Portman1
Natalie Portman
Professor O’Rourke
English 1A
9 March 2014
The Cure to Obesity
According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 3 children in America are overweight (What is)! According to the California Department of Education the average class size ranges from 22-25 students meaning in California at least eight students are overweight in each classroom (Number of). Obesity in children is sweeping the nation, and does not look like it is going to decrease anytime soon. With the rise in junk foods and technology there is no motivation for children to go outside anymore. But daily physical education in elementary schools will aid in decreasing obesity in children.
Obesity has many causes; the most obvious one would be living an unhealthy lifestyle. This includes poor eating habits and being sedentary. According to a study done in Greece by a nursing department “Certain eating habits and consumption of foods rich in calories may possibly lead to excessive energy intake[calories] in children and adolescents…” (Koukourikos 129). The study later goes on to say that larger portion sizes and fatty foods all contribute to the poor eating habits that more and more children are developing. This overconsumption of calories contributes to the obesity epidemic, especially if physical activity isn’t done to combat the excess calories. The same study also states that the lack of physical activity, along with the overconsumption of calories definitely adds to obesity among children (Koukourikos 129). Without the balance of physical activity off putting children in taking to many calories, children are far more likely to become obese and unhealthy. This could be very bad for them as they grow into adults and keep the same unhealthy habits.
Another reason more children are becoming overweight is because more children are sitting themselves in front of the television and playing video games. A study done in Mexico City was done to see if there was a correlation between children watching television and obesity. This study found that obesity for children was 10% higher for every hour of television watched (Hernandez). The Center for Disease Control also did a study to see how much time adolescents were spending using media, their findings were very astonishing, “Children 8—18 years of age spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, including TV, computers, video games, cell phones, and movies.”(A Growing) With this much time used for media, one wonders when children aredoing some sort of physical activity. This increase in use of media and decrease in physical activity is becoming a big contributor to living a sedentary lifestyle, and adding to the dangers of obesity.
Many people do not think that obesity in children can be very dangerous. Many parents will brush it off, and believe that their child is just “big boned” or just in a phase. Little do parents realize is that their child’s obesity is incredibly dangerous, and can have immediate affects. Type 2 diabetes for instance is becoming very common in obese children. According to the American Diabetes Association “Type 2 Diabetes is a problem with your body that causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise higher than normal” (Type 2). Type 2 diabetes, which was once thought to only happen to adults, is now becoming more common in youths (Type 2 in Children).
Not only is it an immediate danger to children to be obese, it also lasting effects that can be problematic throughout adulthood. According to the CDC “Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults” (Childhood). According to the national heart, lung and blood institute, being obese and an adult has a multitude of health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and stroke (What are). All of these illnesses have the potential to shorten a person’s life span, and also decrease their quality of life.
Unfortunately, immediate and lasting affects of obesity in children are becoming more problematic, and more common. Many people would blame the media showing junk foods in a glamorous light, or McDonalds for making the happy meal so delicious, but many people are not looking at schools to teach students how to be healthy! Americans expect schools to teach their children mathematics, science, and language arts, but rarely are Americans demanding teachers implement healthier lesson plans or increase student’s physical activity. At the same time, children are not learning that being healthy is important at schools. They know that certain subjects are important to know, and that they need to do well on standardized tests. They are not worried about how much physical activity they have done during the day, because no one has taught them that, being healthy is of importance.
There is a solution to this though! By implementing more physical education throughout the school week it would enable students to do the recommended amount of physical activity. This could be done easily, efficiently, and at low cost. Many teachers do not they have enough time to do more physical education, but there is definitely a way to make physical education time conscious. According to the National Association for Sports and Physical Education, children only need 150 minutes a week of physical activity. That amounts from 20-30 minutes each day, which would not take very much time away from the other subjects teachers need to teach. These 20-30 minutes a day would benefit children in so many ways (NASPE). According to PHIT America, an organization whose mission is to achieve quality physical education, physical education in schools could promote a healthy lifestyle, motor development skills, strengthen peer relations ships, and even improve academics! (Benefits)
The best way that physical education could be done would be to have the teachers teach physical education during the school day. This may seem daunting to many teachers, but the reality is that doing physical education gives the teacher the opportunity to build relationships with children outside of the classroom. This could help students see that their teachers are someone they can have fun with, which will make relationship building much easier. The relationships that are built can enable students to feel more comfortable, and trust their teachers. Teachers also do not have to do too much work to prepare for a P.E lesson. It may seem as though it may take hours long and lots of practice, but the extent of work it can take is googling different variation of tag, or relay races. They are fairly easy to demonstrate to children, but are very effective in keeping them active, while having fun.
P.E also can be very cost effective. It does not take much money to play a fun an active game in school. In many cases all you need is a few cones. Teachers also can utilize the efficiency of the 99 cent store. There you could buy things like a button for a relax race or yarn for a 3-legged race. Also by having regular school teachers being the ones to teach the lesson, it will save the school money in hiring and having to pay for multiple P.E teachers.
Many people who would oppose this may believe that daily physical education in school is not necessary because of the recent news of the drop in obesity in children (New Vital). This news should prove that more physical education is not necessary, because the current systems are working; the proof is in the study! By doing more physical education we are taking away extra time children need to study and learn things that will be on the standardized test.
While the decrease in child obesity is true this study is only true for preschoolers ages 2-5., his does not include the 33% of adolescents who are overweight (Child Obesity). Also if there is not an increase in physical education in schools, the percentage could go back up because there is a lack in healthy living education. While academics and standardized test are extremely important, educators need to realize that education about living a healthy life should be as important, if not more, then academics. This type of physical education could teach children the importance and benefits of being healthy, and how it will affect their future adult selves.
Physical education is extremely important in adolescents, especially in a time where the television and Xbox are ruling over children’s lives. Being obese is extremely dangerous to children’s immediate life, and their adult lives, it can cause long term health problems, and can even shorten a child’s life! Teachers have the solution in their hands though! More physical education in schools could teach more children how to be healthy, and give them the daily physical education they need. Implementing a more physical education will enable students to be healthier, more confident, and even improve academically. Elementary schools need to begin implementing daily physical education in their schools as soon as possible.
Works Cites
"A Growing Problem."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.
"Benefits of P.E. in School."Benefits of P.E. in School. PHIT America, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2014.
"Childhood Obesity Facts."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2014
Hernández, B, et al. "Association Of Obesity With Physical Activity, Television Programs And Other Forms Of Video Viewing Among Children In Mexico City." International Journal Of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders 23.8 (1999): 845. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
Koukourikos, K., M. Lavdaniti, and M. Avramika. "An Overview On Childhood Obesity."Progress In Health Sciences3.1 (2013): 128-133.Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
"NASPE Physical Education Guidelines."NASPE Physical Education Guidelines. National Association for Sports and Physical Education, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.
"New CDC Vital Signs: Obesity Declines Among Low-Income Preschoolers."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 08 Mar. 2014
"Number of Teachers and Average Class Size - CalEdFacts."(CA Dept of Education). California Department of Education, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014.
"Type 2 Diabetes."American Diabetes Association. American Diabetes Association, n.d. Web. 1 6 Feb. 2014.
"Type 2 Diabetes in Children."Definition. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 09 Mar. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
"What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity?"- NHLBI, NIH. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
"What Is Childhood Obesity?"What Is Childhood Obesity?American Heart Association, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.