Running head: THE ANSWER TO END CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1

The Answer to End Childhood Obesity

Magda Bobadilla

Arizona State University

ENG 102
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Abstract

Previous attempts to decrease the number of obese children have made little to no impact as the

obesity rates today are at an all-time high. This proposal targets individuals, parents, caregivers,

schools, and the community in hope to lower these rates. Making health courses part of the

curriculum as early as elementary school will not only educate children but students will also

have the ability to act on their behaviors with the knowledge they have attained. To do so, all

must come together to convince the Arizona Board of Education that a high school diploma or an

acceptance letter to a university is meaningless if the student is unhealthy. Studies show that one

in every five children are obese, so if they are not taught about their health at an early age then

the number of children will only continue to rise. This proposal shows that in the act of making

health course part of the curriculum, children will have the ability to distinguish right from

wrong. Therefore, decreasing the number of obese children.

Keywords: Obesity, school, children, parents, curriculum

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The Answer to End Childhood Obesity

Many individuals leave high school clueless in terms of how they will get into

college, build up their credit score, own a home, and so on. However, they are also clueless about

what is most important, which is their well-being. Today the obesity epidemic is at an all-time

high and a distinct plan of action must take place in order to reduce the number of individuals

becoming obese. Do children even know the consequences of this epidemic? When are students

supposed to learn life skills? I am aware that some of these health courses are already

incorporated into students' curriculum but mostly in high schools. As a student at Arizona State

University, I advocate for a course that promotes physical education, nutrition, and cooking, to

be required in elementary schools up until high school. I am invested in the effects that obesity

has on children whether it is physically, mentally or their overall well-being. I am genuinely

concerned about Americans quality of life as studies indicate that children who are obese at a

young age will continue to have weight issues as they grow older, along with becoming more

susceptible to diseases and disorders. These elementary courses will allow students to adapt to

new health behaviors from an early age. My proposal will decrease the number of obese children

as students will no longer be clueless, instead, they will have the knowledge and practice to

know the importance of physical activity, how to cook healthy meals, and the ability to

distinguish what is healthy.

I would like to reach out to all individuals, in specific, those who have children, those

who are expecting, and those who plan to have children in the future. Childhood obesity has

become a severe issue throughout the years and as a result, many Americans are losing their lives

at an early age. Allow me to demonstrate obesity’s severity; more individuals die from

cardiovascular disease, which is associated with obesity, than of lung cancer (Bass & Eneli,
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2014). So why do schools teach children to not smoke but cannot teach them about healthy

behaviors? I propose that by coming together as a community, we can target the Arizona Board

of Education to make this course part of the curriculum. These courses will be beneficial because

they will aid in preventing diseases at an early age and will not only improve people's quality of

life but will also save the healthcare system billions of dollars.

There have been many attempts to try and decrease the number of obese children. Some

were simply incorporating healthier meals in school lunches or informing the public about the

epidemic. Both of these plans have only made a minor difference simply because there is no plan

of action associated with both of these attempted solutions. For instance, by only informing the

public about obesity and its effects does not guarantee that people will act on their behaviors.

This being because they might not have the resources; not all individuals can afford certain

foods, and not all people have the same access to safe environments in which they can participate

in outdoor activities such as walking, running, or biking instead of driving. On the other hand,

school cafeterias solemnly providing healthier meals to children without informing them as to

how these meals are beneficial for them leads to be a temporary solution. By incorporating a

course that covers physical education, nutrition, and cooking, students will not only be informed

but will have the resources to know what is healthy and how to cook a healthy meal. Surely

younger students will not be exposed to the stove or any kitchen knives but will be taught portion

sizes, daily needs, and how they can safely accomplish this. I wholeheartedly believe that the

foundation for lifelong good health is laid in childhood. Due to the amount of time children

spend in school, I find that schools have the opportunity to immensely decrease obesity as

children are easily influenced at this age. Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research found
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that preventive measures to control obesity should be taken from childhood to save our future

adults and prevent an economic drain on the country (Nair & Kumar, 2017).

