Preview

Persuasive Essay On Nutritional Education In Schools

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
506 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Persuasive Essay On Nutritional Education In Schools
Juli Pritchett
Childhood obesity has been called one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Childhood obesity is becoming a larger problem every year in the US. Nutritional education in schools needs to become more common so we can teach the new generations how to eat healthy to stay healthy. Childhood obesity is a problem not just in our country, but around the world. Detailed nutritional education in schools could help solve this problem by teaching kids how to stay healthy. Approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. This is caused by lack of knowledge and lack of access to correct nutrition in children and teens. 99% of public schools offer nutritional education somewhere in their curriculum. Obviously the information that these kids are receiving isn’t sticking in their heads. It is going in one ear and out the other and this needs to change. Healthy eating is associated with reduced risk for many diseases, including several of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Overweight and obese children are at a greater risk of developing serious health problems such as: high blood pressure, bone and joint problems, depression and low self-esteem, and restless or disordered sleep patterns. Since children are becoming …show more content…
In 2010, the government launched a program called “Let’s Move” that teaches kids how to eat healthy and stay active. MyPlate also shows kids how their plates should be portioned. It also teaches people, that’s right, I said people not kids or teens, about physical activity and their calorie intake and weight/BMI. BMI means Body Mass Index and it compares your weight, height, sex, and age which then gives you a percentile. The percentile tells you if you are underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jasleen Mangat Nursing 101 Intro
    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Jasleen Mangat Nursing 101 Intro

    Healthy eating is of great importance as it has a drastic effect on one’s life, and more importantly on the lives of children. Providing appropriate nutrition and educating elementary children of the significance of proper nutrition are essential factors for proper growth and development, chronic disease prevention, and the achievement of academic success (Pittman et al., 2012). Without proper nutritional guidance, children are susceptible towards falling into long lasting poor eating habits that may lead to a number of health risks, including obesity (Steele et al., 2011). Obesity and other health issues are becoming significant problems that keep increasing and have started to become a visible issue in younger children (Steele et al., 2011). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of promoting healthy eating to children in elementary school and the role schools play in the choices children make. This paper also provides solutions to the health issues discussed above by identifying the barriers to healthy eating. More specifically, how these barriers in the education system can prevent elementary school children from learning about healthy eating and how schools can overcome these barriers by adding healthy eating programs to promote optimum health and well being.…

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    School Lunches Research Paper
    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages

    School Lunches Research Paper

    For some children obesity is a upcoming problem in America, because “More than a third of U.S. children are overweight or obese—almost triple the rate in 1963—the newest Guidelines stresses the importance of consuming fewer calories and exercising more often.” (School Lunches: Will new federal nutrition guidelines for school lunches make children healthier?…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Calorie Counts in New York Restaurants
    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Calorie Counts in New York Restaurants

    Obesity among children in the U.S is a huge problem since the parents are responsible for choosing the food that is consume. As parents have less time to make home cooked meals, they end up going out or ordering fast food. As a parent myself I would want my child to be aware of and learn healthy eating habits. By teaching them at a young age children will grow to become healthy adults and reduce the obesity problem.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Do Children Play Sports
    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Why Do Children Play Sports

    For many years, America has been considered an obese nation. Efforts to lower the obesity level have been made such as increasing pay on unhealthy foods and decreasing serving sizes nationwide. In a world where “obesity has increased by more than 50% among America’s children and teens since 1976,” rather than drastically change what is being eaten, children should be encouraged to…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Baltimore Childhood Obesity
    • 3208 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Baltimore Childhood Obesity

