Body Paragraph 1: Background information on the rise of obesity in the United States and how it relates to children.
Paragraph 2: Children are not taught about Nutrition
a) “Behavioural Determinants of Childhood Obesity in the United States: An Exploratory Study.”
Paragraph 3: Adults have shown to be very limited when it comes to knowledge on how to live a healthy life.
b) “Knowledge of Physical Activity and Nutrition Recommendations in College Students.” By Emily Werner. “Nutrition Recommendations awareness and accuracy”
Paragraph 4: How lifestyle affect childrens weight
c) “Adverse Childhood Experiences, Health Behaviors, and Associations with Obesity among Youth in the United States.”
Paragraph 5: Story #1
Paragraph 6: Story #2
Paragraph 7: Discussion on the interview with my Brother
Paragraph 8: Discussion on the interview with my Mother
Paragraph 9: Discussion on the interview with the doctor (if i hear back from her)
Final Paragraph: General Implications for further research we should educate children on the dangerous of obesity and eventually in their adolescence give them more complex information
Nurturing Healthy Habits:
A Journey to Overcome Childhood Obesity
According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC, Childhood Obesity Facts) 1in 5 American children and adolescents are obese. In the case of children, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex (CDC, Childhood Obesity Facts). BMI is a way to measure obesity by looking at your weight relative to your height and is used world wide (CDC, About Body Mass Index (BMI)). Obesity is a chronic disease which also increases the risk of having other health conditions such as: High blood pressure and high cholesterol which are risk factors for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Breathing problems, such as asthma, Joint problems, and Gallstones and gallbladder disease (CDC, Consequences of Obesity). These issues are not problems that should be plaguing the lives of young children, however 1 in 5 Americans are obese which means they will likely have to deal with these problems if nothing changes in their lives.
Obesity in children is extremely alarming, and the question arises why are so many children obese and who is to blame for childhood obesity in the United States? Some people insist that being obese/overweight is genetic and that there is nothing they can do about it. There are many factors that contribute to someone being obese. "Many factors contribute to obesity like genes, certain medications, poor sleep, gut microbiome, stress, access to affordable food, safe places to be active, and access to health care. Understanding these factors helps us identify potential prevention and treatment strategies." said Ruth Petersen, MD, director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. It is clear though that there needs to be adequate education for both adults and children on healthy living to combat the growing number of obese children in our country.
Looking at the history in this country Obesity has been on the rise among adults with the CDC reporting that in 2023, all U.S. states and territories had an obesity rate higher than 20% meaning that more than 1 in 5 adults are considered obese in the United States. This is highly alarming because many Children look up to adults for guidance on what to eat. A study conducted in Newark, New Jersey is proof of this. In this study 37 parents/teachers were paired up with 37 children aged 3-5. Over the course of 4 weeks there were weekly 45 minute sessions where the adults were educated on how to become better rolemoles for the children in order to portray a healthier lifestyle in terms of healthy eating and physical activity (Elliott, Elaine, et al.).
At the end of the study the results showed that children's fruit and vegetable consumption increased by three servings from the average one to five servings a day that was reported at the beginning of the study. Furthermore, the amount of takeout that children were consuming decreased to an average two days a week. The amount of time children spent watching TV or playing video games also decreased. In sum, when parents are educated on the principles of healthy living they are able to live a healthy life which in turn causes children to also live a healthy life. As previously mentioned obesity rates in adults have been increasing which pose a major threat to the health of children when they are role models on how to live a healthy life.
Adults being obese has to do a lot with the lack of awareness and education. Adults have been shown to have very limited knowledge on how to live a healthy life. In a study conducted on a college campus 71 students were randomly selected and asked general questions about their knowledge on the nutritional guidelines. 91.5% of the students were aware that some type of nutrition guideline existed; however, only 23.9% of them were able to recite a recommendation correctly. Likewise, when asked about Physical activity recommendations a majority of them were aware that some type of recommendation existed with 67.6% of students being aware, in spite of that only 26.8% of students could accurately recite them (Werner, Emily).
This shows that a lot of people make it to adulthood without knowing the basic health guidelines therefore do not have the proper knowledge to make informed lifestyle decisions “Accurate knowledge of the [physical activity] and nutrition recommendations are very low and given that the majority of participants were categorized as overweight or obese, teaching these guidelines needs to be the priority” (Wener, Emily). Given this link between lack of nutritional awareness in adults and being overweight there needs to be adequate education on nutrition given to people. As Elanie Elliot’s study shows, adults play a very important part in the way children learn about nutrition and it is through them that a lot of children pick up their eating and physical activity habits. For that reason we must educate adults since they carry a lot of influence in these children's lives.
Another critical thing to consider when it comes to overcoming childhood obesity is the lack of nutritional education that children receive, which complements the lack of education adults receive. Children are not taught about Nutrition so they grow up not understanding nutrition. As a result they adapt unhealthy habits when they are young which follow them into their adolescent years and eventually into adulthood. In 2007, a study was conducted where schools prioritized nutrition education and physical activity programs which showcased the effectiveness of such programs showing kids what a healthy lifestyle looks like. (Palit, Soumitra, et al.)
Works Cited
Center for Disease Control. About Body Mass Index (BMI). Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2024, www.cdc.gov/bmi/about/.
Center for Disease Control. About Obesity. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024,
www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/about/index.html.
Center for Disease Control. Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2024,
www.cdc.gov/obesity/data-and-statistics/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html.
Center for Disease Control. Childhood Obesity Facts. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention,
www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obesity-facts/childhood-obesity-facts.html#:~:tex
t=From%202017%20to%20March%202020,percentile%20for%20age%20and%2
Center for Disease Control. Consequences of Obesity. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2022, www.cdc.gov/obesity/basics/consequences.html.
Elliott, Elaine, et al. “Parents and Teachers as Role Models for Healthy Behaviors in
Preschoolers.” Pediatric Nursing, vol. 49, no. 3, May 2023, pp. 135–41.
EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.62116/pnj.2023.49.3.135.
Palit, Soumitra, et al. “Behavioral Determinants of Childhood Obesity in the United States: An
Exploratory Study.” Journal of Obesity, vol. 2024, Nov. 2024, pp. 1–11. EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1155/2024/9224425.
Werner, Emily, and Heather Hayes Betz. “Knowledge of Physical Activity and Nutrition
Recommendations in College Students.” Journal of American College Health, vol.
70, no. 2, Feb. 2022, pp. 340–46. EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1080/07448481.2020.1750412.
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