Easy Steps that You Can Make

I know I have mentioned a lot of key facts in these posts, so I felt the need to sum up all my notes that can help again, for everyone involved. A "Conclusion", if you will. These are life lessons that everyone should have kids all the way through adults and grandparents. People need to know how crucial it is to take care of oneself, and that starts with laying off fast food and junk food. It can be a treat, but not a habit. Should junk food become a habit, this begins the downward spiral of no return.

The first tip I have is for each family is to create a good environment in your home, filled with food that's good for you balanced with some treats. Kids must know to make the right choices, and that lesson begins in your own home. This was how my house was growing up and still is, and has helped show me the right choices next to the wrong ones. I also believe that being upfront with your kids is the best policy. They should know what the consequences will be should they eat poorly. Not so much so that it is hanging over their heads, but enough so they are inclined to choose correctly.

My second tip would be to have a happy home. I know this isn't always achievable, but many things affect a child's health other than simply eating habits. I child must have a routine schedule, including sleep schedule, well rounded meals, exercise, and two parents who are there for them. This all adds up just as much as their sugar intake, and should these be inefficient, their health can prove poorly and be just as much of a negative affect as ignoring their fruits an vegetables. Also, the parent needs to be a good role model. Kids model parents, and will eat properly if you do.

The third tip would be from a young age, teach kids which foods are which. Cover all the major food groups, which they should know just as easily as their times tables. I remember growing up with onions, bananas and apples being on the counter in baskets, and I would soak it up as my mom would tell me each of their names. When you're a kid, you want to just learn everything. Take advantage of this and use it to get in their minds early so you don't have to fight them on this later.

My fourth and final tip for parents is simply be active in your child's life, health and otherwise. Know what you're child is learning, eating, and control the things you can control. Make your home a safe one, with healthy choices. Also, listen to your doctor. If the doctor says he or she is worried about your child, make good steps to curb the problem and be your child's advocate. Also, make sure you fight your school against junk food, especially for elementary school children. They are too young to make important decisions such as these on their own, and should be given good options in schools. Be aware of what is happening, and if you disapprove, pack your own child's lunch. That way, you know what your child is being fed. Be proactive, rather than reactive.

Obesity in Society

I know for me personally, as well as many people, the last thing they want to think about or see is fat. I always find myself asking when I get a new outfit or am working out, "do I look fat?" to my friends and family, asking for approval and the "no" I want to so desperately hear. Sadly, I also know that I am not the only culprit of this. My friends ask me the same question, demanding the same answer. And this isn't our fault, the media has proposed this supposed "perfect" body that everyone must have, and if they do not, they are claimed fat.

You see all these magazines that either you or your parents read: Cooking Light, Self, Health, and Women's Health. All of these magazines tend to give you simple exercises that should improve your health. And on the cover of at least Self, Health and Women's Health are women who are infinitely skinnier than you and make you think that should you do these exercises, this will be your finishing result. This isn't necessarily true. People have different bodies, and therefore will all end differently. These are simply to sell the magazine and make a profit. The body image angle is what sells magazines, and its what women are frequently worrying about: their bottom lines. Is it true that you should work out as the doctor recommends? Yes, it is. But should you be working out so much simply to look like someone on the cover of a magazine or so you see no fat on your body at all? Absolutely not. Everyone should want to take care of themselves, but not to the extent that they feel like they should be working out for hours on end to loose every calorie that they are taking in. That is simply unhealthy.

Another example of obesity that has claimed a lot of the media's attention is the children's book, "Maggie goes on a Diet". I understand why most people are upset over this obviously controversial book, even simply from the title. Most parents don't want their kids worrying about their weight, but I must ask a questions to parents out there, Do you think that kids don't watch your every move all day, worrying about your weight, working out excessively? They are smarter than we give them credit for, and are worrying about this issue as soon as they have interactions with other kids. But most people don't see the positives this book gives. It's about a young girl who has a poor diet and decides that she must take control and change her own life. And in the end, she succeeds and scores a goal in soccer. It shows kids that they can control their own destinies and their own situations, if the right steps are taken. Kids must have a positive role model, and "Maggie" can provide this to many kids.

