich, N. (2011, January 12). USDA calls for dramatic change in school lunches. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition

Mayo Clinic. (2011). Nutrition for kids: guidelines for a healthy diet. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-for-kids

Sanchez, M. (2011, November 21). School lunch policy: let them eat crud. Chicago Tribune.

Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com

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