Rhiannon Worker

Possible solutions of Childhood Obesity

Arizona State University
English 102
Introduction
Childhood obesity is a complex problem that needs to be solved due to its prevalence in
the United States and globe. It is associated with many chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes,
increased risk of death and can also affect a person on a mental, social, physical, and ecological
level. It is no surprise this is an important health issue for children in the United States. This
problem has been ongoing since 1975 and has tripled since then. The issue has been discussed
and researched to answer the question as to what standards will make a significant decrease of
childhood obesity and as well as provide a solution.
According to statistics, 41 million children in the world under the age of five were
overweight or obese. Children ages 5-19 had a total of 340 million children and adolescents
who were obese or overweight. As stated on WHO site (2016), “The prevalence of overweight
and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 has risen dramatically from 4% in 1975
to just over 18% in 2016. The rise has occurred similarly among both boys and girls: in 2016 18%
of girls and 19% of boys were overweight.”
The range of existing solutions have not been too great in the assessment of lowering
the prevalence of obesity, however, they are largely preventable. At the individual level, people
can lower intake of saturated and trans fat and added sugars. They can have a balanced diet
that is consumed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. The individual can also engage in
physical activity that is based on their own health needs. In addition, existing solutions involve
the societal level, and food industry (policy.)
The quality of global change in diet and physical activity for the prevention of childhood
obesity has not been evaluated and implemented in a way where it will have realistic changes.
Factors It has not reached include socioeconomic status, urbanization, western influences, and
modernization, food advertising, and controversy over reduced energy expenditure. The
nutrition and physical activity transition is underway in many countries around the globe,
especially middle-income countries. Solving cardiovascular diseases and obesity requires a
broad spectrum to relieve this issue. Resolutions must consider the socioecological model and
recognize that physical activity and nutrition go hand in hand.

Establish Criteria
To help turn the table of preventing obesity, I have decided to focus on its prevalence
among low-income minorities. It has been argued and favored that the most effective way to
implement an intervention program should be modeled around a FEM (Family Ecological
Model) and SCT (Social Cognitive Theory.) Within this model, programs for obese youth,
especially, should be focused on influencing their individual level factors, this will allow a longer
and higher successful way for the child to carry on new healthy habits. It has been researched
and tested that in order to fully achieve greater results of sustainable behavior, it should start
with the individual. This claim is important among many public health professionals who put in
effort to prevent chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.
The individual is most responsible for their own choices to live a healthy lifestyle.
However, since the obesity issue focuses on children, the Family Ecological Model comes into
par. The FEM model has four different levels that map that multi-level relationships that start
with the individual, then the family of that individual, and community level factors. This model
supports the claim because an actual intervention program was framed around this model and
social cognitive theory that supports nutrition and physical activity behavior change. When you
put the FEM and SCT together, the program and individual are bound to promote and support
healthy changes in their behavior and health outcomes throughout their lives. Learning these
behaviors are crucial to pre-stage obesity and children because they will be able to carry the
learned habits and behaviors throughout their lives.
In addition to the FEM model. Since it involves the combination of family, culture,
community, and policy. The most effective intervention for diabetes and obesity will be a
program that targets all these areas. The child lives within a home which is powered by parents,
can choose the types of food the child eats, how much playing time they have outside, and the
child even learns behaviors from their parents or relatives within the home. The next layer of
the model includes the community, which can have a negative and positive effect on the family,
and the children within those families. Many factors can come into play, examples include the
crime and safety level of the neighborhood, the availability, accessibility, and affordability in the
community of food and parks. Then the last level of the FEM is Policy which is usually made of
the government. This is where rules and regulations come into action for creating and
implementing a program that will increase the success of intervention for childhood obesity.
In conclusion, this criterion proclaims that the best intervention for low-income minority
children will include a program that is designed to fit the needs of a certain population that
uses the Family Ecological Model and as well as Social Cognitive Theory. The combination of
these methods will further the chances of improving health behaviors of nutrition and physical
activity for children and eventually for future generations.
In simpler terms, the criteria I will be using to help evaluate existing solutions include:

 The solution of childhood obesity may include the reliability of the program that
will sustain quality of life and promote healthy choices.
 The solution should be able to offer nutrition classes that are accommodated in
a way most suitable for the targeted population.
 The solution should be able to lower the child's BMI percentile, so it is in
between 18.5 to 24.9
 The solution should target policy in some shape or form since it overrules the
family ecological model.
 The solution should incorporate a program that involves at least 30 minutes of
physical activity, and a specific goal for weight loss and prediabetes.
 The solution should be able to include a type of therapy and counseling since
chronic diseases and overall health involve physical, emotional, mental, and
spirituality.
 The solution of the program should be designed around the Family Ecological
Model and Social Cognitive Theory.
1. Apply Criteria to Solution #1
a. Discuss the extent to which the solution achieves or falls short of each criterion
i. Benefits
ii. Drawbacks
2. Apply Criteria to Solution #2
a. Discuss the extent to which the solution achieves or falls short of each criterion
i. Benefits
ii. Drawbacks
3. Apply Criteria to Solution #3
a. Discuss the extent to which the solution achieves or falls short of each criterion
i. Benefits
ii. Drawbacks

Conclusion
b. Answer the question: So what? Why is your evaluation significant? What should
we “take away” from your evaluation?
c. Given the range of solutions you’ve evaluated, what kinds of problems still
remain? How might we move forward to address those problems?

This evaluation is significant because: Understanding the determinants of childhood obesity and
understanding the criteria that is most significant can help public health professionals develop
effective interventions.
 References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/nces