lisagreene89
May 23, 2015
Research Papers / Whats eating our children? Research paper. [2]
I am needing help with grammar, sentence structure and content.
Lisa Greene
English 102
Steven Beech
May 21, 2015
What's Eating Our Children?
Obesity has become an epidemic in the world we live in today. It can be hard to cook a well-balanced meal every night and only offer healthy snacks in your home. Also on top of it all we need to make sure our children are eating a well-balanced meal for lunch as well. If we all work together to try and make a change our children will start to see the benefits right away. The effects obesity has on our society need to be brought to attention, along with the changes that need to be made to our children's eating habits at home and school, as well as the amount of physical activity they receive.
Obesity is affecting children more so than we thought resulting in an abundance of health risks. Obesity in children has more than doubled over the last 3 decades resulting in nearly 17% of all children being considered obese, ("Child Overweight, CO State University"). This is a shocking percentage and we need to take action to reduce this and find ways to allow our children to live more healthy lives. The health risks associated with being obese include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Children also have an increased risk for cardiovascular problems resulting in high blood pressure and cholesterol. When your body mass index (BMI) starts to rise your become more at risk for coronary heart disease. Your arteries start to become blocked and your blood flow to your heart becomes limited. The unhealthy foods that children consume are what cause the arteries to be blocked. This can be a very scary situation that can lead to death if left untreated.
Diabetes is one of the most common side effects of being obese. This condition comes with a lot of side effects that include potentially having to inject insulin daily. This can be a painful and scary thing for a child to go through. When you have diabetes your body does not use insulin properly and makes too much for the body to handle. The result of this is your blood sugar increases dramatically which can be deadly if not properly treated. This is one of the number one causes of early death, ("National heart, lung, and blood institute"). The health problems obesity brings is not the only problem, we need to offer our children better eating options and make sure they are getting the physical activity they need.
Offering healthy balanced meals to our children is one of the biggest aspects we need to focus on. These meals need to be present at home and at school. If your household tends to not cook healthy meals for dinner then it may be time for a change for the better. Parents tend to not think too much about what is being made for dinner, they may have had a long day at work and the last thing they need to worry about it preparing a healthy meal. Changing your eating habits is not all that difficult and preparing a nutritious meal does not take as long as you think. There are even classes you can take with your children that can show you how to cook with healthy food options. It has to be a lifestyle change for everyone, changing poor eating habits early in life will allow your child to grow up healthy.
Our school's need to also get on board with only offering well balanced healthy lunches to students. Snack bar options with sweet and sugary options should be limited to only one day a week. Allowing children these options every day will not help in the fight to control the way they eat. If you chose to pack your child's lunch you need to make sure they have healthy options as well and that their snacks are balanced. In addition to changing the type of foods our children eat, we need to take away and limit the amount of sugary drinks they consume. Water should always be the number on drink of choice for your child. Now we all know at times a nice glass of tea or coke is refreshing and that's ok. Moderation is the word here; limit these drinks to special occasions or when you choose to eat dinner at a restaurant.
It is hard to think that most children are not eating the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables. In the state of Colorado only about 8% of children are consuming their needed daily intake of vegetables, ("Child Overweight, CO State University"). How do we change this? What resources do families need to make this lifestyle change? At the end of the day there really is not any type of brochure or book that they need. The willingness to make the change is what they need. We all know what type of foods we should be eating and what we should be avoiding. Of course there are resources for low income families that may not have access to all the healthy options out there.
These small steps can make all the difference for our children. If we see problems at schools regarding the type of food being offered, be an advocate and reach out to the district about this. We cannot let these problems go silent and someone has to end up being the bigger person. We can help our friends and educate them on the importance of making sure their children are eating healthy. Of course this can be a sensitive subject as you do not want to pry into someone's life and insult them in any way. Be positive on the approach and make it fun, eating healthy does not have to be boring. So now that we understand that eating healthy is very important let's talk about the darker side of what people who are suffering from obesity may be going through.
It is not always about poor eating habits and non-existent physical activity. There is a lot of personal issues that children may be dealing with in their home life that is causing them to overeat. This can be their way of getting away and hiding their feelings. Your child may want more attention from their parents and they are just not around enough to fill that void for their children. We live in a working class society and that means at time work can consume us. At what point do we draw the line and spend more time with our kids. You may not think this would affect them but children do get lonely and strive for your attention. There could be other issues going on in the home such as neglect and drug use that is tearing children away from their parents. These types of problems also lead to depression. One of the easiest ways to try and feel less depressed is eat.
It is very important to try and be there for our children and offer as much support to them as possible. Of course we all want our kids to grow up to be happy and not face problems like depression, the reality is a lot of children to suffer and we may not know until it's too late. If you feel as if your child is acting different I would suggest seeking out professional help before the problem gets out of control. We are supporters and our child's biggest cheer leader, don't ever forget this. Making sure our children are getting the appropriate amount of physical activity a day is an important factor as well.
