Childhood obesity has been a serious apprehension in the 21st era affecting kids amid the ages of 1 to 5 years (Narayan, Kramer, & Cunningham, 2014). According to the World Health Organization, the problem is affecting children all around the world especially from low and middle-class households in urban areas. The rate of overweight children has grown in recent years with a total of 41 million children affected in the world. The rising numbers have created a need for proper preventative measures that can help reduce the condition. Overweight can result in serious illnesses such as diabetes which are life-threatening (Goran, 2017). Children who become obese at an early age are likely to grow into adulthood with the same problem. It is therefore important for parents and schools to work together in ensuring that kids eat well and are exposed to physical activities.
Childhood obesity has been attributed to several factors some of which can be controlled. A person’s genetic composition can be a cause of obesity which can be inherited from parents. It is impossible to change a person’s genetics hence it becomes a bit difficult to prevent obesity. Metabolism which refers to the rate at which a person’s body converts food into energy can be a contributing factor in obesity (Bhadoria, et al., 2015). Behavior is also a contributing factor in obesity. The type of food a person eats coupled with physical activity can result in weight problems, especially for children. Shorter sleep duration is not good for the body. Naturally, sleep helps burn calories in the body which can prevent overweight issues. It is, therefore, important for a person to get ample sleep (Bagchi, 2019). Schools should ensure they help their children cope with the possible causes of obesity so that they can prevent their children from obesity.
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Schools can play a useful role in helping to fight childhood obesity. Activity is very important for children who are growing at a high rate with a higher metabolism rate compared to adults. It is, therefore, important for children to be exposed to physical activity which enables them to burn a few calories (Nadeau, Bjornstad, Zaepfel, & Kelsey, 2014). Schools can help children maintain a reasonable weight by introducing the morning mile in their co-curriculum activities where children can participate in physical activity (Van Buren, Holland, Best, & Wilfley, 2019). Schools can also start a school garden where they grow vegetables that can be used to prepare lunches for the children. Thus, this is important as most vegetables from local stores may contain harmful substances that may contribute to overweight in children. Vegetables are also healthier compared to processed foods hence schools are encouraged to implement the vegetable gardens as a solution to obesity.
In conclusion, obesity is a serious problem and schools need to be involved in helping children prevent the condition. Most youngsters spend most of their day in school hence it’s only logical that schools take part in maintaining the health of children in their institutes. There are several factors can put a person at a high risk of becoming overweight including genetics (Pulgarón, 2013). Other common factors include high metabolism, lack of sleep, poor eating habits and lack of physical exercise. There are several preventive measures that schools can implement to solve the problem one being the morning mile. Children can participate in light physical activities that can prevent obesity. Another useful measure that schools can implement is developing a garden where vegetables can be grown and used to prepare lunches for the children (Thompson, 2016). Children, therefore, get to eat healthy food instead of processed food which higher the chances of obesity. It ought to be noted that obesity has led to serious health conditions hence it is best to manage.
References
Van Buren, D. J., Holland, J. C., Best, J. R., & Wilfley, . E. (2019). Childhood obesity. Massachusetts: Hogrefe.
Bhadoria, A. S., Kumar, R., Sofi, Y. N., Choudhury, K. A., Sahoo, B., & Sahoo, K. (2015). Childhood obesity: causes and consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care , 187–192.
Bagchi, D. (2019). Global perspectives on childhood obesity : current status, consequences and prevention. Amsterdam: Academic Press,.
Goran, M. I. (2017). Childhood obesity : causes, consequences, and intervention approaches. Boca: Press/Taylor & Francis Group.
N. K., B. P., Z. A., & K. M. (2014). Age-Related Consequences of Childhood Obesity. Gerentology, 60 (3), 222-228.
Narayan, V., Kramer, M., & Cunningham, S. A. (2014). Incidence of Childhood Obesity in the United States. The New Englang Journal of Medicine .
Pulgarón, E. R. (2013). Childhood Obesity: A Review of Increased Risk for Physical and Psychological Comorbidities. Elsevier, 35 (1), 18-A32.
Thompson, T. (2016). Childhood obesity. Michigan : Greenhaven Press.