My proposal will potentially decrease the amount of disorders and disabilities that derive

from morbid obesity, along with increasing Americans life expectancy. Through multiple

studies, the International Journal of Obesity found that risk of cardiovascular disease and all-

cause mortality is elevated among those who were overweight during childhood (Haas, Lee,

Kaplan, Sonneborn, Phillips, & Liang, 2003). Without an aggressive approach to preventing

obesity, health and social consequences will be both substantial and long-lasting (Catch, 2018).

Allow me to put it this way, as children become accustomed to living a healthy lifestyle they will

carry these positive habits along with them and will continue throughout generations, potentially

ending obesity. Just like a child incorporates basic math skills up until their adult lives, these

skills will also be used equally. Gail Standt, a parent at Tri-C elementary stated, "I am going to

be thrilled if my child gets into Harvard but if they are obese or if they have a health issue

because they haven't been exercising, the acceptance into Harvard is irrelevant” (Catch, 2018).

Health is the most important thing and unfortunately, many people don't realize it until they don't

have it." The importance of physical health is being undervalued!

Obesity is a financial burden on America's healthcare system. The United States healthcare

system is in crisis precisely because we systematically neglect wellness and prevention. In

addition to its serious health consequences, obesity has real economic costs that affect all of us.

According to The National League of Cities, the estimated annual health care costs of obesity-

related illness are a staggering $190.2 billion or nearly 21% of annual medical spending in the

United States (Witters, Harter, Bell, & Ray, 2011). Sure, it might cost the school boards a few
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extra dollars to include these courses into the curriculum, but it is evident that those numbers are

nowhere near to the amount of spending in fighting off obesity and the diseases associated with

it. In other words, these courses will be valuable because overall, they will save Americans

billions of dollars in preventing obesity. Now, rather than waiting for obesity to continue to

expand and arise in more individuals and having to then pay to survive, we can prevent this issue

from the beginning.

It is baffling that physical education and health classes are no longer core requirements in

certain schools, some being middle schools in Utah. In terms of the policy, members from Utah

State Board of Education found that children are "not ready for prime time" or "stand for

children's choice of freedom” (Haas, Lee, Kaplan, Sonneborn, Phillips, & Liang, 2003).

Although I do believe in equality and freedom for all individuals; as adults, parents, and

educators, we are responsible for children's health and legally children under the age of eighteen

are to abide by certain standards. In my perspective, standards are opportunities. Making

physical education classes and health classes a standard, can result in minors acting on their

health as they will be able to distinguish beneficial behaviors from poor behaviors. For instance,

I did not become educated about my health until college, only because I am majoring in Exercise

and Wellness. It took me nineteen years to realize that my eating habits and daily activities were

affecting my health and not just my appearance. In the case of teenagers who are going through

puberty and become obsessive over their body image, many will either overeat because of

hormonal changes or starve themselves to conserve their figure or appear thinner. Now, if they

were to be educated on their health as early as elementary, will this still be as likely to occur?

No, it definitely will not occur as often!

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So, when does one become ready for "prime time?" The Utah Board of Education

describes "prime time" as an age group where children can obtain information and apply it to

their daily lives (Haas, Lee, Kaplan, Sonneborn, Phillips, & Liang, 2003). Many might say that

young aged children are not mentally capable of grasping the importance of health education at

such a young age or they do not know what is good or bad for them. This is absurd. How are

they expected to know right from wrong if they are not being taught? If courses as complex as

integrated sciences or mathematics are incorporated in the curriculum and children have been

able to obtain this information, that in fact, is not too useful, then they can certainly learn about

their health which will be life-long beneficial. I believe that behaviors that one incorporates into

their daily lifestyle at a young age are more likely to have an effect on the individual. At the

Heart Association meeting in Phoenix, a research team reported that children are likely to adopt

some of their caregiver's bad habits of poor nutrition (UPDATE, 2016). Accordingly, children

are following behaviors from their uninformed caregivers because they do not know any better.

We all must become educated and act on our behaviors!