Another topic I have come across very frequently in my research is parents, and the role they play obesity. Often times you see the types of kids reflect the parenting style. Many kids become obese simply from the pressure they are under from their parents. There are parents who are so demanding that the kids turn to something to cope: whether it's food, drugs, alcohol, or sports. Most times it's because parents think they are helping their kids, but they are simply making it harder for them, pure and simple. The parents must find a way to help their kids without feeling the need to interject themselves in their lives so much so that the kids find it unbearable. Kids see obesity everywhere, and its important that parents set the right ideas in their heads. "Diets" are wrong all together, and the kids should want to make health life choices. Making sure that kids eat a balanced diet, and have plenty of exercise, and they should be fine. Also, a parent must be involved, and make sure if their child is going through a tough time that the child has a healthy outlet to vent, and that is not through food. Good life decisions can affect these kids for the rest of their lives, and it all starts at home.

Steps Already Taken Place to Prevent Obesity

The problem with obesity is nothing new, and has been fought for the last couple of centuries. Originally, back before the latest change for fashion, you're weight had been an indicator of your social class. People who had more weight tended to be of a higher social class, because it proved that they had more money to feed themselves. People of poverty level tended to be very skinny, so much so that you could see their bones... wow times have changed a lot since then.

Nevertheless, the government has realized that childhood obesity is a major problem affecting our generation. The fact that 1 of 3 children is obesity and destined to die from it is unacceptable, although there is a battle stopping them every step of the way.The biggest problem that the government is having has to deal with the prices of healthy food, free market system and just the knowledge of nutrition.

The first hurdle that the government has to deal with this the cost of food per school. The government is facing the same kinds of costs that normal families must deal with each day. Going to a grocery store is more pricey than eating from the $1.00 menu at McDonald's. Yes, the grocery store is healthier and better for you, but there are always loop-holes that are in place. Food going into public schools is under very strict rules, and must be inspected to have the highest health quality, but there are always fine lines that can be crossed easily. One example is the "A la carte" menu that many schools have. These don't have to follow the normal inspection that the main courses must go through, and that is where the problem lies. A solution to this problem would be, if possible, simply bring your lunch. That way no matter what is being served, your child has the best food possible from your home. My mom started doing this when in middle school, she was hearing the types of food I was being served and was getting worried with what it would do to my health. Parents must get involved with their schools.

The second hurdle that the government has faced while implementing their new guidelines of healthier lunches is the free market and "freedom of choice" campaigns. I understand that many people don't want to have the government in their lives any more than necessary, but desperate times call for desperate measures. There have been many ideas that have come across the table, such as a tax on soda and junk food, or having these types of foods go through routine inspection. These ideas are all well and good, but are expected to have an uprising from those consumers and companies. Companies' main targets for junk food are kids, and this is why they sell these products at schools. Should schools try to ban these companies from selling, they will of course put up the fact of free market in this country and they have a right to choose their own customers.

The third hurdle is simply nutrition knowledge. Most kids aren't being educated on what a tomato is, even though they know what ketchup looks like. We need to promote nutrition awareness, but not scare people. People don't need to go on "diets" (which often consist of eliminating a whole food group, usually carbohydrates), but they should know what is in the foods that they are consuming. Also, as a rule of thumb, if the food you're eating has more than a handful of ingredients and sounds like a science test, you probably shouldn't be eating it. Michelle Obama has a movement that she is trying to create by reaching out to kids. Her movement, the Get Up and Move program, is great but it shouldn't stop there. We need make sure there are programs in each school that teach kids K-12 about life complications from poor choices in food.

We must stop this bad habit now, before it gets worse. Each generation has a shorter life span then the one previous, and being obese gives you a shorter life expectancy of anywhere between 5 and 20 years. Our children are expected to have an even worse fate than us, so we must kill this now. For ourselves and, more importantly, for the future.

The Science behind Obesity

It has only been within the last few decades that Obesity has really come to a head. Before twenty years ago, no one knew what a eating disorder was. My mother tells me of when she was in college and how eating disorders were just coming into effect. The key to understanding obesity is to understand how it affects us psychologically.

An interesting fact about obesity is that it affects us the same way that drugs affect us, with what scientists call the "reward" factor. This factor is when someone craves junk food or is feeling good, such as getting an "A" on a test, they will feel a dose of dopamine come into effect. This dosage is what makes drugs feel the way they do, and what makes junk food feel good and feel filling. The only problem is too much is not good for anyone. For regular people, the dopamine will shut off and make you feel satisfied. Addicts and Obese people don't have this switch, and simply want more and more. Many people don't understand why obese people don't just stop eating, but its not their fault. They have no control over their situation.

