Should the school expand physical education requirements to reduce obesity in children?

Running Head : Obesity in Children

Reducing Obesity in Children

Name

Institution

Professor

Subject

Abstract

Obesity in school children have grown into huge proportions due to the lack of physical education activities in the school

This will focus on the rate of obesity in children as well as the various measures being implemented to reduce obesity in children

Reducing Obesity in Children

For the last twenty years , the number of obese children in the United States

According to the World Health Organization (WHO , obesity is a condition

br characterized by excessive accumulation of fat which presents potential risks to the health of the child . In to determine whether a child is overweight or not , their body mass index (BMI ) is measured . The weight of the person is divided by the square of their height . Once the BMI reaches over 25 , the child is overweight . If it exceeds over 30 BMI then this is what is called obesity (World Health Organization , nd

Obesity and overweight can bring about a number of complications such as diabetes , cancer , and cardiovascular diseases . Originally , obesity was a cause of concern in countries with high income . Presently however , it is a growing problem in low and middle income states especially in the urban regions (World Health Organization , nd

Factors that brought about Obesity in Children

According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies , there are various factors that led to the increase in rate of obesity in children . These may include social , environmental and policy factors that can have an impact on the eating and physical activity of the child . The following are the factors that brought about childhood obesity (Institute of Medicine , nd

Urban and suburban infrastructure that discourage walking and other physical tasks

Family pressure concerning reduction of food expenses , time of acquisition and preparation , thereby causing the frequent taking of convenience foods which are rich in calories and fats

Minimal access and availability of fruits , vegetables , and other foods rich in nutrients

Reduced opportunities for physical fitness activities at school and after school as well as lesser chance to walk or ride a bike going to school and home

Substitution of playing outdoor activities due with indoor games such as watching television or playing video and computer games

In to reduce the incidence of obesity in children , there is a need for them to burn what they eat daily . If the child is exposed to long periods of inactivity and loves to eat a lot , then excess fat is not utilized and is kept in the body which can bring about imbalance in the body (Ursinus College , nd

Should the School Expand Physical Education to Reduce Obesity

In the United States , childhood obesity rate among preschool children aged 2 to 5 years and adolescents 12 - 19 years old have doubled and tripled in children 6 to 11 years old . Presently , close to nine million children 6 years or older are suffering from obesity

Translating these facts into figures , 15 .8...