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Childhood obesity united states
School nutrition in schools assignment
Nutrition at schools
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Physicians and researchers did numerous studies on children’s habits and lifestyles as an important part of society. Nowadays, children face big problems with obesity. As a result, researchers have learned that healthy habits could have a profound impact on the future of every child and get a better understanding of how children perceive healthy eating. Researchers have proved and would like to emphasize that obesity has tripled in Canadian children in recent decades. For this reason, researchers have identified that healthy behaviors have numerous benefits. By making healthy food choices and explaining the nutritional value of various foods to children will improve the lifestyle of every child and make children’s health better. After a large quantity of interviews that were used to collect data on what food children prefer to eat and why it was discovered that they have bad eating habits and lifestyle. Researchers have found that only 75% of children understood healthy eating by identifying what is healthy food and what is junk food. Almost all children have mentioned eating fruits and vegetables. Findings suggested that children had previously heard or thought about these topics. As a result, these findings were used to improve unhealthy lifestyles and to give many useful instructions about healthy food choices to parents. Researchers suggest expanding children’s knowledge about food and dietary behaviors, and also develop a better understanding about children’s healthy lifestyles. (Protudjer, L. 2010).
Introduction
To have healthy children is the goal of every parent in the world.
In a world where fast food is quickly becoming popular, it has become more difficult to control our children’s eating habits. More and more chil...
... middle of paper ...
... are important for their health and lifestyle.
Recommendations
The best nutrition instructions to keep a child healthy and help him/her maintain healthy eating habits throughout the life include the following:
Eat a variety of healthy food: vegetables, fruits, grain products, fish, and meat
Balance the food a child eats with physical activity
Choose food low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, and salt
Choose food that provides enough calcium and iron, vitamins and minerals, which promotes the body and brain development
Besides all recommendations, the process of transition to a healthy food habits is one of the most effective ways to help children to maintain healthy eating habits. It is impossible to force them to eat healthy food if we do not follow the same requirement. Choosing a healthy lifestyle has to be a role model for all family members.
Children that live an unhealthy lifestyle are more prone to becoming obese later in life. Furthermore, the cause of children becoming more obese includes; children that do not participate in physical activity, children that eat lots of snacks, play video games or watch TV, and that do not eat a healthy balanced meal. In addition, the parent or guardian of the child also plays a role in whether the child becomes obese or not by “What” they offer the child to eat, and the type of environment the food is served in such as “When” and “Where” food is offered. Moreover, as a child grows there are different food exposures that create a preference for food intake, these exposures include sweet & salty foods, familiar foods, consumption of foods high
Americans are constantly facing obstacles to healthy eating. Obesity is something that is growing rapidly in the United States. Some Americans argue that fast-food restaurants play a major role in obesity. In “Preventing Obesity” Barbara Mantel states, “Four of the companies — Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Hershey and Mars — pledge not to advertise any food and beverage products on programming for children younger than 12, and the remaining firms pledge that 100 percent of their children's advertising would be for self-designated ‘better-for-you’ products ” (805-806). Whenever children see a junk-food or candy commercial they are instantly attracted to it, it might be because of how colorful they are or the usual toy they receive when they buy kids
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.
It is apparent that living an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as eating poorly, negatively affects one’s health. From a young age it is quickly learned which foods are considered healthful as opposed to junk food. It is a parents responsibility to supervise the intake of their child's food, however there is a higher risk than ever before of childhood obesity.
In today’s time, most parents are busy with their work. They don’t have time for their children. The child’s health depends on the parental influences. Parents have the most important role in their children activities. Some parents allow their children to consume more outside food and junk food. They do not have time to encourage their children to do physical activities and outdoor activities. The type of food available in the home and the food preferences of family members can influence the children diet and
13 (3), 524. Retrieved from Healthy Child Care Library of Articles: http://healthychild.net/NutritionAction.php?article_id=524. Sorte, J., Daeschel, I., Amador, C. (2011). Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children. (Ashford University, ed.).
Public health nursing focuses on promoting the health of a community. This position requires attention to measures such as conducting community assessments, identifying vulnerable populations, ethical practices, community education, epidemiology, and more. One such issue addressed by public health nursing is childhood obesity. Obesity has been, and continues to be, a major global health concern. As a public health nurse, identifying populations, assessing risks, and educating a community all contribute to finding a system that helps address this concern. With rates increasing, especially in adolescents and children, this health issue is a serious epidemic effecting the world.
