Nutrition and School Food Service Essay

Annie Malik
Bryan Swail
English 1100
November 27, 2012.
“Childhood Obesity: A growing Problem”
It is a parents and schools job to prevent obesity in their children by teaching them healthy eating habits. It is important for them to understand what Obesity is in order to treat it. Obesity is a medical illness of carrying more than average body fat than a child should have, affecting their health and causing reduced life expectancy. Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem where kids tend to carry on this problem into their adult life. As a legal scholar Reinehr and Wabitsch have acknowledged that “a great proportion of overweight children tend to become obese adults” (1) where they carry on the same lifestyle from their childhood. The new generation has a lot children’s facing health complications everyday caused by the lack good nutrition and physical activity. In today’s world it is very common to be digesting fast, fatty, and sugary, foods which have become a trend in today’s society. Children who’re overweight face high risk of getting high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cardio-vascular diseases and many other health problems. At the same time, a lot pressure is put on those children’s. In reality obese children have a very low self-esteem, and are never satisfied with their physical shape and appearance which can result in a risk depression.
Children these days are extremely exposed to fast food every day and because their providers provide them with those foods they don’t question what their eating and take part in this unhealthy diet. As a 2004 study done by In Fast Food and Obesity in Children, Bowman states that about “30.3% of children eat fast food on a given day” (Brownell, sec.11). Children then are not are not only short on nutritious diet but their also lacking daily physical activity. To reduce childhood obesity is to create a healthier home and school environment for these kids. As adults or parents they have control over what food they do bring in or not to the house. Parents should encourage their kids to have a nutritious and active lifestyle. Research done by Bowman shows “1) the number of meals eaten outside the home has increased dramatically6; 2) people eat more in the presence of large portions8; 3) portion sizes have grown very large both at home and in restaurants, with fast-food establishments having especially large servings of foods such as soft drinks and French fries9; and 4) the frequency of visits to fast-food restaurants by children is associated with increased intake of soft drinks, cheeseburgers, pizza, French fries, total fat, and total calories and decreased intake of vegetables, fruit, and milk.10 ” (Brownell, sec. 10). By eliminating fast food and replacing those with healthy homemade meals parents can prevent their children from eating unhealthy foods and more of nutritious food. Providing your house with a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, low fat yogurt, or diet sodas can make your children eat much healthier then purchasing white bread or high cholesterol food. When choosing to eat out parents should make a healthier choice from the menu and avoid heading to restaurants like McDonalds.
Another study from Overweight and Physically activity among Children: A Portrait of the States and the Nation 2005 survey shows that “28.7 percent of children only get less than three days per week of physical activity from ages ten to seventeen, because parents let children spend too much sedentary time.” Parents and schools should start being more aware of the of their children’s health being at. Since children look up to their parents as their role model one of the reasons why they don’t get enough physical activity is due to the lack of encouragement from their parents. And because parents are their children’s role models, parents should consider being physically active with their kids. Parents should increase physical activity in their life to inspire their

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