Out of previous attempts in decreasing the obesity rates, I believe that caregivers and the

community must come together in targeting the school system, as it will result in first-rate

outcomes. The National Institutes of Health precisely define Obesity as a Body Mass Index of 30

above based on ones’ height and weight (Henningse, Borosm Ingvalson, Fontana, & Matvienko,

2015). This leads me to other methods that have been assessed in the attempt to promote physical

activity and better dietary choices in the school setting. One method being schools sending body

mass index (BMI) report cards to parents. BMI report cards can be a useful tool to inform parents

about their child's weight status (Henningse, Borosm Ingvalson, Fontana, & Matvienko, 2015).

These notifications could also curb childhood obesity by prompting parents to encourage their
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children to participate in activities that will promote their health. To end obesity, it is essential to

bring schools, families, and the community together to create healthy school environments.

Today, nearly 160 million Americans are either obese or overweight. This issue is not

simply carrying extra fat, it also is associated with the leading cause of death in the United

States, cardiovascular disease, along with type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and many more (Bass &

Eneli, 2014). If this many people are being affected, why do we resist on making a change? It is

now estimated that one in five children in the United States is overweight (Must & Strauss,

1999). According to the National Health AND Nutrition Examination Survey, overweight or

obese preschoolers are five times more likely than normal-weight children to be overweight or

obese as adults. (obesity society). Not only will these children suffer from health consequences

but are also prone to depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, and behavior and learning problems

(Must & Strauss, 1999).

To conclude, it is evident that Americans need change. We are not living our lives

to our fullest potential, we are destroying ourselves, and this will only continue to happen in

future generations if change does not begin now. Obesity is harming children in all aspects,

health-wise, physically, mentally, and even academically. It is costing Americans more money to

invest in trying to fight off diseases that are associated with high body mass indexes rather than

what it will cost to invest in trying to prevent them. I genuinely do not believe there is a "prime

time" in which children are ready to learn about their health. I believe that children have the

ability to learn about their health just like they can learn how to solve math problems at an early

age. On another note, yes, I do condone that all individuals have the right to freedom, even

children. In these circumstances, however, I believe that it is an adult matter when it comes to

determining whether these courses should be implemented in schools. Besides, many children
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enjoy physical education courses because they get to be active and interact with peers instead of

sitting through another lecture. In the long run, granting my proposal will enhance Americans

lives, save individuals money, and decrease the number of obese people.
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References

Bass R, Eneli I. Severe childhood obesity: and under-recognized and growing health problem.

Postgrad Med J. 2015;91(1081);639-45. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2014-133033.

Catch. (2017). Community Health Programs | Health Education Curriculum. Retrieved April 05,

2018, from https://catchinfo.org/about/

Haas JS. Lee LB. Kaplan CP. Sonneborn D. Phillips KA. Liang SY. The association of race,

socioeconomic status, and health insurance status with the prevalence of overweight

among children and adolescents. American Journal of Public Health.

93(12):2105-10, 2003

Henningsen, A., Boros, P., Ingvalson, K., Fontana, F. E., & Matvienko, O. (2015). Should

Schools Send BMI Report Cards to Parents? A Review of Literature. JOPERD: The

Journal Of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 86(9), 26-32.

doi:10.1080/07303084.2015.1085340

Must, A., & Strauss, R. (1999, April 01). Risks and consequences of childhood and adolescent

obesity. Retrieved April 05, 2018, from https://www.nature.com/articles/0800852

Nair, B. T., R., G., & Kumar, S.A. (2017). Correlation of Biochemical Variables to Obesity and

Prediction of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children. Annals of Medical & Health

Sciences Research, 739-43.

UPDATE: Lifestyles and Risk of Obesity for Children and Teens. (2016). Eating Disorders

Review, 27(3), 5.

Witters, D., Harter, J., Bell, K., & Ray, J. (2011, January 27). The Cost of Obesity to U.S. Cities.

Retrieved April 05, 2018, from

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http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/145778/cost-obesity-cities.aspx#1