It seems children rather sit in front of a T.V. and watch their favorite show instead of going outside and getting some real physical activity. Even though schools offer physical education, we need to continue to push our children to get out of the house and play outside. The University of Colorado states, "Time spent watching television, videos, DVDs, and movies averaged slightly over three hours per day among children 8 to 18 years old". Our children should be getting at least an hour a day of physical activity. Encourage your child to sign up for a sport, this will allow them to have an activity to participate in and get them off the couch and away from the T.V. It can be motivating to participate in activities with our children. These can include hiking, riding bikes, or going on a nightly walk with them. Remember it is a lifestyle change that the entire the family needs to do. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) does indicate that living a healthy lifestyle and participating in physical activity will reduce our children's risk of becoming obese.
The community can help with getting people out and about. Creating new bike and walking paths throughout the city can encourage people to exercise. You can even talk to your local congress leaders about renovating an empty lot and turning it into a new park. These types of activities also bring people together and build team working skills
Marketing attempts made toward children has become an increased problem over the years. Food companies want to make their products appealing to the younger generation and they are guaranteed to try and get their parents attention to buy the products. Barbara Mantel states that in 2006 the institute of medicine reported that children's diet were suffering due to the marketing attempts made toward them, ("Preventing Obesity by, Barbara Mantel"). Due to the advertising affects the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) was created. This promised that major food corporation would not advertise towards younger children and only advertise healthy options to children. The negative effects this has on our children is astonishing, you would not think that simple commercial would have such bearing to these kids.
This ties directly back to eliminating hours of television times for our children. The less they are exposed to advertising the less of a negative effect it will have on them. Of course we cannot eliminate all television from our children, but we can definitely monitor what they are watching and control the amount of time they have to watch it. There was a time when children only wanted to play outside with their friends. Now with all the technology we have today they are more content playing on the internet, watching T.V or playing video games. We need to stand up for our children and take the appropriate action to eliminate obesity and increase their physical activity.
We need to start reaching out to federal lawmakers and insist on changes be made in the schools regarding nutritious meals. A lot of children rely on what meals they are getting at school as their parents may not have the money to provide dinner every night. If the only food a child is getting is not healthy they are not even given a chance to live a healthy life. Local restaurants can also start listing the nutritional facts on their meal options; this will allow people to understand what they are eating. If we can give someone the tools they need to succeed it will allow them to be better off in the long run.
With the health concerns around obesity we need to treat the condition very seriously. It is not something that can be pushed aside any more. The problem will continue to grow out of control if not one wants to step up and take action. These children affected by this condition need a voice to stand up for them. They need support and guidance on how to make the change. If no one wants to be there for them then we will never get this under control.
All the research that has been done comes back to one conclusion, we need to be aware of what our children are eating and make sure they are getting out and exercising. Of course there is always going to be some sort of barrier that will try to get in our way, but we will find a way to knock it down. Be an advocate for your child and reach out to their schools and fight for healthy meal options. Make sure you always provide the right types of food for your child and allow them some treats throughout the week. The goal is not to take away all sweet foods; it is to reduce the amount they consume. We also need to be aware of our children's behavior, if they seem to be depressed or something is bothering them approach them and ask what is going on. We cannot be blind to the fact something may be going on in their life. Moral support is the most important thing we can provide our children. Even if it is not your own child, if you feel there is something wrong reach out and ask them. There could be something go on at home, like abuse or a recent divorce. These things affect children in a very serious way and we need to be able to offer our support.
There can be changes made we just need to be the ones to make them. Allowing our children to live healthy active lives will allow them to enter into adulthood with a positive attitude. This will leave them educated and prepared to raise their children in a healthy environment. Understanding the facts around obesity and seeing what it really is doing to our children it does give a big reality check. The next time you walk into the grocery store and start to look for something for dinner just remember what you should be putting on the table. Because really, what is eating our children? Is it the media and the snacks they want to advertise to our children, or is a healthy meal that you can feel proud of. Remember the servings your children should be eating and offer them plenty of fruits and vegetables. Obesity is an epidemic that we can get under control, one nutritious meal at a time.
Works Cited
"Childhood Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 2 May 2015.
"Childhood Overweight." Childhood Overweight. Web. 2 May 2015.
Ebbeling, PhD, C., D. Pawlak, PhD, and D. Lu. "Childhood Obesity: Public-health Crisis, Common Sense Cure." Web. 2 May 2015.
Kiener, R. "Food Policy Debates." Web. 2 May 2015.
Mantel, B. "Preventing Obesity." Web. 2 May 2015.
Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity.
