After we are working 8-hour job I have been in school, we have the choice to make a healthy meal or pick up take out for my favorite restaurant or even prepare a meal in the microwave oven. People in today’s environment do not take the time or just choose not to prepare a healthy meal and to exercise for 30 minutes daily, it shows in our midsections. Obesity is one of America’s largest problems today.
There are approximately 40,000,000 children under the age of five and an estimated 1.9 billion adults over the age 18 obese or overweight and that number has increased since the mid-70s. With fast food restaurants, commercials, and video games is no wonder people gain so many extra pounds exercise is not of great importance to many because of lack of interest the schools are so much responsible because most of the students do not participate in physical education and the students are not physically active.
Obesity is defined as a condition that is characterized by extreme accumulation and storage of fat in the body (Merriam Webster Dictionary Online).Obesity is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and some say that it is a disease caused by genes and other factors. It can cause major health issues in children that should not be happening until they at least reach adulthood and it also causes health issues in adults. Some of the health problems such as type 2 diabetes, joint pain, depression, heart problems, high cholesterol levels, and liver damage just to name a few.
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Low self-esteem ,social issues such as bullying and some cancers are linked to obesity. Parents should introduce children to healthy eating habits when they start eating regular baby food and they should be taken outside to play as soon as they start walking. Healthy eating habits and exercising for approximately thirty minutes a day should be instilled in them at a young age the importance of both.
When children are left at home without supervision they spend more time in the house playing video games and TV; they eat more unhealthy foods, super-sized meals from fast food restaurants and processed microwave meals and unhealthy snack. They sometimes eat to cope with the issues they face to deal with stress or boredom. Television commercials are known for showing the fast food menus with the newest sugary drinks, that should be replaced with fruit and vegetable commercials or healthier eating habits. Children should have wellness checkups Some children do not have good role models’ parents eat junk food soda and unhealthy meals do not exercise and the children do the same. It does not take a lot to prepare a healthy meal today because of the crock pots instar pots and air fryers. Being obese as a child may result in obesity as an adult.
If Schools play a role in the obesity along with parental influence because they have illuminated gym class and a lot of extracurricular activities. According to the center of Disease Control and prevention approximately 1/3 of children in elementary school have daily physical education and less than 1/5 have extracurricular physical activity programs at their school.
Exercising for approximately 30 minutes per day two to three days per week can help with obesity and improve your mental health. Some schools allow the children to select what they want to eat at lunch. They can get food or snacks there should not be any unhealthy choices on the menu fruit should be a daily offer on the menu. In many schools there are vending machines in the hallways with unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks available to those who can make the purchase. If the vending machines are available, they should only have healthy choices for snacks and bottled water.
Physical education on the elementary level helps teach healthy eating habits and that exercise is important, Schools need to realize that they have the child for six to eight hours per day and they can help with the obesity problems by making physical education a mandatory class the entire school year instead of an elective class. Exercise should be made mandatory again for all students during the day even if it only a 10-minute walk at the beginning of each class. There should be more extra curriculum activities available all children regardless of the social or financial status.
Even though obesity is a major problem in America parents can help lower the number of obese children by preparing healthy meals or when they get takeout get a regular portion instead of supersizing. They can get the child to exercise and participate with them a couple times a week. Schools can help by eliminating the unhealthy snacks at lunch and in the vending machines. Schools can also include physical education as part of the mandatory curriculum if it is only on elementary level or have a ten-minute mandatory walk a couple times per week.
Citations
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3228640
- Merriam Webster Dictionary Online https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
- https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-09-19/obesity-in-america-a-guide-to-the-public-health-crisis.
- https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html
- https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20091106/even-a-little-exercise-fights-obesity
- www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/health/research/08childhood.html
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/…/schools