Numerous children are victims of a variety of health problems inflicted by the deficiency of good nutrition and physical activity. Childhood obesity is a national epidemic and is continuously growing rapidly. Obesity is an excessive amount of body fat in relation to body mass, being overweight is your body weight in relation to your height (L. Marcus Ph. D and A. Baron M.S.W.). Obesity is the most distinct medical condition but the most difficult condition to treat. Obesity is the result of calorie imbalance. Obesity is commonly caused by overeating and lack of exercise although there are genetic diseases and hormonal disorders that can cause obesity. When children eat more than they need, the extra calories are stored in fat cells to use for energy later. If this pattern continues over time, they develop more fat cells and may develop obesity. Childhood obesity will cause physical, social and emotional adversities for your child
With the rapid growth and wealth of information available over the internet, the number of individuals who fail to recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy weight is alarming. Another, concerning fact is the seemingly constant disregard of this data even when it comes to children. Some parents seem to ignore the warnings presented by doctors and other qualified persons rather than realize that their overweight child has a health problem that may cause serious diseases, even for a body so young. Obesity continues to be a growing problem in America despite ample campaigning. Most individuals would agree that children are generally unable to care for themselves; instead they are dependent upon their caregivers, whom are responsible to help them learn right from wrong. This would entail teaching proper health habits, including a healthy diet. One of the things that caregivers can do is heighten their awareness of the weight problems currently plaguing America preferably before their children are diagnosed as overweight or obese. It is also important to use preventative measures that would reduce the chances of children becoming overweight and/or implement steps that would put the child in a healthier weight range. Finally, caregivers should remain patient and understanding with children in order to avoid causing other health risks.
This issue of childhood obesity is growing out of control. There havev been many efforts to increase awareness in order to help children become more fit. Success for these attempts have not been too successful. Many children who get on a diet do not complete it. As a result, they do not reach their expected weight loss goal. Childhood obesity is dangerous because there are a lot of potential complications that can be faced if it is not handled. Becoming obese during childhood can result in obesity later on; it can also impact the quality of the child’s life; and children also become more susceptible to diseases later on. Due to the statistics that are shown for the growing rate of childhood obesity, it is wondered if childhood obesity is a result of parental neglect. The current debate is what can be done to help childhood obesity. If indeed it is a result of parental neglect, what can be done to get parents in check to control this ongoing epidemic?
Childhood obesity is on the rise in many countries today. There are numerous causes of obesity in America, and the majority of them can be eliminated simply by household teachings. In her book Fed Up! Winning the War Against Childhood Obesity, Susan Okie explains how childhood obesity is taking over, “The growing numbers of obese children in the United States and in many other countries are victims of an epidemic just as surely as if they were infected with a virus.” The leading causes of childhood obesity include lack of exercise, poor diet, and genetic factors.
Typically when kids open the fridge for something to snack on they have many different types of foods to choose from. But what if a child had a choice between a piece of fruit or a piece of chocolate cake. Most would want the piece of cake over the healthier option of fruit. Who wouldn’t right? Although child obesity is becoming a serious concern, there are solutions that can prevent it. Childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children are obese. Gregory Green, Clarence Riley, and Brenda Hargrove all from Fort Valley State University; and with Ph. D’s researched that being overweight during childhood increases the risk of developing diseases such as high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression, and type 2 diabetes. Unhealthy weight gain is caused by poor diet and lack of exercise and is responsible for 300,000 deaths each year (Obesity In Children And Teens). If children do not adopt a healthier lifestyle it can cause health problems as an adult. Some things that may help to prevent child obesity are more physical activity in schools, taxing junk food, and parents should help educate their child how to have a healthy lifestyle and keep healthier options in the home.
Since the fast food industry is targeting America’s youth, providing healthier options on children’s menus will reduce the rate of childhood obesity and allow for a healthy future.
Parents are not teaching children how to eat healthy. They feed them cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and fries. Kids are not being exposed to a regular diet of health fruits and vegetables. Now some people are just naturally overweight, but being “overweight” is not the same as being “obese.” Someone who is overweight has reached a maximum weight limit for their height. When someone goes beyond this maximum limit, then they are considered “obese” (Kiess 1). Research shows that “obesity is generally defined as the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue” (Kiess 1). The increase in childhood obesity today is mainly the fault of the parent because they are unable to tell their children “no” when it comes to junk food (Kiess 104). Parents are the one buying all the food that comes into the house. They are the ones buying the sugary drinks and chips. They are the ones allowing the children to “have what they want.” Because parents are not teaching their children how to eat healthy, we will continue to see childhood obesity increase. Unfortunately, overweight children will be the ones who suffer because statistics show children who are overweight are more likely to become obes...
A healthy lifestyle is usually picked up as we get older. However, think of how much more beneficial it would be for our bodies when we get older, if we would have learned and adapted to a healthier lifestyle when we were younger? Teaching your kids how important a healthy diet is, will help them maintain that lifestyle in their older years. Not to mention have lower health risks, higher self-esteem and it will give them the energy they need to keep up with their eating habits and maintain their body weight.