How to Control Childhood Obesity
The United States is facing a crisis. There is no other way to put it. The fact is that children these days are expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents, the first generation ever to have that happen to them. 17% of adolescents between the ages of 2-19 are obese. This will inevitably lead to health issues as adults. The issue is not how to fix an epidemic that will be ongoing with an increase in unhealthy foods more readily available for low and middle class Americans, the issue needed to be resolved is how to get these kids aware of such issues.
While many people have made progress including first lady Michelle Obama, it hasn’t been perfected yet. One may ask why a teenage athlete might hold the answer to such a difficult topic and to that I state: through experience and understanding of the generation I’ve grown up in the key to solving obesity is getting children outside to play! The first several years of a child’s life are possibly the most crucial as it decides how decisive the child will be. By implementing a routine that incorporates an hour of exercise a day between the ages of 5 and 12 the incentive to get outside and get active will be implemented in the young child’s mind. Through exercise these children will learn to increase their capacity to sit in class, increase their intelligence, and preform to the best of their abilities in the classroom and outside on the field. Studies show that physical activity helps increase the learning capacity of all children as it stimulates the brain. Therefore, through government funding and parental help, the life of this generation and future generations can be better than what it is currently.
The simple routine of getting outside and getting active will definitely help the obesity issue America faces. Today people are concerned about the finance though. In an election that emphasized a need for change in economy our president elect has offered 4% economic growth in GDP. This number hasn’t been seen in over a decade. Here’s an option though to help make that happen while helping people defeat child obesity in the United States! The increase in government spending through this government action will be supplying jobs and increasing GDP.
The concept is simple and began with a man by the name of John Maynard Keynes. He believed that an increase in government spending would directly shift aggregate demand and therefore boost the economy. Thus, by spending government money on a government health organization such as this one to promote child health the results will only help the United States. Children will learn the vitals of staying healthy by health instructors who are paid by the federal government to go into schools and get kids physically active. A simple answer to a complicated issue but nonetheless it’s a start. Overall, it is a clear and concise idea but can fundamentally change the next generation of children so that they don’t have to deal with the economic and physiological difficulties that obesity brings.
Simplicity only helps the concept as dieting at such a young age may force children to miss out on other nutrients vital for health. Take it from the two recruits, an hour a day of getting outside or working out boosted moral and keeps one in shape, helping prevent some of the worst health issues that the United States deals with in youths today.
