Victoria Jensen

Jackie Burr, Instructor

ENGL 2010, Section 2

12 April 2018

Obesity Epidemic: Starting Young and Solving Early

The obesity epidemic is a prevalent topic of discussion currently—especially among the

American public. Obesity is the very root of many physical diseases, mental disabilities, and

emotional constraints. National programs have been

published and instigated to avoid the crippling disease

of obesity. Thousands of reports have been conducted,

but it is still a leading problem in every school,

workplace, and town across this nation. Every problem

stems from somewhere—so where exactly was obesity

conceived? The United States Department of Health and

Public Services says, “Obesity, it appears, has

something in common with smoking: once the pattern is

established, it’s difficult to change.” The earlier obesity

begins, the harder it is to fight; “If a child can avoid

obesity by at age 5, he or she has a good chance to avoid

a lifetime of obesity and all of the

health problems associated with it” (Dept. of Health). In order to prevent this horrific disease it

must be defeated young. This can be done by educating children, as early as possible, in their

families, in schools, and through public example on how to fight obesity.

Many argue that the solution to obesity can only be found within human genetics: that

human genes are the cause, or lack thereof, of obesity. However, the claim that genetics are the

root of obesity is a cover up to the actual truth. Yes, genes such as your inherent resting

metabolic rate, natural metabolism, release of ghrelin (the hormone that tells you whether or not

you’re hungry), and your body’s fat storage process are inherited and unchangeable; however,

the very core of most weight gain cases are not solely products of these mynute inherent

traits—obesity is the product of a series of conscience, physical choices influenced by the

surrounding culture or socialization.

“Socialization, the process by which individuals develop patterns of socially relevant

behavior through interactions with others (Maccoby 2007), offers a useful theoretical

perspective from which to examine the problem of childhood obesity. By reinforcing

particular beliefs and traditions, socialization helps a society to function, and individuals

to develop their personal identities. Socialization is a lifelong process, and childhood is a

particularly crucial period. The family of origin is widely viewed as the first and most

influential socialization agent (school, media, religion, and peers are others). A

predisposition to emulate the behaviors of parents, siblings, and others is a strong force

for socialization in the family (Grusec and Davidov 2007). Thus, the family is in a

powerful position to either contribute to a child’s healthy future or fail to do so.” (Moore,

et al. 825)
Therefore, the reason fat parents have fat kids is ​not​ because of their genetics; their children are

obese because they were taught how to make unhealthy choices by their parents from a very

young age. Sam Woodruff, young adult who overcame childhood obesity said, “I grew up in a

family that was less-than ideal. We ate out often, and when we ate in it was premade, [processed]

food. I wasn’t obese because of how I was born, it was because of how I was raised.”

How then, do children with fit parents become obese? In this case, much more rare than

the former, the child is subject to one of two scenarios: either they do have a genetic mutation or

disability that causes weight gain, or they have not been properly educated on how to make

healthy choices. It is crucial that all young children are taught how to maintain a healthy lifestyle

or they will likely fall into the trap of lifetime obesity. Many government organizations observed

this pattern and have conducted studies and even

implemented programs in order to educate

children in the public school system. The most

widely publicized and implemented government

program in the United States is the MyPlate

Curriculum. In public schools, teachers begin

educating on the MyPlate program starting in

the first grade. Although the concept of MyPlate

is_good, the program itself is disappointing and

outdated. The core principle of this program is

that students should consume foods from all

five food groups: fruit, vegetables, grain,

protein, and dairy. The curriculum teaches that in order to eat healthy you must eat from all five

food groups daily (​Dept. of Agriculture​). The first enormous flaw with this plan is the fifth food

group—dairy. Millions of Americans have chosen not to eat dairy whether they are on a vegan,

paleo, or other diet that does not permit the consumption of dairy. Now, this population that

chooses not to consume dairy products is definitely the minority, so let’s turn our attention to the

majority for a moment: over 75 percent of the American population is Lactose Intolerant: they

lack the enzymes necessary to break down the natural sugars found in dairy products (“What is

Lactose Intolerance”). Therefore, according to the MyPlate curriculum, only one quarter of the

American population is even capable of “eating healthy”. Another issue with this governmental

program is the repetitive insistence on eating low-fat and fat free foods. Dating back to the

1970’s, America has been caught up in a fat-free craze. Outdated studies were published, and

people began to believe that by eating fats you become fat, Americans began cutting fats out of

their diets as often as possible. Yes, the over consumption of fat is bad but fat is still one of the

three vital macronutrients that must be consumed for bodily function (“Dietary Fats Explained”).

Aside from the tips on reducing fat consumption and partaking from all five food groups, the

MyPlate program doesn’t offer other extensive nutritional insight. Many factors must be

considered in proper nutrition. Calories, macronutrients, whole foods, and personal metabolism

are crucial components that must be understood in order to control personal weight.

Unfortunately, these topics aren’t even mentioned in the government’s public health program;

luckily, the American government sees the need for a nutritional education system although it is

outdated and would greatly benefit from thorough revisions.

 Even if there were a perfect education system, obesity would still be a present issue; the

knowledge of nutrition must be applied into every aspect of a person’s life in order for them to

see physical results. “Unless the food environment at school and home reflects what is being

taught, nutrition education will have limited impact on student’s food choices. Thus, renewed

focus should be on developing and implementing nutrition programs that involve and target the

food environment in and outside of school” (Bobe, et al. 47). Ideally, nutrition should be a hot

topic in school, in the home, and in public—unfortunately, it is not. In schools, nutrition is not

being covered as heavily as it should be, and in the home, the teaching of nutrition is commonly

neglected—especially among the obese population. That leaves one area to hold the weight of

curing the obesity epidemic: the public. If there was a common public culture of healthy eating,

many causes of obesity would disappear. If restaurants served smaller portion sizes of better

quality food, grocery stores carried more super-foods and less processed junk food, and people

publicly shared their example of healthy eating, it would be difficult to slip into the trap of

obesity. No one can march into every school or home nationwide and force a change on how

Americans are eating, but everyone can set an example around them. If those seen in their sphere

of influence made healthy choices, there would be an unignorable trend of good health. The

greater proportion of adults who change their habits and choose to fight obesity, the more

children will follow in their footsteps. The young children are the future of this country; if they

can be taught how to avoid obesity, with each generation the number of victims to this horrible

disease will diminish.

 Works Cited

Bobe, Gerd, et al. “Improving Nutrition Education in U.S. Elementary Schools:

Challenges and Opportunities”. Journal of Education and Practice, 30 Nov. 2015. Web. 28 Mar.
2018.

“Dietary Fats Explained: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library
of Medicine. Web. April 15. 2018.

Moore, Elizabeth S., et al. "All in the Family? Parental Roles in the Epidemic of Childhood
Obesity." Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 43, no. 5, Feb. 2017, pp. 824-859.

Porter, Sheri. “Overcoming, Preventing Childhood Obesity Is a Family Affair.” AAFP News. 17
May. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2018.

“Schools.” Harvard Obesity Prevention Source. 13 Apr. 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2018.

“The Role of Schools in Preventing Childhood Obesity.” National Association of State Boards of
Education. Dec. 2004. Web. 30 Mar. 2018.

United States. Dept. of Agriculture. “Serving Up MyPlate: A Yummy Curriculum.” 06 Dec. 2017.
Web. 28 Mar. 2018

United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. “Obesity begins early”. 26 Feb. 2014. Web.
12 April. 2018.

“What Is Lactose Intolerance?” The Physicians Committee. 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 15 April. 2018.

Woodruff, Sam. Personal Interview. April 11. 2018