Overweight Kids
The number of overweight kids in our society has reached formidable proportions according to the opinion of the vast majority of social and medical experts in the USA. The issues surrounding them are as vast and cumbersome as society itself. I have learned that it is virtually impossible in the USA, not to know some one who is affected by childhood obesity. The causal and accountable aspects of the controversy rage in many directions. Experts on all fronts are struggling to comprehend and manage this very complex situation.
Legal Ramifications
The issue is being confronted legally by various states in within the U.S.A. In court, a woman in North Carolina lost custody on her son recently, in a lawsuit that ended in the boy being placed in foster care because of the child's obesity. Other states such as Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, New Mexico and Indiana have followed in a similar fashion making it a criminal act of neglect for parents who facilitate their children’s’ obesity. Many medical experts and parents are united in their claim stating that many factors contribute to our children’s weight problems. Overweight kids may be struggling with genetic predispositions. Some arguments suggest that socioeconomic factors have a significant influence and that environmental factors contribute to the problem also.
Knowledge of the Monumental Issues
Parents need to possess a lot of the knowledge in order to comprehend the monumental issues challenging our children today. Parents are on the front lines of the struggle, having to work out problems and solutions as best they can with the knowledge that they have. Most solutions being suggested today cite education as the keystone to obtaining a resolution. Our children should also have knowledge about this complex issue. To overweight kids the issue is only too real and challenging on all the levels of their daily lives. Unfortunately the results can be devastating and even fatal for them. Our children have much to contribute towards our comprehension of the issues. Only they can tell us what they are thinking and feeling. Their knowledge can help us to understand what their daily challenges are at home, school and with friends. Such understanding vastly affects our comprehension of the issues.
Merging Solutions
It seems that when all things are considered that a merging of solutions may be the thing that points in the best direction. The medical professionals, sociologists, educators, parents and children need combine their accumulated knowledge in order to obtain a proper understanding of this complex issue. Certainly the answers are such that will address every aspect of our lives, our society and even the culture which we are now living as a nation and as a member in the global community. The health of our nation is as stake with the obesity problems our children are facing. There are solutions that can be implemented at home and in a community effort to assist the children who are obese in their fight to lose weight.
Inactivity in School
Large blocks of time are spent in inactive settings during the school days. It is true that in the elementary levels there is a greater amount of activity during the school day compared to the junior and high school levels. But considering the amount of physical activity a child will generate if left to his own agenda, the amount of time spent being physically active at school is minimal. This thought lends itself to the matter of lifestyle.
Past Generations
In past generations, normal daily activities stimulated physical activity. We spent more time in nature doing things like tilling the soil and caring for livestock as a means to support our survival. Today, it is not a necessity for survival, but wisdom may be discovered in the mere act of being outside and interacting with nature on any level. This is especially true where activity is concerned. Physical activity is paramount to maintaining a strong body and a healthy weight regardless of how you approach the situation. Leaders in elementary education have discovered the truth of this by instigating new and innovative approaches to class room environments and teaching methods. The effects of teaching in a natural setting, is known to be highly effective towards every area of a child’s development. Since school is an integral part of our children's lives for the formative years, whole body wellness must be incorporated into their daily lives at school.
Intimate Appreciation of Nature
All of society could benefit by our children’s intimate appreciation of nature and the planets ecosystems. Our children can enjoy many health benefits from being outside at any time for any reason. We too, could benefit by experiencing natures wonders and challenges together with them. Much could be gained by society for having spent the time forming the foundations of a strong family unit that encourages physical activity and interaction of the family unit.
Considerations to be taken under Advisement
There are other considerations to be taken under advisement as well. Perhaps it is so important as to contemplate the opportunities that exist in the school setting. It is where our children spend as much as eight hours a day or more for most of their early lives. Pressures created by our society and its economic systems, more often than not, will cause both parents to maintain working careers outside the home. Extended families are often separated and fragmented for the same reasons. Our elderly are housed in special institutions further exacerbating the situation that contributes to the weakening family unit. These things are indications of why childhood obesity should be considered at all levels of our society. Certainly it is true that cooperation on all fronts is necessary to properly address the immediate as well as the long term implications of childhood obesity. The big picture should be considered by political leaders, industrial leaders, educators, health care professionals, parents and children alike.
A Return to Grass Roots
What if raising a significant amount of the food we ate became a community effort to educate our children and provide a forum in which they are being physically active as they interact with nature? In this environment they learn the value of protecting the environment as they gain an understanding of where food comes from. What if concerted efforts among community leaders, business owners and educators created an opportunity for families to actively participate in the learning and growing process? This may be a viable opportunity to combat the rising costs of food in our households and communities as well as provide the opportunity for our youth to be integrally involved. The opportunities are limitless if the right choices are considered in concert with other compelling issues that face our homes and communities. This return to grass roots benefits all areas of society, including our obese children. And they are the ones on whom the burdens of the future will be resting. We owe them and their children every opportunity that we can possibly offer.