Childhood Obesity Research Paper

The solution to the increasing rates of childhood obesity is to require kids to participate in extracurricular activities or sports that keep them physically active. This not only needs to be enforced by the schools in which the kids attend, but also by their parents. This will solve the problem by keeping children active on a regular basis, which is key to maintaining a healthy body weight. Most children spend countless hours watching TV or playing video games, instead of playing outside or staying active. The lack of physical activity among children is a main cause of their obesity. Therefore, requiring kids to participate in extracurricular activities would boost physical activity levels and help them maintain a healthy body weight. Even …show more content…
There is a lot of scientific research about extracurricular activities reducing obesity rates and promoting a healthy lifestyle. According to research in 2016 from the Afterschool Alliance, only 21 percent of children experience obesity if they are in after school programs, compared to 33 percent for children who do not participate in after school programs (SPARK). This means that obesity levels are strikingly lower in kids who participate in extracurricular activities. Furthermore, obesity levels are even lower in kids who participate in multiple extracurricular activities or sports. Keith M. Drake, a researcher at the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth College, said in a study published in July of 2012, “Adolescents who played on three sports teams or more in the last year were 27 percent less likely to be overweight/obese and 39 percent less likely to be obese compared with adolescents who did not play on any sports teams” (Nydailynews). This goes to show that playing a sport or several sports significantly reduces obesity rates. Requiring kids to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports proves to be a great solution to the problem of childhood …show more content…
The obvious benefit is that children would create habits of being physically active, which would help them achieve a healthy body weight. One of the less obvious advantages of requiring kids to participate in physical activity is that they automatically would spend less time on social media and electronics. This is important because too much screen time and social media use is a big contributor to childhood obesity. Garry Sigman, an obesity expert and pediatrician at Loyola University Health System, notes, “there is a direct correlation between time spent in front of a screen and number of patients who are obese” (Loyola University). Extracurricular activities limit the amount of time spent in front of a screen, which could potentially decrease the number of patients who are obese. Another benefit of extracurricular activities is that children create positive relationships and bonds with others that make them enjoy what they are doing. This in turn motivates them to keep participating in certain activities and stay active. Furthermore, extracurricular activities that keep kids physically active results in many health benefits. According to Center of Disease Control, physical activity leads to weight reduction, improves overall heart health, and builds strong bones and muscles (CDC). The numerous health benefits associated with physical

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