RunningHead:OURCHILDRENAREGROWING,ANDITSNOTUP

OurChildrenareGrowing,anditsNotUp.
CatherineVeliz
CaliforniaStateUniversity
LosAngeles


OURCHILDRENAREGROWING,ANDITSNOTUP
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OurChildrenareGrowing,anditsnotup.
WhenIwasakid,myselfandalltheotherchildreninourblockwouldgettogetherand
playoutside.Flagfootballoutinthemiddleofthestreetearnedmeacoupleofscrapesand
bruisesonmykneesandelbows.Wewouldchallengeeachothertoseewhowasthefastest
runner,hadwaterfightsonhotdays,tapingplayingcardstothespokesofourbicyclessowe
couldpretendwewereridingmotorcycles.Wewouldalljustplayandplayuntilitgotdark,orif
wewereluckyourparentswouldgiveusafreepasstoplayjustalittlelonger.NowwhenIgo
hometoseemyparents,Idontseeasmanykidsplayinginthestreets.EverynowandthenIll
seeayounggirlridingherbikeoramotherwalkingwithherchildaroundtheblock.Evenwhen
Igoovertomybestfriendshouse,therearenochildrentobeseen.Thestreetsseemsobaron
comparedtowhatitusedtobewhenIwasakid.Thequestionhastobeasked,whathappenedto
allthekids?
Ourchildrenaredrowninginatoxicenvironment,andtheycantgetoutbecausetheyre
beingpulleddownbytheirownweight.James,Thomas,Cavan,andKerr(2004)statesthatthe
term,toxicenvironment,hasbeenusedtodescribethemyriadfactorsincreasingachildsrisk
ofbecomingoverweightorobese.Thefactorsthatcontributetothistoxicenvironmentinclude
geneticfactors,socioeconomicstatus,consumptionofsugarybeverages,televisionwatching,
playingvideogames,andphysicalinactivity.Thosearejustafewofthenumerouscontributions
tochildhoodobesity.AccordingtoDehghan,Danesh,andMerchant(2005)twentyfivepercent
ofchildrenintheU.S.areoverweightandElevenpercentareobese.Thirtythreepercentofour
childrenareoverweight,thisisanalarmingnumber.
ThisepidemichasnotonlyaffectedusintheUnitedStates,buthasalsoleachedoutinto


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othercountriesthatarewesternizingtheirwayoflife.Withincreasingnumberoffastfood
chainsandproductsthataremadeforconvenience,peopleareconsuminghighamountsoffoods
thatarehighinfat,highinsugar,andlowintheessentialnutrientsourbodiesneed.Wehave
becomeanationthatisfilledwithoverconsumption,yetwearestarvingourselves.Dehghanet
al.(2005)describestheconceptoffoodhaschangedfromameansofnourishmenttoamarker
oflifestyleandasourceofpleasure.Oursocietyhasbecomesoenvelopedby,biggerisbetter,
thatwecantseewhatitisdoingtoourfuture.Thechildrenarethefutureandwearepassingon
theseverysamehabitsandlifestylesontothem.
WiththeloomingamountofgreatertechnologyfromIpads,Iphones,laptops,Playstation,
andXbox,childrenhaveaplethoraoflivestreamingandgamingchoicesattheirfingertips.This
translatesintomoretimeinsideandinactivethanplayingoutside.Stettler,Signer,andSuter
(2004)foundthatobesitywasindependentlyassociatedwiththeuseofelectronicgamesand
televisionandwasnegativelyassociatedwithphysicalactivity.Thistypeofsedentaryactivity
shouldbemonitoredalongwithachangeindiet,buthowwouldwegoaboutmakingthese
changes,andwhowouldberesponsibleforfollowingthrough?
Therehasbeenalargeblameplacedonparents,thattheyarecompletelyresponsiblefor
theirchildren.Therearemanypeoplethatplayimportantrolesinachildslife.Thereare
grandparentswhospoiltheirchildrenrotten,andlacethemwithsugarandcandybeforethey
sendthembackoffwiththeparents.Babysitters,friends,andteachersarealsoaninfluentialpart
ofachildslife.Thereneedstobeaneffortmadeonacommunallevelinordertotrytofixthis
growingissue.Thebehavioraldietaswellastheenvironmentneedstobechanged.
Schoolshavemadeanefforttoofferhealthierfoodchoicesaswellasbansugary


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beverages.Vendingmachineshavebeentakenoutofsomeschoolsandreplacedwithonesthat
offeroptionsthatarelowerinfatandsugar.Therehavebeenseveralinterventionsconductedin
ordertopreventchildhoodobesity.Schoolshavebeenusedasacommongroundinorderto
conductstudiestoseewhichdietbasedinterventionswouldbethemostsuccessful.Fosteretal.
(2008)statesthatschoolsareidealsettingsforpopulationbasedinterventionstoaddressobesity,
childrenspendapproximatelyhalfoftheirwakinghoursinschool.
Therehasbeenseveraldifferenttypesofinterventionbasedstudiesconductedinschools
topreventoverweightandobesitybypromotinghealthyeatingandphysicalactivity.Dehghanet
als.(2005)explainsthatalmostallpublichealthresearchersandcliniciansagreethatprevention
couldbethekeystrategyforcontrollingthecurrentepidemicofobesity.Onestudywas
conductedtodetermineifreducingtheconsumptionofcarbonatedbeveragescouldprevent
weightgaininchildrenwhichprovedtobeeffective.Thestudyaimedatsendingamessageto
childrenthatbyreducingtheamountofsugarybeveragesconsumedwouldleadtooverallwell
being,aswellasgreatdentalhealth.Theteachershadhelpedtoimplementthismessageby
reiteratingthemessageduringschoollessons.Theresultsindicatedanoverallincreaseofwater
consumption.Thecontrolgroupofthestudyhadshownanincreaseofoverweightandobesityin
children,whereastheexperimentalgroupshowedadecrease.Anotherschoolbasedintervention
usedisSNaX,StudentsforNutritionandExercise.SNaXusesapeerleadercomponent,where
seventhgraderstrainandbecomeadvocatesforhealthyeatingandbehaviors.Bogartetal.
(2011)arguesbecausepeerinfluenceincreasessubstantiallyduringmiddleschool,middleschool
peeradvocatescanbeeffectivechangeagents.Theschoolhadmadechangestofurtherassistthe
advocatesontheirmission.Freshlyslicedfruitwasofferedasanalternativeduringlunch,


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nutritionalinformationwasprovidedandpostedaswellasinformationonhowtoread
nutritionalinformation.Teacherspassedouthandoutsofthenutritioninformationthatwas
postedinthecafeteria.Bogartetal.(2011)foundthatalthoughtheinterventionwasmost
intensivelydeliveredtoseventhgraders,schoolwidecafeteriarecordsshowedsignificant
changesinfruitandhealthierentreselectionsintheinterventionschools.
Theproofisinfrontofus,wecanallparticipateinamovementtostopchildhood
obesity.DeckelbaumandWilliams(2001)statesthatobesityinchildhood,particularlyin
adolescence,isakeypredictorforobesityinadulthood.Theobesityepidemichasbecomea
viciouscycle,anditneedstobestoppeddeadinitstracks.Asthesayinggoes,ittakesavillage
toraiseachild.Workingtogetherasacommunityandeducatingourselvesandthosearoundus
couldbeonesmallsteptoday,butagreaterleapfortomorrow.Wehavemanyopportunitiesto
changeourlifestylesandhabits,butweneedtocomeupforairfromourtoxicenvironmentsto
beabletograbthem.


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