Child Obesity, an Alarming Trend in American Society
with larger numbers of children and adolescents becoming obese every year. Obesity is when a person has an excessive accumulation of body fat. According to “kidsource online” obesity occurs when the total body weight is more than 25% fat in boys and 32% fat for girls. There are many factors relating to obesity and several damaging side affects which will be discussed in this impact report. (1)
What age range does obesity impact? Unfortunately, obesity seems to impact children of all ages, but recent studies have shown that there has been a 45% increase in the prevalence of obesity among 6-11 year olds. (1)
Who does obesity impact the most? Children at greatest risk are ones who have two parents who are obese. This occurs due to genetic factors and poor modeled behaviors (dietary and physical). This also affects children who are inactive. A recent study showed that children who lived with single mothers were significantly more likely to become obese by the age of 6 as were African Americans, low income families and children who grow up in lower cognitive stimulated environments. 50% of all Hispanic-American and African-American Women are overweight (2)
How many kids are affected? There are nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in 1980, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. According to their findings from 1999-2000 data, 15 percent of youth ages 6 to 19 – almost 9 million – are overweight in the United States. (3)
What are the warning signs of obesity? Some signs as well as causes of obesity include: lack of physical activity if a child shows little interest in moving around or doing physical activiites, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of both factors. Other causes include an increase in sedentary lifestyles throughout society, as well as television, computer and video games, and children becoming less active as they move through adolescence. Another sign to look for is whether a child has an obese parent because studies have shown that children with one or two obese parents have a higher chance of becoming obese themselves due to genetics and family lifestyle. (4)
How does obesity impact the child? Obesity affects children in a number of different ways. Physically, obese children are more prone to skin disorders including heat rash, intertrigo, monilial dermatitis and acanthosis nicragicans ( a symptom of type 2 diabetes). Psychiatric problems linked to obesity may include depression, poor self-esteem, negative self-image and withdrawal from peers. It is also noted that society may view obese people as lazy, stupid, slow and self-indulgent, which can lead to the low self image often associated with obesity. (5)
How does obesity impact the child’s ability to learn? Obesity is often attributed to physical inactivity and poor eating habits, both of which adversely affect a child’s ability to learn, according to the Nutrition Services Division of the California Department of Education. It was also noted that healthy children are ready to learn. A study was done involving children who participated in the School Breakfast Program. It resulted in improved test scores, as well as improved composite math and reading percentile scores. Proper nutrition also results in improved class participation as well as reduced absences and tardiness. Nutrition Education in general has shown improved eating habits and health status. Also, fit and healthy children have shown improved mathematics, reading, and writing test scores. While obesity may not directly lower scores, it is obvious that nutrition affects pupil’s abilities to learn, whether malnourished or over nourished. (6)
What can be done to prevent this impact?
According to 24hourfitness.com, the first step to the prevention of obesity is limiting the amount of television that children are watching. It was mentioned that several studies have shown a strong link between television and obesity. It is not likely for kids to burn many calories while watching television, also, food products are so frequently promoted during television programs that most children are eating while they are watching TV.
It is also encouraged to establish routines for children that include physical fitness. It was noted that although routines are hard to break once they are set, as soon as a new routine is established it will tend to run itself.
It is also important for schools to provide opportunities for students to engage in physical activity. Students need to not only learn about the importance of being healthy; they need to get the chance to practice what they learn during school. With so many positive benefits to exercise, it is extremely important that students are getting a chance to exercise during school, and that the forms of exercise they engage in are fun and motivating for them.
Some other recommendations include making sure that as a teacher you are sensitive to the emotional needs of obese children. Parents are also encouraged to get treatment for acne of obese students to help foster a more positive self-image. (7)
What types of classroom accommodations can be made? Schools can provide nutritious snacks as well as offer a variety of fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that increasing the variety of nutritious foods increases the chances of students selecting fruits and vegetables with their meal.
It is also important to give students a chance to engage in physical education as well to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Also, in California, public schools have the option of applying for a Pilot Program grant, which funds a district wide school nutrition and physical activity policy. This program includes implemented nutrition standards through the school food service program as well as hands-on, interactive nutrition education.
In much of the research, it is shown that prevention is the best way to deal with obesity. (6)
Children’s Books
Cumulus the Puff Cloud: A Story About Dealing with Childhood Obesity by Benny Hardouin (grades 4-8)
Just For Kids! (Obesity Prevention Workbook) by Susan Johson, Laurel Millin (grades 4-6)
Ezzie’s Emerald by Kathleen McDonnell, McDonald, Sally Davies (grades 4-6)
Overweight Teenagers: Don’t Bear the Burden Alone by Michael D. LeBow (grades 7-12)
Adult Books
Resistance to Exercise: A Social Analysis of Inactivity by Mary McElroy (2002, 299 pgs.)
Helping Your Overweight Child: A Family Guide by Caroline J. Cederquist, Craig Clark (2002, 153 pgs.)
Food Fight : The Inside Story of the Food Industry, America’s Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It by Kelly D., Ph.D. Brownell, Katherine Battle, Ph.D. Horgen (2003, 352 pgs.)
National Organization
You can get information about Obesity from the National Heart, Lung,and Blood Insititute’s Obesity Education Initiative at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm.
Additional Information
Children with obesity are becoming more widespread in the United States. As a classroom teacher, this will be a problem that will be encountered every school year. Teachers can’t necessarily prevent obesity in their students but they can help with the process of promoting good health behaviors and teaching students about respecting differences in others.
Teachers can lay off food and candy as rewards. Teachers can also model good eating habits, such as eating lunch with the students and not sipping on cans of pop all day. It is also very important that teachers are aware of how an obese person is treated by the others. A lot of emphasis is placed on accepting others people’s skin color and culture but not as much as size differences. This is something that the teacher needs to realize. It is difficult, however, because we live in a society that disgraces overweight individuals. So there are a lot of biases to work through. In LeBow’s book, Overweight Teenagers, one teen recalls an example of this when his first grade teacher chose him to play Santa Claus because the teacher said he had “more meat on his bones” (3). This made the child feel ashamed and later he was ridiculed. When those biases can be overcome and students can look past physical differences, obese children will not feel a need to hide.
A lot of obese children find comfort in hiding at home to watch TV and eat snacks. This can especially be true during days when there is P.E., not because they are forced to be active, but because many P.E. programs are sport centered and encourage competition (McElroy 144). This can determine social status in which the children who do well with sports are popular and children who do not do well in sports are unpopular. Fortunately, many schools are now recognizing this problem and are replacing P.E. programs with activities in which every child can succeed and build self-esteem. Teachers need to be aware of what kind of P.E. program their school has and how it is affecting the children in the class. (8,9)