Valbrun, M. "OBESITY." Web. 2 May 2015.
I am needing help with grammar, sentence structure and content.
Lisa Greene
English 102
Steven Beech
May 21, 2015
What's Eating Our Children?
Obesity has become an epidemic in the world we live in today. It can be hard to cook a well-balanced meal every night and only offer healthy snacks in your home. Also on top of it all we need to make sure our children are eating a well-balanced meal for lunch as well. If we all work together to try and make a change our children will start to see the benefits right away. The effects obesity has on our society need to be brought to attention, along with the changes that need to be made to our children's eating habits at home and school, as well as the amount of physical activity they receive.
Obesity is affecting children more so than we thought resulting in an abundance of health risks. Obesity in children has more than doubled over the last 3 decades resulting in nearly 17% of all children being considered obese, ("Child Overweight, CO State University"). This is a shocking percentage and we need to take action to reduce this and find ways to allow our children to live more healthy lives. The health risks associated with being obese include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Children also have an increased risk for cardiovascular problems resulting in high blood pressure and cholesterol. When your body mass index (BMI) starts to rise your become more at risk for coronary heart disease. Your arteries start to become blocked and your blood flow to your heart becomes limited. The unhealthy foods that children consume are what cause the arteries to be blocked. This can be a very scary situation that can lead to death if left untreated.
Diabetes is one of the most common side effects of being obese. This condition comes with a lot of side effects that include potentially having to inject insulin daily. This can be a painful and scary thing for a child to go through. When you have diabetes your body does not use insulin properly and makes too much for the body to handle. The result of this is your blood sugar increases dramatically which can be deadly if not properly treated. This is one of the number one causes of early death, ("National heart, lung, and blood institute"). The health problems obesity brings is not the only problem, we need to offer our children better eating options and make sure they are getting the physical activity they need.
Offering healthy balanced meals to our children is one of the biggest aspects we need to focus on. These meals need to be present at home and at school. If your household tends to not cook healthy meals for dinner then it may be time for a change for the better. Parents tend to not think too much about what is being made for dinner, they may have had a long day at work and the last thing they need to worry about it preparing a healthy meal. Changing your eating habits is not all that difficult and preparing a nutritious meal does not take as long as you think. There are even classes you can take with your children that can show you how to cook with healthy food options. It has to be a lifestyle change for everyone, changing poor eating habits early in life will allow your child to grow up healthy.
Our school's need to also get on board with only offering well balanced healthy lunches to students. Snack bar options with sweet and sugary options should be limited to only one day a week. Allowing children these options every day will not help in the fight to control the way they eat. If you chose to pack your child's lunch you need to make sure they have healthy options as well and that their snacks are balanced. In addition to changing the type of foods our children eat, we need to take away and limit the amount of sugary drinks they consume. Water should always be the number on drink of choice for your child. Now we all know at times a nice glass of tea or coke is refreshing and that's ok. Moderation is the word here; limit these drinks to special occasions or when you choose to eat dinner at a restaurant.
It is hard to think that most children are not eating the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables. In the state of Colorado only about 8% of children are consuming their needed daily intake of vegetables, ("Child Overweight, CO State University"). How do we change this? What resources do families need to make this lifestyle change? At the end of the day there really is not any type of brochure or book that they need. The willingness to make the change is what they need. We all know what type of foods we should be eating and what we should be avoiding. Of course there are resources for low income families that may not have access to all the healthy options out there.
These small steps can make all the difference for our children. If we see problems at schools regarding the type of food being offered, be an advocate and reach out to the district about this. We cannot let these problems go silent and someone has to end up being the bigger person. We can help our friends and educate them on the importance of making sure their children are eating healthy. Of course this can be a sensitive subject as you do not want to pry into someone's life and insult them in any way. Be positive on the approach and make it fun, eating healthy does not have to be boring. So now that we understand that eating healthy is very important let's talk about the darker side of what people who are suffering from obesity may be going through.
It is not always about poor eating habits and non-existent physical activity. There is a lot of personal issues that children may be dealing with in their home life that is causing them to overeat. This can be their way of getting away and hiding their feelings. Your child may want more attention from their parents and they are just not around enough to fill that void for their children. We live in a working class society and that means at time work can consume us. At what point do we draw the line and spend more time with our kids. You may not think this would affect them but children do get lonely and strive for your attention. There could be other issues going on in the home such as neglect and drug use that is tearing children away from their parents. These types of problems also lead to depression. One of the easiest ways to try and feel less depressed is eat.
It is very important to try and be there for our children and offer as much support to them as possible. Of course we all want our kids to grow up to be happy and not face problems like depression, the reality is a lot of children to suffer and we may not know until it's too late. If you feel as if your child is acting different I would suggest seeking out professional help before the problem gets out of control. We are supporters and our child's biggest cheer leader, don't ever forget this. Making sure our children are getting the appropriate amount of physical activity a day is an important factor as well.
