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Causes and effects of obesity
Effect of obesity
Dieting obesity in america
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Will Banning Soda and Sugary Snacks Help Stop Obesity?
“Should Candy and Soda be Banned from Schools?” by Tom Vilsack, was a very interesting article. Vilsack believes that banning candy and sugary drinks, such as soda, in school will help stop obesity in the United States. I agree with his opinion. He had many interesting facts to support the topic.
Did you know that about a third of American Children are overweight or obese? They are the next generation. If this keeps going on, soon it won’t only be a third of the children obese, it will be two thirds, and if we keep on letting the children eat unhealthy substances such as soda and candy in schools, it will soon become a problem for the whole country.
Vilsack also stated that eighty percent of teenagers that are obese remain obese as adults. Think about it, if the obese adults have children, they will most likely become obese too. Then it will keep on going on and on, until the whole country is basically obese.
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Would you want your children to become obese or overweight and stay that their whole lives?
Yes, I know this is only banning candy and soda in school. You also may be thinking “it’s only a drink or a little snack”. Wrong. This is a major problem that must be dealt with immediately. If children keep on consuming high caloric foods, they will start to feel very tired because of the food they consumed. They won’t want to take classes such as physical education. They would just want to sit around all day and they would wonder why they’re so tired. I have the answer. The children that are eating and drinking the sugary snacks don’t realize that they are consuming snacks without the nutrition they need to help them keep themselves energized and focused throughout the
day. Another fact that Vilsack wrote in his article was that children consume half of their daily caloric intake in school. That means that the chocolate bar that they had during snack time, was one fourth of their caloric intake. The eighty percent of children that stay obese as adults are going to not only get bullied because of their weight, but they will also increase their chances of suffering from certain diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and high blood pressure. They will have a shorter life expectancy than the ones we have now. In conclusion, if things like candy and soda don’t get banned in schools, it will have many consequences in the long run. The health of the children are at risk if they continue eating sugary foods.
It is natural for a society to be concerned for the future generations. With the rate of obesity growing in adults and children, many begin to see it as an issue that needs to be addressed. New reports show “ childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years” (cdc.gov). Overweight and obese are not actually the same. Overweight is defined as “having excess body weight for a particular height from fat,” and obesity is defined as “having excess body fat” (cdc.gov). With obesity comes the chance for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Both can be
Unhealthy foods are what make the money for schools and that is why they serve them for students. (Schlafy) Schools feel like they need the extra money in the budget, even though it is at the student’s expense. Data shows that nearly 60% of all middle schools in the US serve soda from vending machines. (Schlafy) Soda is very high in sugar and is not at all good for children, but it is still sold in school vending machines. The ways food in schools is now are way too high in fats and sugars. This is not good for the children and very bad in the long run. Elementary schoolchildren have an estimated $15 billion of their own money that they can use to buy whatever they want in schools, and parents have almost another $160 billion to give students for food money. (Schlafy) Big businesses see this as a big source of profit and therefore encourage children to buy their products, and want them to be offered in school because of th4e likelihood of children buying the business’s product. All in all, obesity in the US is greatly influenced by the foods offered in schools
One of the resources which can be used to emphasize this issue is a recent survey concerning the banning of sugary foods and drinks. Students in elementary schools have demonstrated signs of chronic diseases related to diet such as tooth decay, diabetes, poor skin texture, obesity, and respiration failures, among others. These circumstances emphasize the need for the government to step in and try to establish solutions to reduce or prevent chronic diseases. There are two main proposed verdicts that address the issue: sugary foods and drinks should be banned in schools and the sugar content in the foods and drinks should be reduced. The purpose of this paper is to underline why sugary food and drinks are bad for elementary school children, which leads to the recommendation that these things should be banned from elementary schools.
The best way to begin a revolution in health in America is to start with the youth. The United States has the largest percentile of overweight children in the world. Approximately one-quarter of all four to five year olds and one-third of ten to eleven year olds are considered overweight. The obese children will more than likely become overweight parents. A child with an obese parent is ten percent more likely to raise obese children and thus the cycle continues (McBride, 2010). The more years that go on the higher the obesity rate climbs because the children are eating more and more and becoming less and less active.
...n with a culture of obesity seemingly set in stone, our nation still has a chance to escape this predicament by spreading the message about healthy eating, imposing limitations on teacher food choices, setting additional requirements for Phys. Ed classes, and serving healthier foods in school lunch programs. For the sake of our nation’s children, let’s eliminate this problem and give parents the peace of mind they deserve. We must regulate the food we are serving our students and correct this problem once and for all before it gets out of control. More expensive, quality food will decrease obesity rates;however, continuing to serve dangerous foods will only cause more problems in the long run. Is our nation going to act upon this ruinous epidemic, or are America’s children not worth the investment? With your support and direction, we are sure to experience success.