Another important fact is how different foods affect our mood, and how it aids or hinders depression anxiety and stress. The way our mood and food works is that certain types of food make us act in certain ways. For instance, we all know that sugar will give us a quick energy boost, but will also give us a crash. Protein will give you the same thing, except without the crash. Whole wheat breads and pastas, or carbohydrates, will make the person feel full and stay with them for the entire day. There are a lot of necessary foods that we should have throughout the day. But sometimes there is one person who will decide to cut one portion completely from their diet, most often carbohydrates, and it will completely offset the balance of their diet. It's important to have a completely balanced diet, that also includes the good kind of sugar, not artificial. And a true fact is that should someone choose to eliminate one part of their diet, they will eventually gain twice as much weight as originally intended, only because they end up binging when they come back onto the substance they took out. Be smart about what you taken in and leave out of your system because it can have serious side effects on your body.

Causes of Poor Health

The first step in my journey down finding as much as I could about Nutrition was its causes, the root of the problem. Although there wasn't one clear reason behind it, there were a couple that I found especially interesting.

The first reason I found was the link between obesity and wealth, and how it affects one's health. It's common knowledge that people are wanting everything to become faster, to get information faster. Food is no different than any other item that most people want as fast and as cheap as possible. Fast food, though infinitely worse for one's health than food bought from a grocery store, is cheaper and often comes for less than a dollar. Studies were found in a time article that Women who were better educated and wealthier were less likely to become obese than their less counterparts. The study also showed that men of color, African American and Mexican males, were also more likely to become obese than their counterparts. It's absolutely shocking that these statistics stand as they are. There have been possible laws put into place to prevent obesity, but none have truly had the desired effect. Although the fast food is cheap now, the effects will become costly down the road. Medical bills, surgeries, pills, it will all add up and it won't be just the person herself or himself paying for it, but tax payers. We all have an investment in this problem, and we need to make sure the stock doesn't plummet any more than it already has.

The second cause that has come up in multiple articles is the idea of who's responsibility it is for the obesity problem: Schools, Government or the Parents? This problem has been circulated a number of times, and I will post later on previous actions in the government that have been taken to help curb the problem that seems to only becoming worse and worse. No matter which view you see it through, each point of view has its own justifications. Parents don't want the government, which includes schools, telling them how to raise their kids and how to feed them. Schools want what's best for their kids so they can learn properly and be better prepared for the future. Government believes that it has everything going smoothly because it has suppliers check the food that is being regulated into schools. Generally the problem falls into the lap of all three departments. Parents only have their kids for the second half of the day, while schools have them the first half. It's important to know that 1/3 of the children in the United States are considered overweight or obese. This is unacceptable, and the number is only going to grow from there.

Another interesting fact that was brought up in one article was about the diversity of the people in the United States and how it affects the numbers. Also, the proposed the idea of region, and how the South is the most notorious offender of the obesity level. I know when I think of the South, I think of New Orleans with their beignets, or Texas and their chicken-fried steak, or even eggs benedict. Pretty much starch, starch and more starch. The South is known for deep-frying anything and everything. I also believe that the South will be the hardest to crack when it comes to changing up eating habits, because many of these recipes have been in the family for decades, sometimes centuries. Tradition is important in the South, but is it worth giving up living? A fun fact learned in the article was that West Virginia was the only state to have higher than 30% obesity rate among whites. On the other hand, Colorado was the trimmest state that had one in five residents being obese, making only 19.1% in the entire state obese.

The final cause that I found that, although it applied more specifically to boys, I believe can be applied to both sexes. The article discussed discussed briefly how the lack of sleep can make boys' chances of becoming obese more of a reality than if they were able to receive 8 hours of sleep each night. As I said previously, the article specifies that tests proved men to be more susceptible to obesity this way than women, which I believe to be true to a certain extent. However, I also believe that this should worry women just as badly as it should men. I know every morning after I have had a late night I tend to eat more because I want to compensate and make sure I have the sugar from the food to keep me going. The food shouldn't be the replacement for extra sleep, but unfortunately that is what it is becoming. There have been tests that proved positive that boys with less than 8.5-9 hours of sleep each night were more likely to have the disease. There must be a solution to this problem that allows kids to have more sleep. All of these causes are completely, 100% preventable, we just need to act on them when they are simply in their beginning stage. We are currently in a hole, and if we don't dig out now, we will be buried in it.

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