otseng wrote:According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, two-third of all Americans over 20 are considered overweight. And one-third are considered obese. (Source:
Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008)
And kids are not that healthy either. One-third are either
overweight, obese or morbidly obese. Michelle Obama wants to
cut child obesity from 20% to 5%.
And the problem also exists worldwide. The World Health Organization
states:
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight - at least 300 million of them clinically obese - and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability.
So, how can the overweight/obesity problem be addressed practically?
Obesity among kids can cause a lot of problems.
- They can become depressed
- Have a hard time adapting or socializing with their peers
- Get picked on
- Have a hard time making friends
- Have a low self-esteem
- Can have health related issues early in life and later
- Don’t realize they have a problem because no one is there to help
Now that is just to name a few problems. Kids should not have to go through that at such an early age and chances are, parents don’t realize what they are putting their kids through and neither do fast food restaurants and the educational systems.
At early ages when childhood development is important, kids should be learning about the building blocks of life. Proper communication skills, proper diet and exercise, fun activities they can participate, the importance of nutritional foods, proper ethics, ways to behave, etc.
Why should the above not be taught until people are out of high school, entering or exiting college?
Make learning fun, what is taught in the classroom can relate to the cafeteria and kids can go home and tell their parents the importance of nutrition, that way parents can participate as well. What kind parent would not want to listen to their kid’s opinion about their health besides an undeserving one?