Entry#10- Solution for the Obesity Epidemic in USA

To be able to start working on solving a problem, you have to acknowledge it first. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), nearly 69% of Americans are overweight or obese and 18% of our children are obese. Our new generation is craving Big Mac, not broccoli.

So, we realized that the weight of the nation is out of control, but we can fix that. We have to come together as a country and really make this a priority. It is our only hope. It is about survival and well-being as a nation. If we do not take this issue seriously, we, individually and as a nation, will pay very big consequences. The generation of our children is going to have lower life expectancy than us because of obesity. We have an abundance of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and strokes.

All of us have to be part of the solution. “To win, we have to lose.” 

Eating more filling, higher fiber foods help satiety signals to the brain. Get physically active! Parents can be role models for their children. Community programs, like Farmer Markets provide fruits and vegetables for free to people who can’t afford to buy them. The number of farmers’ markets in the US has increased by 300% in a decade to over 7600 today. In 2002 Dr. Preston Maring pioneered the nation’s first hospital based farmers market. He has a passion for engaging children in the kitchen and opening their eyes to how delicious fruits and vegetables can be. 

Government organizations can develop environments which support more active living- allow easy access to parks, businesses, so people can walk; provide incentives to grocery markets which provide healthy foods; employers can offer healthier food, and organize programs which support healthy lifestyle, like gyms and lactation rooms at the workplace, for their employees.

Congress passed and the President signed a comprehensive health care reform bill into law. The legislation contains several measures to help reduce the rising rates of obesity in the United States.

The first lady Michelle Obama started a campaign to combat childhood obesity. It is called Let's Move. The campaign outlines a wide range of initiatives to attempt to end childhood obesity within a generation. The Let's Move campaign encompasses support for parents, the provision of healthier foods in schools, more physical activity for kids and the availability of affordable healthy foods in communities.

Let’s Move – 5 Simple Steps

Move Everyday: A minimum of 60 total minutes of physical activity per day for every single kid will get them moving in the right direction. They will feel better, be less stressed, more attentive in school, and get a better night sleep, all because of one hour of physical activity.

Try a New Fruit or Veggie: Fruits and veggies are vital for a healthy diet and kids can have more fun eating them by trying new things. Let the child come grocery shopping and pick out their own fruits and veggies to try, turning a healthy lifestyle into something fun for them. Challenge the kids to make the most colorful salad possible which will increase the amount of nutrients they will get from it.

Drink Lots of Water: Stop stocking the house with soda and increase the consumption of water. Only purchase 100% real fruit juice. If the kids want something similar to a soda then add a splash of juice into some sparkling water.

Do Jumping Jacks to Break up TV Time: The statistics for how much television kids watch per day is sickening but is also a good opportunity to make some big changes. TV has a lot of negative side effects, but those can be stymied by doing jumping jacks during commercial breaks and in between shows. Same thing goes for kids that spend all day on the computer, have them run up and down the stairs, do sit-ups or push-ups, stretch, or come up with their own physical activities to break up the time in front of a computer screen.

Help Make Dinner: Plan the daily dinner menu with the kids and have them help decide and do the shopping with you. If it is a made into a fun experience that they have control over, they will not just learn about making healthy choices, they will be excited to do so.

Staying Active

With the Family: The family has the largest influence on the child’s lifestyle and could easily plan a fun active hobby or daily activity that kids will be excited to do when they come home from school. A few ideas include giving the kids toys that promote moving such as balls, kites, and jump ropes, encourage kids to join a sports team, create a family park day a few days per week, and even make some house rules like no sitting still during TV commercials.

At School: Schools have an amazing opportunity to both teach the kids about the importance of physical activity and also let the kids be active with all of their friends. The most effective way to promote activity at school is through a strong P.E. program where 50% of the class time is spent doing vigorous activity. The programs should have a variety of options for kids and should be a fun environment rather than a forced exercise regime. They will burn twice the calories when they are having fun and are more likely to transfer over the daily school activity habits into their lifestyle.

In the Community: The entire community should get involved in helping to reduce childhood obesity. The community could dedicate some funds to building and improving parks and playgrounds, creating safe trails for kids, and getting the kids involved in outdoor environmental programs.

Obesity epidemic is a complex problem.There is a solution and our whole society has to be involved in order to be successful.