On a positive note however, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association using NHANES, “In 2011-2012, the prevalence of obesity in the United States was 16.9% in youth and 34.9% in adults. The overall prevalence of obesity among youth remained unchanged compared with that in 2009-2010 (16.9%),9 and there was no significant change since 2003-2004.” (JAMA). In as early as 2004 programs started to appear around the country that had begun to reach and educate and promote better healthy lifestyles for both adults and children. These programs have sprouted across the nation but as you can see it has only plateaued, and has yet to start to decline. Children still remain at an alarming high obesity rate that can furth...
It is sad. People from all races and backgrounds are obese. In a recent survey done at Henry Ford College, 43 percent of students were overweight. Whether it is because they do not follow a healthy diet or they inherited it from their parents. Being overweight is correlated with lacking exercise or physical activity and not watching what is on the plate. Obesity can cause many illnesses, including diabetes, which is very common. As the debate whether soda tax should take effect arises, critics say that the tax will help those with obesity-related illnesses. What about exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle? These two factors cannot be forgotten knowing they are the most important. Americans have consumed 12 percent of soda and become less active since 1970. A soda tax aims to stop consumers from buying soda to help those who are obese. This will not be effective. Therefore a soda tax will not be good public policy.
In “Hooked on ‘Caramel-Colored Gold,” Melody Nelson claims “Despite the increased awareness of the benefits of good nutrition, we are a nation hooked on junk food, and many school administrators are taking advantage of the situation ” (par. 3). Nelson propose a ban on vending machines in schools because junk food is unhealthy for children, and they risk future health problems. I agree with Melody Nelson and believe that vending machines should be banned from school campuses, because they sell unhealthy food, they cause more money to schools for hiring extra custodians, and they are affecting children learning abilities.
Since the 1960?s obesity in America has more than tripled regardless of sex or race. Today 30.5 percent, or 69 million, American Adults are considered obese (?AOA Fact Sheets? np). In addition, 13 percent of children aged 6-11 years old are considered overweight, and well on their way to becoming obese. Obesity causes over 300,000 deaths a year and costs the country $117 billion dollars, prompting health care providers and the government to label it an epidemic (?Overweight and Obesity?? np).
Throughout the United States, concern of rising health issues is a popular topic. Over a progression of many years, American fast food chains and junk food companies have risen as a common means for food replacing homemade family meals. This quick and easy habit of buying cheaply made and sold foods that lack real nutritional value has been reason for increasing health issues. This habit is seen in children just the same as adults. Children eat the quickest meal with the most sugar and fat (among other unhealthy ingredients). This habit needs to be broken to take better care of the children today. Children are eating snack cakes and other junk foods at school instead of the breakfast/lunch that is offered causing bad habits and a poor diet. The children of America are suffering from the effects of malnutrition and yet, society does not help them to better understand or give higher grade options for them to choose from. Therefore, junk food should not be allowed in schools as it imposes health risks on children, lacks requirements for the nutrition contained in them, and without offering them, children would learn many morals/lessons.
Within the last 30 years, the number of obese Americans has soared from 48% to 65%. To make things worse, the number of obese children has tripled from 5% to 15% (Wallis). The rising numbers should be cause for concern but seem to be doing the opposite, making obesity and its consequences more acceptable. Neglecting exercise and careless eating can lead to life-threatening conditions. People do not realize harmful effects obesity can have on their bodies.
Parents have always known about obesity and what the affects obesity has on people. Although parents have known about this preventable disease, they are just now becoming more aware about what is happening to their own children. Now they want to start pointing fingers as to why these young children are becoming obese; nobody wants to take the blame for putting these young lives at risk. “Greenbalt states in his article that obesity is becoming an epidemic that there is about 300,000 children each year that die because they are overweight....
The United States needs to do something to change the amount of childhood obesity in the nation. If the government requires children to take classes that require physical activity, abolishes school vending machines, and teaches children about healthy eating, then the amount of children that are obese in the United States will decrease significantly. Obesity is defined as the increase of body fat over time to the point where it can impact health in a negative manner and decrease life expectancy. Since the 1980’s, obesity has increased dramatically in the United States. Children have been greatly impacted in the increase of obesity. This is a major problem as someday these obese children could possibly turn into obese adults. If the population of obese adults and children keeps increasing, than not only will our country have a lot of severely unhealthy people but the cost of health care will increase dramatically.
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...
There is a global crisis arising from the poor eating habits which the majority develop at an early age, and stick to, for the rest of their lifetime. Every year, many individuals lose their lives from the complications related to poor eating lifestyle such as obesity. The schools are the foundation of every discipline and lifestyle that people adopt, and so for the nation to have a healthy lifestyle free from health related complications, the first and foremost step, is to avoid junk food in schools such as soda, candy, and cakes among others. So, thanks are to the 2012 mandate for changing the school menus from junk food to healthy foodstuffs including fruits and vegetables.