It seems children rather sit in front of a T.V. and watch their favorite show instead of going outside and getting some real physical activity. Even though schools offer physical education, we need to continue to push our children to get out of the house and play outside. The University of Colorado states, "Time spent watching television, videos, DVDs, and movies averaged slightly over three hours per day among children 8 to 18 years old". Our children should be getting at least an hour a day of physical activity. Encourage your child to sign up for a sport, this will allow them to have an activity to participate in and get them off the couch and away from the T.V. It can be motivating to participate in activities with our children. These can include hiking, riding bikes, or going on a nightly walk with them. Remember it is a lifestyle change that the entire the family needs to do. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) does indicate that living a healthy lifestyle and participating in physical activity will reduce our children's risk of becoming obese.
The community can help with getting people out and about. Creating new bike and walking paths throughout the city can encourage people to exercise. You can even talk to your local congress leaders about renovating an empty lot and turning it into a new park. These types of activities also bring people together and build team working skills
Marketing attempts made toward children has become an increased problem over the years. Food companies want to make their products appealing to the younger generation and they are guaranteed to try and get their parents attention to buy the products. Barbara Mantel states that in 2006 the institute of medicine reported that children's diet were suffering due to the marketing attempts made toward them, ("Preventing Obesity by, Barbara Mantel"). Due to the advertising affects the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) was created. This promised that major food corporation would not advertise towards younger children and only advertise healthy options to children. The negative effects this has on our children is astonishing, you would not think that simple commercial would have such bearing to these kids.
This ties directly back to eliminating hours of television times for our children. The less they are exposed to advertising the less of a negative effect it will have on them. Of course we cannot eliminate all television from our children, but we can definitely monitor what they are watching and control the amount of time they have to watch it. There was a time when children only wanted to play outside with their friends. Now with all the technology we have today they are more content playing on the internet, watching T.V or playing video games. We need to stand up for our children and take the appropriate action to eliminate obesity and increase their physical activity.
We need to start reaching out to federal lawmakers and insist on changes be made in the schools regarding nutritious meals. A lot of children rely on what meals they are getting at school as their parents may not have the money to provide dinner every night. If the only food a child is getting is not healthy they are not even given a chance to live a healthy life. Local restaurants can also start listing the nutritional facts on their meal options; this will allow people to understand what they are eating. If we can give someone the tools they need to succeed it will allow them to be better off in the long run.
With the health concerns around obesity we need to treat the condition very seriously. It is not something that can be pushed aside any more. The problem will continue to grow out of control if not one wants to step up and take action. These children affected by this condition need a voice to stand up for them. They need support and guidance on how to make the change. If no one wants to be there for them then we will never get this under control.
All the research that has been done comes back to one conclusion, we need to be aware of what our children are eating and make sure they are getting out and exercising. Of course there is always going to be some sort of barrier that will try to get in our way, but we will find a way to knock it down. Be an advocate for your child and reach out to their schools and fight for healthy meal options. Make sure you always provide the right types of food for your child and allow them some treats throughout the week. The goal is not to take away all sweet foods; it is to reduce the amount they consume. We also need to be aware of our children's behavior, if they seem to be depressed or something is bothering them approach them and ask what is going on. We cannot be blind to the fact something may be going on in their life. Moral support is the most important thing we can provide our children. Even if it is not your own child, if you feel there is something wrong reach out and ask them. There could be something go on at home, like abuse or a recent divorce. These things affect children in a very serious way and we need to be able to offer our support.
There can be changes made we just need to be the ones to make them. Allowing our children to live healthy active lives will allow them to enter into adulthood with a positive attitude. This will leave them educated and prepared to raise their children in a healthy environment. Understanding the facts around obesity and seeing what it really is doing to our children it does give a big reality check. The next time you walk into the grocery store and start to look for something for dinner just remember what you should be putting on the table. Because really, what is eating our children? Is it the media and the snacks they want to advertise to our children, or is a healthy meal that you can feel proud of. Remember the servings your children should be eating and offer them plenty of fruits and vegetables. Obesity is an epidemic that we can get under control, one nutritious meal at a time.
Works Cited
"Childhood Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 2 May 2015.
"Childhood Overweight." Childhood Overweight. Web. 2 May 2015.
Ebbeling, PhD, C., D. Pawlak, PhD, and D. Lu. "Childhood Obesity: Public-health Crisis, Common Sense Cure." Web. 2 May 2015.
Kiener, R. "Food Policy Debates." Web. 2 May 2015.
Mantel, B. "Preventing Obesity." Web. 2 May 2015.
Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity.
Valbrun, M. "OBESITY." Web. 2 May 2015.