    Since kids spend a lot of their time in school, it is good medium to provide healthy weight education. Children are very impressionable and pick up their life long eating habits at a young age. That is why starting in elementary school positive eating habits and exercise should be encouraged. Ideas such as banning unhealthy foods from schools and increasing mandatory physical education sound good in theory, but are too costly and not feasible solutions for Baltimore. It is much more probable that children will learn to make better choices if good habits are reinforced in schools starting at a young age. The results of study conducted in Canada in 2005, which compared fifth grade students who had attended an elementary school with a nutritional education program to students who attended schools without nutritional programs, showed that students at schools with nutritional education program had significantly lower rates of obesity, higher fruit and vegetable intake, and lower fat consumption ( Veugelers & Fitzgerald, 2005, p. 234). Baltimore school should create healthy weight education programs targeted at elementary school children. Teachers should be required to incorporate basic lessons that teach kids about healthy foods and the importance of exercise. I propose that Baltimore City schools partner with Education in Elementary, a nutritional education program started by Dr.…

    • 3208 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Developing a Health Advocacy Program
    • 3056 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Developing a Health Advocacy Program

    Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years. These children are at risk for both immediate and long-term effects on their health and well-being. Children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). An advocacy program that has helped combat childhood obesity is Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH USA, 2013). It has helped schools and after-school centers become healthy environments. Its curriculum is designed to promote health for students and its core elements include physical activity, nutrition, health education, and healthier food choices. The CATCH program has received state, national, and international recognition for being one of the most comprehensive and ambitious approaches to targeting physical education, food services, and classroom curriculum through a coordinated school health program (CATCH USA, 2013).…

    • 3056 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Obesity in America.
    • 1991 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Obesity in America.

    Childhood obesity is a huge health problem in United States that affects about 12.5 million children and teens in this country alone. Since 1960 scientist have been monitoring obesity problem in United States and between 1980’s and 1990’s they have seen a drastic increase in childhood obesity from about 5% to sky high 15% which is a concerning number for young people. There are many different reasons why young people develop obesity in this country. The major reason why children become overweight is a bad food diet, eating fast food and not exercising enough throughout the day. Today’s lifestyle and technology allows people to buy food quickly at local fast food places, it is quick, convenient and cheap. Most people do not have time to come home after all day at work and cook a fresh and healthy dinner for the family. It is easier to stop at “Kentucky Fried Chicken” for example and buy dinner for entire family for under $25 which is almost impossible to do at home. Access for children to fast food places is easier than ever before, and most beverages that young people drink contain High Fructose Corn Syrup that replaced sugar in the 1970’s but causes young people to gain weight as fast as sugar does. Biggest problem in childhood obesity is definitely the food choices that we make for us and our children but also we cannot forget about the lack of exercise, most people do not get enough exercise so they stay healthy and become over weight. Also school nutrition’s should be friendlier to healthy diets and fruits instead of vending machines. Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America and it seems that it is not going away but in fact it might get bigger in near future if we do not do anything about it. With better food choices, more exercise and help from the government we can overcome this growing epidemic in USA.…

    • 1991 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    School Lunch Persuasive Essay
    • 1591 Words
    • 7 Pages

    School Lunch Persuasive Essay

    The state of school lunches has been a point of debate for many since Michelle Obama’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed into law December of 2010, giving full authority to the USDA in setting the nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in school lunch lines, stores, and vending machines. The law was set to provide additional funding to meet the updated standards, however, the cost was severely underestimated. Using data provided by Medicaid, eligibility for the free or reduced school lunch programs has seen a definite increase, although participation has not (Lee, 2010). In a press release, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius was quoted saying “The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is a significant step forward in our effort to help America's children thrive and grow to be healthy adults... By increasing the number of students eligible to enroll in school meal programs and improving the quality of food served, this legislation simultaneously tackles both hunger and the obesity levels currently affecting too many communities across this nation.” I would like to draw attention to her careful wording of “...step forward in our effort...” A subject as incredibly important as the nutrition of…

    • 1591 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Obesity In America
    • 2002 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Obesity In America

    Obesity in America is not new and in many cases, obesity tends to strike younger aged children. Obesity among young children often starts from unhealthy eating habits. What parents put on their children’s plate is significant and essential to their health. It is important to develop healthy eating habits when a child is young so that those skills can stick with them throughout their lifetime. Unfortunately, obesity in America is out of hand and the problem is only getting worse. There are health issues associated with obesity such as cancer, heart disease, and even diabetes. It is important to stop the problem while people are young so that these health risks are limited and not life threatening. For many years, schools have been trying to…

