Childhood Obesity

1004 Words3 Pages

One of the biggest problems we currently face as a society is obesity. People all over the nation question why we are having this problem and who is responsible. Who do we turn to to educate our society so that we may address this problem the correct way? The answer: healthy eating habits and exercising should be taught early in a child's life. An excellent place to build these fitness foundations is where children spend almost a third of their time: at school. Physical education should be available for all kindergarten through twelfth-grade students in order to tackle the problems of obesity. The number of overweight youth has more than doubled in the past thirty years according to an article, 'Is Physical Education Becoming an Oxymoron' written by Vicki Worrel, a Physical Education professor at Wichita State University. In addition, fifteen percent out of nine million children, ages six to nineteen, are overweight according to the article 'The Growing Cost of Obesity.' Obesity is one of our nation's largest and most expensive health problems. Obese children have a higher chance of growing up to become obese adults (Troxler 24). As you can see in the statements above, it?s obvious that obesity is a continuing and growing problem and all starts at an early age. Physical activity should be encouraged at an early age. It would be best to make physical education a required school curriculum. A student taking a physical education class will have many benefits. For example, a child taking a physical education class will learn about proper exercising. It would also be wise if the instructors integrated information about healthy eating habits into the curriculum to further increase a child?s knowledge on good dieting. This will help a child develop physically more in strength and endurance which in turn will build healthy bones, muscles, and muscle development. Furthermore, at the same time a child will maintain a healthy weight from eating a nutritional diet. Having studied some physical education classes from personal experience, the coach was very passionate about being healthy. Before leaving P.E. class everyday, he would review all the major food groups and stress that the students stay away from fried foods and consume more fruit in their diet. There are many benefits to exercise. Physical activity can help increase self-esteem and reduce stress an... ... middle of paper ... ...education to all the children in school. This will, in turn, guide our future generation to follow a hale and hearty exercising and diet programs. In addition, such programs will initiate a smaller percentage of children becoming obese and thus growing up as regular healthy adults. As a society, we should depend on the schools to educate our children on physical education and healthy eating habits. Physical education classes should be available for all grades from kindergarten to twelfth grade in order to face the problems of obesity in our society. Works Cited: Loewy, Michael I. Working with Obese Children in Schools. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2012. ?The Growing Cost of Obesity: An Article? National Association of Convenience Store Online. 15 May. 2013. < http://www.nacsonline.com/NACS/News/Daily_News_Archives/May2013/nd0515034.htm> Troxler, Howard. ?Much Mind Exercise and Too Little Physical Education Cause Flab.? The Times. October 2013. Worrel, Vicki. ?Is Physical Education Becoming an Oxymoron: An Article? University Communications, Wichita State University. 19 Sep. 2013. < http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/newsletter/show/?NID=1768&AID=4006>

