Child Obesity

Ahlam Mustafa

Magnet Program

Child Obesity Epidemic

An epidemic is sweeping our nation because we are ignorant about what we choose to feed our children.

“Around nine million children are affected by obesity.” (Craig).

“One in five Americans are overweight.” (Wordpress).

Schools need to include healthier foods, parents need to becoming more supportive, and more programs need to be made for obese children.

Child Obesity

“Children feel their disease every time they buy clothes or board a bus or plane.” (Goutham 14).

“Obese children are at a high risk of becoming obese adults. The more obese the child becomes the greater the risk of adult obesity.” (Craig).

Parents, Schools, Obesity Programs

Children have poor eating habits and do not exercise enough and they need to change it, they can only change with the help of parents, schools, and programs.

Children are at a high rate of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The programs, parents, and schools will help lessen obese like illness.

Parents, Schools and Obesity programs

“ Critics say that the selling of junk food in schools are creating overweight children who have health problems now and will be in much worse health in the future.” (Issues & Contoversies).

“ Not surprisingly, parents often react with defensiveness and denial when they first face the fact that they need to address their child’s excessive weight.” (Dalton 14)

Schools

The schools need to put recess back in for students

More health classes are to be given

No double messages, schools should not tell students to eat healthy without actually providing them with healthy foods.

More healthy foods, for example more vegetables, fruits, and foods that do not contain so much fat and calories.

Schools Cont’d

“To fight the childhood obesity epidemic, initiatives such as removing soda and junk food from schools, requiring physical education in schools and afterschool programs are to be done.” (Hutchison and Schlief 2).

Schools need to actually influence the students to eat healthy, exercise, and live a healthy life style.

Parents

Need to be more aware of what their children eat

Stop being in denial and becoming more supportive because their child can go through the same things as a young girl named Sarah

“An eight year old girl spent the night at a hospital for diabetes; two years later she suffered from high blood pressure. Then she had to deal with asthma, heart problems, and a dozen of hospitalizations. At 14 years she died of a heart attack.” (Larimire, Sherri, and Steve 4).

Parents Cont’d

Exercise with their son/daughter in order to keep them from becoming more obese

Change families eating habits not just the son or daughter’s eating habits.

Obese Programs

Teach kids to eat right, exercise

Teach parents how to deal with obese children

Help children lose weight effectively

Bring the child's self-esteem up

Conclusion

Children need help more than ever before with their obesity

Parents, schools, programs are the main supporters, they are the key to the child is future

These are all effective ways to reduce child obesity which can reduce the rate of type 1 and 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease

Work Cited Page Craig, Winston. Child Obesity In America. 1 December

2010 <http://www.vegetarian- nutrition.info/updates/child_obesity.php>. Web.

Dalton, Sharron. Our Overweight Children What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley: University of California. 2004. Print.

Hutchison, Courtney, and Michelle Schlief. “ABC News Health. “Obese Children Twice as likely to Die Before 55. (Feb.11 2010). ABC News. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/childhood-obesity-makes-early-grave/story ?id=9796264&page=1

Work Cited Page cont’d

“Junk Food in Schools.”Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 24 Jan. 2007. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i0700740>. Web.

 Larimore, Walter L., Sherri Flynt, and Steve Halliday. Super-sized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat. New York: Center Street. 2005. Print.

Roa, Goutham. Child obesity- A Parents guide to a fit, trim, and happy child. Amberst, New York: Prometheus Books, 2006. Print.

Wordpress.Obesity in America.1 Dec.2010 <http://childobesitycause.info/obesity/obesity-in-america.htm>. Web.