My roommate and I have recently been watching “The Biggest Loser” on television and so I have learned a lot about obesity and the physical effects that it has on people and it breaks my heart that children are being sucked into this lifestyle at such a young age. It is truly a cycle that is very difficult to break, and as I have been watching on “The Biggest Loser” the emotional baggage that accompanies the weight that many of these people put on is huge. The ridicule that most of them went through as kids (because many of them have been overweight all their life) among many other things that they have had to deal with is incredibly sad. To think that children in elementary school are facing this dilemma is terrifying.
So, when we read the article on obesity this week, I saw if from a different perspective because I had just heard stories of some people who have battled their weight for their entire lives, and they shared some of the impacts that it had on them. While I can understand how the percentages are broken down in the article, it makes sense, especially the part about how lower socio-economic level homes have a more difficult time accessing healthier foods because they are more expensive. It was still shocking to see the numbers of just how many children were overweight or obese. I was glad to see that so many states are taking action to fight this luxury disease that is hitting the United States. I was particularly happy to see that the school system as a whole was part of the plan to change this. For so many children who are part of the lower socio-economic status the healthy food that they can access at school may be the only healthy food they get. And while that is frightening, I think it is definitely a step in the right direction.
I agree, it is very sad to see such young kids having to deal with both the physical and emotional effects of obesity. Obesity leads to health problems such as diabetes... and it is very scary that elementary kids are now having to face such awful health issues that we normally think of as "adult" problems.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the psychological aspect behind obesity, alongside to economic aspect, is a very strong influence on the overweight youth. Kids who get trapped into the lifestyle where they eat fast food every day and don't exercise have the major challenge of breaking free from that routine. Fast food is cheap and exercise is sometimes difficult, giving this unhealthy lifestyle a positive spin. But the long term affects are potentially deadly. I also agree that the first step for a solution is education. By teaching children about health and their lifestyles, a brighter future can be more easily reached.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has said. It is sad when I see a child too obese to run on the play ground or is body conscious before reaching double digits. If schools would educated more about healthy options and provide some of those options, children would be better prepared to battle obesity.
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