The Budget for Public Schools in Georgia Should be Increased
1204 Words | 3 Pages
other hand, obesity accounts for about 13 percent of children in the United States, which is why physical education programs should be one of the last things to go. They also help students release the stress they have built up through out the day and teach them the ...
Read More
Childhood Obesity
1465 Words | 3 Pages
Forty years ago in America childhood obesity was rarely a topic of conversation. A survey done in the early 1970s showed that 6.1% of children between the ages 12 and 19 were overweight. Eight years later the same survey was done and 17.4% were considered overweight (Iannelli). “Childhood obesity epidemic in America is now a confirmed fact since the number of overweight or obese children has more than tripled during the last 30 years” (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). “Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in children aged 6 to 11 years has tripled from 6.5% to 19.6%” (Childhood Obesity Epidemic). As a nation statistics should be alarming. Why are American children today so obese?
Read More
Childhood Obesity Issue
1746 Words | 4 Pages
Marcus, Lauren, Ph. D., and Amanda Baron, M.S.W. "Childhood Obesity: A Growing Problem." Www.aboutourkids.org. NYU Child Study Center, May 2004. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Read More
Childhood Obesity
959 Words | 2 Pages
In the United States one out of five children are overweight or obese according to WebMD. When a child is overweight or obese, safety becomes an issue because it can seriously affect the young child’s health conditions. Obesity is now a worldwide health problem that has not only caused a lot of sparks and talk, but has also begun to rank as a serious risk, comparable to diseases.
Read More
Childhood Obesity
970 Words | 2 Pages
According to a 2010 report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past thirty years. As well as having an impact on health, studies have cited a relationship between obesity and poor school performance as well as a child’s readiness for learning and education. This can be correlated with studies finding “obese children have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem” (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, para. 2). It has also been documented that obese children miss more days from school than the general student population and “many will lack the energy to sustain the concentration needed to process new information” (Yaussi, 2005, p. 106).
Read More
Childhood Obesity
1422 Words | 3 Pages
Hotakainen, Rob. “Worries Mount over Lack of Physical Education in Schools.” McClatchy Washington DC News Bureau. 08 Jan 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Feb. 2012.
Read More
Childhood and Teenage Obesity
1575 Words | 4 Pages
Who is at fault for childhood obesity? Is it the parents or is it the fault of health officials for providing lack of information? No matter who is at fault, childhood obesity is very real and needs to be addressed. It has reached epidemic proportions and has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Our children are at risk for a variety of health issues that are preventable. The estimated 9 million overweight children, including 4.5 million obese children, are at risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, asthma, and other pulmonary diseases, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, stroke, and other chronic illnesses (Weiting 545.) This growing epidemic of overweight and obese children as well as teenagers must be stopped. It is up to us as parents, family members, caregivers, and medical professionals to educate our children to exercise and eat right to prevent childhood obesity.
Read More
Childhood Obesity
1849 Words | 4 Pages
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).
Read More
Obesity, Children and Physical Education
1273 Words | 3 Pages
Today, it is no secret that America is overweight. Although we still remain the land of the free, we are looked at by the rest of the world as “the fat country”. This is a label that we are not proud of and each day more and more people are becoming aware of the new epidemic called Obesity. In the article “Childhood Obesity in New York City Elementary School Students”, the author Lorna E. Thorpe discusses the numbers and statistics of how many kids are really overweight. “ Findings from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that in 1999-2000, the prevalence of obesity among children aged six through eleven years was 15 percent” (Thorpe et al. 2004). Previous surveys show that in 1960 the obesity rate was five percent, and in eleven percent in 1988-1994. From looking at the information in the surveys you can easily see that the obesity rates are climbing rapidly. With obesity, come many dangerous side effects, both short term and long term. Short term side effects of obesity are “adverse effects on growth, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose metabolism” (Thorpe et al. 2004). Long term effects consist of “greater risk of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gall bladder disease, and osteoarthritis” (Thorpe et al. 2004). Along with physical effects of obesity, a child will also experience many physiological effects also. “Negative self-image, decreased self-esteem, eating disorders, and lower health-related quality of life” (Thorpe et al. 2004) are all examples of the physiological side effects. These can have a severe impact on a child’s outlook on life as he or she gets older. Although these side effects are prevalent to childhood obesity, no child should have to go through the...
Read More
Fitness Education: Other Benefits that Being Fit Provides
1127 Words | 3 Pages
Fitness education could, in the immediate future, play a major role in the reduction of childhood obesity, as well as obesity throughout all age ranges, while simultaneously increasing the overall health of all individuals. In order for this to happen, fitness education must be incorporated into all levels of schooling, and be made more available to the adult population who were deprived of it during their school age, adolescent, and young adulthood stages of life. Fitness education is accompanied by a plethora of health benefits asides from obesity reduction which mustn't be overlooked. Join me as we explore these benefits and see how fitness education can be applied.
Read More
Analysis Of Samantha Cleaver's Article Is Your Child Getting Enough Physical Education
1360 Words | 3 Pages
Samantha Cleaver’s article titled “Is Your Child Getting Enough Physical Education?” addresses America’s past and previous issues regarding obesity. In addition, she also brings up the fact our country is overlooking the real reason as to why obesity is still a problem if children are required to take physical education classes. Cleaver explains that “only 4 percent of elementary schools, 7 percent middle schools, and 2 percent of high schools provide daily physical education classes for the entire year” (Cleaver, 2008) . Furthermore, Cleaver brings to our attention that America should take into consideration the small amount of physical education students are receiving, and the amount of time they are being active in the classroom. She
Read More
Schools Can Reduce Childhood Obesity
2217 Words | 5 Pages
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...
Read More
Children And Exercise
2574 Words | 6 Pages
Gabbard, C., LeBlanc, B., & Lowy, S. (1994). Physical Education for Children: Building the Foundation, 2nd edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, inc.
Read More
Essay About Physical Education
1765 Words | 4 Pages
Did you know that “one out of three children in the United States is considered overweight”? (Miller). In today’s society, more and more students are gaining excessive weight which can lead to even worse internal problems like heart disease which can drastically shorten their life span. With school budget cuts and limited time available for the class, physical education has slowly become more obsolete in today’s educational requirements. If students cannot get the minimum time needed to burn the extra energy found in today’s foods and drinks, the extra fat adds up, and can create a buildup extra weight. With the rise of obesity, simply learning healthy eating and exercises can lead to a better life style later on in life. If physical education
Read More
the importance of physical education
819 Words | 2 Pages
One out of every three children in America are considered obese or overweight (“Overweight”). America is at a point to where people want everything easy and fast. Last year, McDonald’s served 69 million customers a day (“Our Story”). These people are at home watching TV on their couches and eating this fast food. I think this is a huge factor to why obesity is at a high. The lack of exercise is a global pandemic. Only three out of ten Americans exercise regularly (“Information”). But for many students, the only exercise they may get is at school in a PE class. I feel like PE is a great class, but gets overlooked as a waste of time. The importance of teaching physical education is taken for granted. We can attain healthy habits, get exercise, and have fun while doing it. I believe physical education classes should be maintained and emphasized more than they are now. Most people view it as just an easy class but in reality, it could benefit our generation in the long run, and help make for a healthier future.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Childhood Obesity

The Budget for Public Schools in Georgia Should be Increased