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Student Cause/Effect Essay #3 |
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Student Cause/Effect Essay #3 |
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There was a time when chubby children were considered cute. It was assumed that their baby fat would melt away and a healthy adult would be left over. We now know that childhood obesity can be very harmful for our nations children. Not only can obesity cause health problems but also psychological problems. In observing the causes of childhood obesity, hopefully we can slow down the epidemic.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of obese children ages 6-19 have tripled to 16% over the last twelve years. That is an alarming figure. One of the main causes is lack of physical activity. This may seem like an obvious cause, but it seems to be the one our youth have the most problems with. Physical education is being cut from many public schools because of budgets. Our kids are than left to fend for themselves. It is assumed that the child will go home and get all the physical activity they need there. That is wrong. At home awaits the television. Many children will park themselves in front of the tv and not move for hours.
The television not only provides a companion for your child while they sit on the couch, it entices them with commercials for foods that not only have no nutritional value, but may leave behind lasting effects like childhood diabetes. The age old saying, “You are what you eat” still rings true today. Fresh fruit and vegetables have been replaced by french-fries and hamburgers. Children today do not know how to eat healthy. We, as a nation, spend hours and hours bombarding children with fast food commercials, sugary cereal commercials and cavity causing drink commercials. We than spend a fraction of that time telling kids these things are healthy only in moderation.
Our children’s nutritional education is almost nonexistent. Ask a fifth grader what the food pyramid is and you’re likely to receive the same blank stare as I did. Most children have no idea what a balanced meal is because they may have never received one. Schools provide nutritional meals at lunch, but there is no enforcement when it comes to eating your fruits and vegetables. Lets face it, children eat what’s familiar. If they haven’t had it at home they are probably not going to eat it at school. If there are no vegetables at home, they are not going to eat them at school. Home life definitely sets the tone for a child’s eating and exercise routines.
Children are like sponges and they will mimic anything a beloved adult will do. We, as the adult nation, are generally out of shape. We have become more reliant on convenience foods that hold little nutritional value. With the rising cost of produce and the recent FDA safety scares it might become easy to skip some of the foods our children desperately need. Junk food right now is cheaper than healthful produce. Junk food also appeals to the younger crowd. If children are allowed to buy a bag of potato chips and then go home and eat the whole bag in front of the tv, we have a problem. Parents need to set boundaries and explain that everything should be balanced and in moderation. Families should be encouraged and willing to be physically active as a whole. There is a lack of physicality in our American homes. Children see their parents not exercising so they see no big deal with not exercising themselves. This combined with poor diet is a major contributor to childhood obesity.
The causes of childhood obesity may seem simple enough. It’s about lack of education, physical activity, and diet. We need to start education in the home so our children are able to make healthy choices in a world full of temptations. Although the causes are simple the solution may not be as easy. It takes motivations and commitment, but I believe its necessary to see what has caused this rise in child obesity so we can fix it. We owe it to our nation’s children.