The Issue of Obesity among Students - Assignment Example

Obesity among Students The obesity rates in the world and more so in the USA are at their highest levels, data from the National Academy of Science reveal that around 62% of American adults are obese. The level of obesity among children living within the U.S is also alarming as well with an estimated 18% of children and teenagers between the ages of 2 to 19 years are characterized as obese (Currie, 2009). The Body Mass Index is one way to calculate obesity, and this takes into consideration individuals weight and height in its’s calculations Obesity is a life-threatening condition this is because it significantly increases the chances of many health complications to an individual including type 2 diabetes, heart attack, hypertension (commonly referred to as high blood pressure), stroke as well as various forms of cancers. Student obesity can result in social, emotional as well as behavioral challenges. Obese students mainly suffer from low self-esteem, problems in social interactions with peers as well as depression. Attention has been focused on schools with an aim to explain the various policies that schools management has implemented to reverse the obesity epidemic. The availability of “competitive foods”, this refers to those beverages and foods that are available for sale within the school apart from the usual lunch or breakfast programs set up by the management. The nutrition value of these food remains a question making them be regarded as a major source of junk food for students in schools. Evidence shows that these foods contain higher contents of fat compared to the foods offered as part of the school meal programs. However, the food shops are viewed as a significant source of revenue since the food sales are usually high and provide the much-needed funds for schools. Competitive foods are found in large numbers in high school, although they vary in number across elementary levels as well as middle schools. Although there are other different factors that cause obesity, the primary source of the excessive weight gain among students is due to an imbalance of energy. That takes place when the number of calories is consumed in a diet are higher compared to the energy absorbing activities. Majority of college is located near fast food restaurants, and this allows students to purchase food at low cost. Most of these restaurants open until late hours, this makes it perfect for students to grab a snack in case of the midnight cravings. However, the college students need to be conscious regarding the food they are eating, what works best for their wallet does not necessarily translate to the best of their health. This is due to the fact that most of the fast foods they consume are rich in a high amount of sodium, calories as well as low levels of nutritional value. A recent study published in the Pediatric Journal show that young people in America who have the habit of eating fast food consume more significant amounts of saturated fat, sodium, carbohydrates, as well as sugars with less dietary compared to those who don’t take fast foods. Consumption of fast food reduces the number of healthy food options eaten. Majority of students tend to have a lower consumption level of fruits and vegetables on daily diets. Fast Food for Obesity Obesity can be associated with family genes, and this is due to the fact that some individual has a higher genetic tendency to gain weight much easier compared with others as they burn calories at a much slower rate. However, there are reasons that ink fast food to obesity among students. The reasons include: Unhealthy Ingredients There are various types of fast food available at restaurants near campus as well as the vending machines found in high schools, and these foods range from burgers, pizza to tacos. Despite the type of meal the student decides to take the content of the feed is the same. Most of the ingredients used for this fast foods a lot of energy, saturated fat, carbohydrates as well as higher sugar contents than any healthy diet of the same weight (Pereira, et al, 2005). Consumption of junk food has been proven to have direct connections with obesity due to excess levels of fat and sugar than the recommended levels. Additionally, fast food contains lower quantity of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium as well as zinc among others. Studies conducted by renowned scholar indicate that healthier diets that contain the essential vitamins and minerals are more effective in the management of the body weight. Lower Cost Researchers from the University of Washington, through a survey among the student's expenditure of food, found that around 2,000 calories of fast foods is ten times less expensive compared to the same quantity of a healthy diet (Parker-Pope, 2017). This low cost has continued to encourage students to take the fast food as a way of minimising the cost of living and saving for textbooks as well as tuition. Due to this reason, most of the students are more likely to be obese. The researchers further indicate that the cost of healthier meals is projected to increase over time. During the study duration of two years, they noted that the cost of healthier food went up by an estimated 19.6% while that of the unhealthy diet dropped by an estimation of 1.9% (Parker-Pope, 2017) Convenience The final reason why junk food results in obesity is its convenience. Convince to the restaurants. From the study, it shows that the chances of students getting obese are 5.2% if they have a restaurant within 0.10 mile from their school (Mancino, 2011). Additionally, for the conclusion of the study, it is evident that no any other type of restaurant that has any correlation with obesity. Conclusion Fast food has a direct impact on the obesity level among students. Obesity and overweight are more familiar to college students, and this can is attributed to their irregular and infrequent meals that lack essential minerals and vitamins. Lack of knowledge concerning balance diet, addictive habits of eating outside the school as well as not taking part in regular exercise or sports are considered as the primary cause of overweight or obese. The level of obesity among students can be reduced by providing proper knowledge at all levels on the importance of a balanced diet, how to live an improved lifestyle as well as the adverse effects associated with obesity. Additional action to curb the widespread of obesity include the development of nutrition programs that should be compulsory for all student across the united states by the education management boards as a way of promoting healthy eating habits, Work cited Bowman, S. A., and B. T. Vinyard. "Fast-Food Consumers vs. Non-Fast-Food Consumers: A Comparison of Their Energy Intakes, Diet Quality, and Overweight Status." Journal of American College of Nutrition 23.2 (2004): 163-168. Currie, Janet, et al. The effect of fast food restaurants on obesity and weight gain. No. w14721. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2009. Ello-Martin, Julia A., Jenny H. Ledikwe, and Barbara J. Rolls. "The influence of food portion size and energy density on energy intake: implications for weight management." The American journal of clinical nutrition 82.1 (2005): 236S-241S. Mancino, Lisa. How Food Away from Home Affects Children's Diet Quality. DIANE Publishing, 2011. Parker-Pope, Tara. "A High Price For Healthy Food." Well, 2017, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/a-high-price-for-healthy-food/. Pereira, Mark A., et al. "Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis." The lancet 365.9453 (2005): 36-42. Young, Lisa R., and Marion Nestle. "The contribution of expanding portion sizes to the US obesity epidemic." American journal of public health 92.2 (2002): 246-249. Read More