Childhood obesity: A Growing Problem in The United States One in every three children in the United States is overweight or obese. (Solving Obesity 3) Childhood obesity has always been a problem in the United States, and continues to be a factor in the lives of many young children. This happens in many other countries around the world, but tends to be much more prominent inside the United States. The growing obesity in children is posing serious problems to their health, and will affect them for the rest of their lives. This leads to having one third of ll children be predicted to develop diabetes in their lifetime. Solving Obesity 3) This problem could no longer be ignored, it is ruining the lives of americas children and something needed to be done. This paper will be analyzing the causes and affects of childhood obesity. Also Michelle Obama’s movement “Lets Move” and her work against childhood obesity. There has always been two main factors in the talk of childhood obesity, lack of exercise and poor diet. These two paired together are a deadly combination and it is very hard to steer a child off of this course. There were cases of obese children in arlier years, but in todays society there are so many inventions that encourage less physical activity.
The explosion of the popularity of television and video games is a huge factor in childhood obesity. Why go outside and play sports when a child can virtually play any sport they want for hours from the comfort of the couch? As it is said in The White House report on childhood obesity, sent directly to President Obama, “Screen time has been associated with children getting less and poorer quality sleep, and insufficient sleep has been linked toa heightened risk of besity’ (Solving Obesity 7). Not even mentioning the obvious fact that screen time also takes away from physical activity.
Everything surrounding children’s screen time is a major factor that leading to childhood obesity. The amount of screen time that children get is not the only cause of childhood obesity, there is also socioeconomic and social factors. Children that grow up in low income families tend to have a higher risk of becoming obese. Also children in a non supportive home environment have a higher risk of obesity. “Overeating in obese hildren may result from a self-stimulatory behavior as a consequence of environmental deprivation” (Strauss).
The higher educated and higher income status someone is, their risk for obesity significantly reduces. As compared to people of lower socioeconomic status, where the access to healthy food choices on a daily basis is much less. Parents of low income may see their children being obese as a sign that they are being well fed, and in turn healthy (Strauss). Tiger, a teen from Georgia tells his story about how childhood obesity affected his life. Nearly one in three children in Georgia ages ten to seventeen is considered overweight, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health.
Tiger was of them, he weighed 250 pounds at the age of 12, and was taking six pills a day for thyroid decided that he wanted to change his lifestyle and not end up like his father. He has lost over sixty pounds, started a website and published a book about his story and how to lead a healthy lifestyle (Oliviero). By telling his story he was able to inspire others and help combat the obesity problem. Michelle Obama has also taken a public tand against childhood obesity, trying to control the epidemic that has swept across the country.
Michelle Obama has a program “Lets Move” which she has started in order to combat childhood obesity. In her fight against obesity, she is using the power of legislation to make improvements to the country. Such as trying to relaunch the Child Nutrition Act to improve the quality of meals in schools, since half of a child’s daily energy comes from what they consume during their school breakfasts and lunches (Tanne). A comprehensive study showed that most schools serve meals averaging ore that 37-40% of their calories from fat.
Also that only 1% out of 500 schools serves lunches averaging less than 30% calories from fat (Strauss). This program also calls for legislation to improve school environment, such as increasing the amount of physical activity that a child can get throughout the day. Some schools have even cancelled there recess, which is a major source of a child’s day to day physical activity. It may Just look like playing games and having fun to children, but the days add up as an important factor for children’s activity.
Professional sports stars are also art of her program to increase children’s physical activity, in a “60 minutes of play a day’ program. In her research it is shown that US children currently spend 7. 5 hours a day on their computers, watching television or on their mobile devices (Tanne). The problems of childhood obesity need to improve in the United States, and we need the programs to be put in place. Michelle Obama and her work is only the beginning of some huge changes that need to be made to the american lifestyle.
The younger generation is experiencing a crisis that will get worse the longer we wait to hange something. Organizations and programs such as “Let’s Move” play a role in combating this problem. The children of today are already experiencing serious health problems at a young age. Their lives are at rick every time they eat another McDonald’s Happy Meal. If something doesn’t change, what will end up happening to the children in the future? Works Cited Oliviero, Helena. “Teen tells his story to inspire obese kids to get fit”. Atlanta Journal- constitution. 8 sept. 2012. web. 11 NOV. 2013.
United States, & United States. (2010). Solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation”. White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity report to the Tanne, Janice H. “Michelle Obama Launches Programme to Combat US Childhood Obesity. ” Home. 2013 BMJ publishing Group Ltd, 15 Feb. 2010. web. 28 oct. 2013. Richard S Strauss, MD. “Childhood Obesity’. Pediatric Clinics of North America, volume 49, Issue 1. 14 August 2003. 175-201. web. 28 oct. 2013. Joan C Han, MD, Debbie A Lawlor, PhD, Sue YS Kimm, MD. “Childhood Obesity’. The Lancet. volume 375, Issue 9727. 15-21 May 2010. 1737-1748. web. 28 oct. 2013
