Childhood Obesity Epidemic

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Recommended: childhood obesity reaserch proposal

‘’We don’t have these children 24 hours a day,

they go home, they go out with friends, they are

off all summer and everything about the world …

conspires to undo even the best things that happen

in schools.’’ - - Belkin, 2006

Abstract

This paper describes the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic and the school intervention movement to develop healthy lifestyles and reduce obesity. It discusses the extent to which schools can reduce childhood obesity and the need for involvement of other groups in order to increase the impact that schools can have. The implications of involving families and the federal government are examined with a focus on the role these groups play in supporting the fight against obesity and the school intervention movement. The relevant information for this article came from magazines, industry magazines and newspapers.

The greatest health risk facing children today is not a terrible disease such as Ebola, or an unthinkable trauma such as abuse; it is obesity, which is defined by the medical community as the accumulation of body fat levels above twenty five percent in boys and thirty two percent in girls. While the formula for maintaining healthy weight has never changed — balance the number of calories you consume with the number you burn. A greater portion of

Americans are unable to balance the equation. The levels of childhood obesity have risen in the past decades;

presently twenty five percent of American children are obese with 80 percent of this group destined to become obese adults (Del Marco, 2006).

The growing concern for obesity as a public health concern for children and adults has led to an effort to combat

this disease. This movement is marked by an effort ...

... middle of paper ...

...cian, 74 (8), 1434. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from Proquest

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Del Marco, M (2006, November). S & S helping to curb kid obesity. Multichannel Merchant, 23 (11), 12. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from Proquest Direct database

The great ‘candy in schools’ debate. Candy Industry,( 2006, March) 171 (3), 41. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from Proquest Direct database

Healthy eating to prevent childhood obesity (2006, March/April). American Teacher. 90 (6), 17. Retrieved

November 10, 2006, from Proquest Direct database

Kubik, M. (2006, March) Study: schools contribute to childhood obesity. Hmong Times, 9 (5), 17. Retrieved

November 10, 2006, from Proquest Direct database

Soft drink companies pull products from schools (2006, May). Beverage Industry, 97 (5), 6. Retrieved

November 10, 2006, from Proquest Direct database

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