    • 2002 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Childhood Obesity In America
    • 2726 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Childhood Obesity In America

    If you look around an average classroom, school, or playground you will see that far too many children are stricken with obesity. Obesity, or excessive weight and body mass to an unhealthy extent, can be found all across the world and is increasing in popularity. The United States is no exception to this trend and in fact is one of the most rapid growing countries in obesity today, containing the highest percentage of obese persons. Obesity has become an epidemic that has had a great impact on the youth in our society. Without necessary changes being made to the way we handle childhood obesity, the trend will only continue for the worst.…

    • 2726 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Obesity In America
    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Obesity In America

    One in every three children in the United States is overweight or obese. (Solving Obesity 3) Childhood obesity has always been a problem in the United States, and continues to be a factor in the lives of many young children. This happens in many other countries around the world, but tends to be much more prominent inside the United States. The growing obesity in children is posing serious problems to their health, and will affect them for the rest of their lives. This leads to having one third of all children be predicted to develop diabetes in their lifetime. (Solving Obesity 3) This problem could no longer be ignored, it is ruining the lives of americas children and…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Problem Of Childhood Obesity In America
    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Problem Of Childhood Obesity In America

    Childhood obesity has become a major problem in America. Obesity is a bigger threat in children than it was in the past. Obesity contribute too many of the physical and psychological disorders seem in children. Children are more likely to become overweight adults if they do not practice good eating habits and exercise. Over the past few years, obesity has been increasing at an alarming rate due to technology, unhealthy food choices and lack of physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. “The percentage of children aged 6 to 11 years who were obese in 1980 was 7 percent and by 2012 it had grown to 18 percent. The percentage of adolescents…

    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Obesity
    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Obesity

    Childhood obesity is a problem in the United States and it is growing every year. Tackling the problem behind the obesity can help teach children how to properly eat different foods and how much to eat as well. It also is up to the parents to enforce rules so that a child can learn an…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Obesity
    • 1893 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Obesity

    Obesity is a growing problem with children in the world. Obesity is not an issue that is just United States specific, many countries are dealing with overweight and obese children. “Obesity in children has more than doubled in the past 30 years and it is thought to continue to grow” (Whiteman). With obesity in children on the rise diseases and health issues is also rising. There are two reasons for these rises in obesity, and they are children do not get as much physical activity as they did ten or twenty years ago. Children spend their time in doors playing games, watching TV or roaming the internet instead of outside playing with friends or taking walks. The other reason is children are consuming many more calories and fatty food then the earlier generations did, there was very limited amount of processed foods 30 years ago. The negative effects of obesity are overwhelming. Obesity puts a child at risk of so many issues and illnesses like high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weak joints, weak lungs, poor blood quality, and many types of cancer. Obese children can also develop difficulties in their social and emotional lives, because they may not like themselves or the way they look of their peers may tease them. Children that are obese tend to have lower self-esteem then not overweight or obese children do. Low self-esteem can create a completely new problem for the child. Being obese is not always the fault of the way the child eats or exercises, sometimes obesity can be genetic meaning it can run in families. “If one parent is obese there is a 50 percent chance that the children will be obese and if both parents are obese the likelihood of the children being obese increases to 80 percent” (Obesity). This epidemic of obesity can be slowed down or even stopped if a few steps are taken to help children achieve a balanced diet and increased amount of physical activity. There are many causes and…

    • 1893 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    turn up
    • 874 Words
    • 3 Pages

    turn up

    The growing issue of childhood obesity can be slowed, if society focuses on the causes. There are many components that play into childhood obesity, some being more crucial than others. The most important being the parents supervising the children at home in both food choices and exercising regularly. If parents enforce a healthier lifestyle at home then many obesity problems could be avoided. What children learn at home about eating healthy, exercising and making the right nutritional choices, will eventually spill over into other aspects of their life. This will have the biggest influence on the choices kids make when selecting foods to consume at school and fast-food restaurants and choosing to be active.…

    • 874 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics