And with that...

...The semester is coming to a close. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing in this blog for my last English paper this semester! And I really hope that y'all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it! I think we all have an appreciation for trying to solve a problem in our society, and for those that are passionate about preventing childhood obesity, I really hope that I was able to assist you in your journey to improve our society. It's been great, but now it's time for me to take my finals and start packing to head home! I may continue this blog later on next semester, we'll see how things go. But for now, I've got a Biology study group to catch. Later guys, have a great summer!!!!!!!!


Kain Weaver

A New Balance Promo

This was an advertisement I saw at New Balance, a sports type store, that helps raise awareness of childhood obesity. Check it out...

I think it's fair to say that New Balance had a really good, POSITIVE, advertisement in comparison to the other advertisements that I have shown you guys. Since my blog is coming to an end, I feel that this is a number one tip I can pass on to everyone. Stay positive. If you are trying to change something in our society that's a problem, negativity won't get you anywhere. By putting out positive advertisements like this, you are likely to get a better response from your audience.

A cool picture...

This picture is spoofing the "Evolution" picture that we all know of. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just google it and you'll see how it's making fun of it. However, according to the increasing rates of childhood obesity, this picture is sadly becoming more and more true each day. It's our time to stop it!

A note to some teachers...

I came across a really cool website that gave some pretty cool and simple solutions for teachers to help out in childhood obesity prevention in the classroom! Here are some simple steps that our teachers can take in elementary schools:

1) Make sure you have some sort of movement in your classroom activities every now and then.
2)Don't reward the children with junk food, and don't punish them by taking away their recess!
3)Have a healthcare worker come in and educate your students on what it means to be healthy! (Kind of like they do when the dentist comes in and talks about brushing your teeth!)
4) If the cafeteria is having a hard time coming up with healthy meal choices, have the students enter a contest suggesting healthy meals that they would like to eat. this also gives the school a general feel as to what the kids will like the best!

I just thought that those were interesting, because those are free (for the most part) ways of helping prevent childhood obesity in the classroom!

This school is giving it a shot...

8 states in the United States require that a "Childhood Obesity Report Card" be sent home with their child every few months. Check out this video! This is yet another thing that the government can do to help prevent childhood obesity!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvDI3Lh9xQ&feature=related

I could only give the hyperlink because it is youtube property of CBS News, so follow the link and go check it out!

P.E. - my favorite school subject!

I don't know about you guys, but P.E. had to be my favorite part of elementary school and middle school. It was a chance for me to use up all that bundled up energy that I had as a kid. However, kids nowadays aren't so excited about P.E. anymore. Why you may ask? Because kids have moved on to spend time on more lazy activities, such as watching tv, using the computer, and playing video games. This could be all the way up to 6 hours a day!!* The school systems are also losing appropriate funding to invest in P.E. programs, which makes the lazy activities for kids grow even more in our society! In order to help prevent childhood obesity, the government needs to provide sufficient funds for the school systems so they can have adequate Physical education programs. The new programs that should be instilled in the schools should combine fitness, counseling, dieting, and nutrition awareness for children, so that the kids get a broad spectrum of what it means to be healthy, aside just from being active and playing games!* If the government can provide the loans for the school systems to partake in these physical education programs, that will also help mold the school systems into being a more healthy environment for our children to grow up in. Surely, this will help bring down some of the childhood obesity.

Green, Gregory and Reese, Shirley A. “Childhood Obesity: A Growing Phenomenon For          Physical Educators.” Education. Volume 124. Issue 1. 2004: pp. 121-124. Galileo. Web.   4 March 2010.

School snacks anyone?

Ok, so I just wanted to say that I have a Biology Lab Practical coming up this Wednesday, so if I have a small absence, that is why! I have been living in the library for that thing. haha But anyways, today I want to talk about school snacks and how they can be improved to help reduce childhood obesity. In a recent interview on Fox News, Michell Obama stated that the U.S. children snack 3 times a day on top of their normal 3 meals a day! She goes on to say "From fast food to vending machines packed with chips and candy, to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices everyday."* If the government and school systems would really zone in on it, they would be putting in snack machines with healthier choices! Example, what if our snack machines at schools had apple dippers or fresh carrots? Sure, it may not be the most popular pick, but if the kids are actually hungry and not what we now refer to as "bored-hungry," then they should be fine in eating snacks that are healthier for them.* By changing the snack machines, it can be just one more step our school systems take to becoming a more healthier environment for our children in the U.S.!

Fox News Channel. "Snack Means U.S. Kids Moving Towards Constant Eating." 2 March 2010. 6 March 2010 .

Check this out...

Ok, so I have been following ABC's Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution for my blog, and it just amazes me at about how much childhood obesity is an issue. While this episode talks some about adulthood obesity, keep watching because this episode directly talks about how he tried to change the school menu in elementary schools and is trying to stop childhood obesity from happening. It's actually kind of sad how big of a problem this is. Take a look at Jamie Oliver's attempt to prevent childhood obesity in this elementary school!

School Food, Is there anybody out there who actually LIKES it?!

Ok, so I don't know about you guys, but I know that I HATED school lunches. They were always so gross! With snack machines right down the hall, it gives kids the option of what they want to eat. For me, the choice was easy: Junk food! I have been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC (since it is about my topic!) and he found that 8 out of 10 kids prefer junk food over any of the healthy school lunches!* That's a huge number people! I think that if the school lunches would make more quality type of meals, then kids would me more likely to eat them!* The meals don't have to be straight up tofu, but they can be a well balanced meal like the food triangle below!

By providing a well-balanced meal, made with quality, the kids will be more likely to eat it! If you don't believe me, check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. It's pretty epic.

http://www.pro-fitnesstraining.com.au/pro-fitness-training/img/foodtriangle.gif

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/30/health/main6347466.shtml

Research, gotta have it

Ok, so my Calculus test is FINALLY over. Hallelujah. Now I can rest! haha. But anyways, back to my blog. I feel that the government and school systems should invest in some sort of research. The kind of research that will not only identify the problem, but also help schools be able to focus in on those areas and come up with the best strategic way to help prevent childhood obesity. We never fully understand anything, and I feel that our school systems and the government can come up with some clever research methods to truly identify what needs the most focus in our school systems! By having some sort of research conducted, it will give the school systems more of an idea about how to approach this huge problem! Anyways, that was just an thought. Let me know what you think!

Changing the way it is... it's essential!

Ok guys, sorry I haven't been on the past couple days. I have a Calculus test this week, and I have literally dedicated my life to it! Along with a Biology paper, 3 quizzes in different classes, and etc. But anyways, that's my vent about the stress this week haha. Now on to what our school systems can do to improve the childhood obesity rate!

The government should give schools the money to help in the school's effort to work with outside organizations that are currently promoting a "pro-active and healthy lifestyle."* By using these organizations, such as the Before and After school programs, to focus in on ways to prevent childhood obesity, we will have a small start to solving our problem! Instead of making before and after school programs similar to study halls, they should divide the time between studying and activities!* The students don't need to be sitting for longer than they already have been! They have been in school all day long, and they need physical activities to do. By taking the initiative in the Before and After school programs, that can be the start to our solution! Do you agree? Well, that's all I can put for now because I have a meeting to go to! I'll be back later!

Peterson, Karen E., and Fox, Mary K. “Addressing The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity Through School-Based Interventions: What Has Been Done and Where Do We Go From Here?.” Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. Volume 113. Issue 18. March 2007: pp. 113-130. Galileo. Web. 4 March 2010.

Ah!

Sorry guys, my life has been so hectic studying for these tests. Things are just going CRAZY right about now! haha. Anyways, the first thing that the government and school systems need to work on is the environment that it puts the schools in for the kids. If the environment in which the kids go to school in isn't in a progression towards being healthier and getting more exercise, then the kids will less likely be motivated to try harder to be healthier and more active.*

If the school can create an environment that shows its support in living a healthier lifestyle, then that can be the start at where kids will start losing weight! Posters in the school cafeteria and etc. need to show activity (such as playing sports, hiking, etc) and show off these activities as fun things to do! Although this may seem minor, the environment does have a huge affect on us, even when we are unaware of it!*

As for now, that's all I've got for tonight. I have to return to my Biology study group! But the next blog will continue on with things that the school/government can do to help reduce childhood obesity!

Peterson, Karen E., and Fox, Mary K. “Addressing The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity Through School-Based Interventions: What Has Been Done and Where Do We Go From Here?.” Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. Volume 113. Issue 18. March 2007: pp. 113-130. Galileo. Web. 4 March 2010.

The solution!

Ok, so maybe this isn't THE solution, but it is the solution that I am going to talk the most about in this blog! I feel that the government and school systems need to take responsibility and start promoting ways to prevent childhood obesity. Kids spend most of their time during the day at school, so we need to find ways to incorporate active activities for the kids, as well as fixing the lunch problem! For now, I have to go back to studying Calculus, but I will be back on here to explain more!

Peterson, Karen E., and Fox, Mary K. “Addressing The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity Through School-Based Interventions: What Has Been Done and Where Do We Go From Here?.” Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics. Volume 113. Issue 18. March 2007: pp. 113-130. Galileo. Web. 4 March 2010.

Just throwing it out there...

Sorry guys, I've had a really busy week and these next two weeks are going to be EXTREMELY busy as the clock counts down to finals. So my posts might be a little bit more spread out than usual, but I am going to try my best to blog at least once every day, but forgive me if I let it go a little longer every now and then! haha. Well anyways, I am just going to throw out some options that can be possible solutions to childhood obesity!

1) Parents should take responsibility in making sure that their kids are getting healthy snacks and enough exercise.
2) The government needs to take action in providing healthy and quality meals for children. The government also needs to provide more money for school systems to improve the school lunches and have appropriate physical education programs!
3) The media needs to take on a positive outlook to healthier foods! By influencing kids to think good about healthier foods, they may be more willing to try new foods and live a healthier lifestyle!

Ok, so now you know what I think are 3 possible solutions to childhood obesity. What do y'all think are some possible solutions to childhood obesity? Tune in to my next blog, because I am going to narrow it down to one solution, and hopefully I will provide y'all with some great information about how this solution can positively impact our society!

Levy, Luba and Petty, Karen. “Childhood Obesity Prevention: Compelling Challenge of the       Twenty-First Century.” Early Child Development and Care. Volume 178. Issue 6.     August 2008: pp. 609-615. Galileo. Web. 4 March 2010.

Just another cartoon to get you thinking...

Don't you see this everywhere nowadays? Pretty crazy actually. The rest of my blog is going to focus on one thing - solutions! There is a way to make a difference. Check back to find out how!

On the other hand...

We all know that people don't always agree. There are always many different "theories" out there about why and how things happen. While I have blogged away about contributing factors to childhood obesity that are environmental, there are others who disagree! They think that childhood obesity is caused primarily by genetics! Although I'm not writing my blog on a "Nature vs Nurture" type of thing, I feel that there are those of you out there who support the genetic side of the argument, and y'all also have some good points as well! Let's take a look!

First of all, some of you would probably like to know what "genes" are. Genes are traits that you get from your parents! Like for instance, if both of your parents have brown hair, then you are most likely going to have brown hair (there are a few exceptions). But anyways, some people think that childhood obesity is a trait that parents pass of to their children. In a recent study, scientists found that a certain genetic trait has possibly lead to 50% of all children who are overweight! As of right now, Geneticists are trying their best to research more into this gene to see if it is actually causing it!*

While this may be a news breaking discovery, keep in mind that even if it is true, 50% of all children are obese because of OTHER things besides genes! I think that no matter what, we should stay focused on trying to prevent the environmental causes of childhood obesity, and we can see how things go from there! We can't cure genetic traits yet, but we can prevent environmental causes. In the next coming blogs, I will dive right into those. For now, it's study time! Later!!

Imperial College London. “Childhood Obesity Risk Increased By Newly-Discovered Genetic    Mutations.” Science Daily. 19 January 2009. 17 March 2010.

This says it all..

The Media - Point Numero Tres!

My final point that I really feel contributes to childhood obesity is the role of the media in today's society. Pedra Lazaro, a psychiatrist, said that the "addictive ways of thinking and behaving are actually reinforced by many aspects of our culture."*

He then goes on to talk about how media promotes non-healthy foods. How many times a day are you sitting at your house watching T.V. when a commercial comes on that shows a mom baking cookies for her kids because she loves them? I know that I have seen a ton of these kinds of commercials!!!! When junk food is constantly being promoted in our society, it kind of makes everyone live by the subliminal message that living a non-healthy lifestyle is ok. When we express our love through food, you know there's a problem!!


Lazaro, Pedro. Why Can't I Stop Eating? Center City, Minnesota: 2000.

More on the 2nd point!

Ok, so I need to wrap up the second point, it's just been a hectic week so that's why I haven't been able to update everyday! Ok, so aside from the school systems lacking good P.E. programs, school meals also contribute to childhood obesity. To dive into this and get my information first hand, I decided to ask my sister (a 6th grader) what she though of the school lunches.

She replied, "Our school lunches are GROSS. I usually take a few bites and throw it away. Then I go to the snack machines. I know I can find something in there that I actually like."*

I remember back when I was in middle school. The food sucked! If our kids won't eat the food at schools, how are they supposed to be healthy (note, kids are at school 180 days a year!)? And as for snack machines, they act as an option for the kid to choose between there school lunch from. Any kid nowadays prefers junk food over the food at school, which is why they snack machine lines are getting longer than the cafeteria lines!

Well yall, that's it for today. I will definitely be back tomorrow to hit on point number 3! See yah!

Klyne Weaver: Interview on March 10, 2010.

The media is starting to help!

I just recently saw this commercial, and it is a media attempt to prevent childhood obesity! 1) It is the Shrek characters, so that's pretty cool. 2) This just shows that it is a current issue that needs to be prevented! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-zEDbl04NY

2nd Cause!

The second main cause that I believe causes childhood obesity is the fact that our school systems don't have healthy school lunches or appropriate physical education programs. The reason I say that, is that most schools in our country are public. When doctors tested the percentage of childhood obesity from public schools to private schools, doctors found that private schools had a much lower percentage of fat children.

The reason behind this is the fact that private schools have the money to afford healthier (better) lunches than public schools, and they also can afford more appropriate physical education programs that suit the children's needs.* A test was performed by several doctors, where they implemented a "3 class per week program, which included exercise, nutrition awareness, and psychological support." After about 5 months, the number of obese kids in the school had dramatically decreased!*

Since schools have so much time with the children, it is very important that they invest their time in trying to prevent childhood obesity. However, our school systems still lack anything close to an appropriate lunch or P.E. program. I will explain a little more on this point tomorrow, but for now I need to hit the sack! See you guys later!

Kain

Li, Ji. Hooker, NH. "Childhood Obesity and Schools: Evidence From The National Survey of Children's Health."

Parental Influence

Hey y'all,

I'm just gonna dive right into it. It's been a long day! Today I am going to talk about the influence that parents have on children that have lead to the increasing rate of childhood obesity. Did y'all know that kids spend on average six hours in front of the TV or video games every DAY?!?!* I don't know about you, but I find that crazy! And why do you think kids do this? It's because they let them and they have allowed for their children to form this bad habit! Also, according to Michelle Obama on a FOX News interview, kids "snack three times a day, on top of their three meals a day."* Parents are responsible for setting the trends in their children's eating and physical activity habits! If we continue to set these trends for our kids to be lazy and be non-physical their whole life while over eating, it doesn't surprise me at all that the childhood obesity rate is increasing!

Another thing parents do to continue the trend is reward their children with junk food. For example, have any of y'all seen a parent ask their child to do a chore, and in return they go get ice cream or candy for their kids? Sadly, my parents are guilty of this. haha. But it needs to come to a stop! The constant intake of junk food isn't helping the situation out!

Also, have any of y'all ever been forced to eat your vegetables at the dinner table? Some parents do this to make sure that their kid eats healthy, but parents need to create a new tactic because all this does is make the kid have a negative mindset to trying new foods! I believe it is necessary to make kids try new foods and eat healthy, but parents need to make sure they are putting a positive emphasis on the healthier foods that way kids are more likely to continue eating them!*

Alright, well that's about it for now, I'm off to a Biology study group! Whoo! By the way, an * indicates a work cited which will be below (informal, if you want a direct link I can post it). I couldn't figure out how to link it in my words because I was having problems with the site staying linked to it. As for now, I'll see y'all later!!

Sources:

Green, Gregory and Reese, Shirley A. "Childhood Obesity: A Growing Phenomenon For Physical Educators."
Fox News Channel Website. "Snacks Mean U.S. Kids Moving Towards 'Constant Eating'."
Savage, Jennifer. Fisher, Jennifer O. and Birch, Leann L. "Parental Influence on Eating Behavior: Conception to Adolescence."

Causes of Childhood Obesity

Ok, so first off I wanna apologize for being gone the past few days. I had a HUGE chem test so I wasn't able to post much up this week! But I should be back into swing now. Anyways, so I think I left off where I was talking about what I think causes childhood obesity. There are three things that I think directly cause childhood obesity:

1) The parent's influence over their children's eating and exercise habits
2) The school system's lack of a nutritional diet and P.E. programs
3) The media and how it promotes non-healthy foods.

Even though there are people who think that childhood obesity is caused by genetics and all that, which I know does play a portion of the role in childhood obesity, I still feel like we should focus on what is preventable that causes it. We can't really do much about the genetics yet, so I am going to focus on the environmental factors of childhood obesity. I will talk all about each of these causes in my next few blogs, but for now, I have to attend a meeting for one of my school club's! I'll be back on here soon! Have a good Easter everyone!!

Kain

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution!

Hey guys,

There is a new show coming out on ABC here soon about a food revolution. Jamie Oliver, a British world-class chef, is going to try to stop obesity in a city of 50,000. Take a look at this video! If anything, it shows several of the causes of obesity/childhood obesity, and a VERY present and current attempt to stop them. Check out the trailer and watch for its premier on ABC!

It's not like it's gonna go away!

What's up guys, sorry I haven't wrote in here in a few days. This is one of my test weeks and as usual, things are going crazy! haha. So sorry for my short absence. But anyways, I just wanted to talk to you guys today about why childhood obesity really is a problem in the U.S. Well first of all, childhood obesity is a huge problem because 80% of all children who are obese grow up to be obese adults! It causes many health care related issues for the children, and it is actually predicted that the next generation of children will be the first generation to have a shorter lifetime than its parents! I just find that crazy. Another reason childhood obesity is a huge problem is because of something that has just recently happened in my life. One of my family's good friends has just recently passed away, and it was because of a heart attack due to his eating habits and body weight. It's just so sad because if he would have lived a healthier life, he might still be with us today. I think that it is evident that childhood obesity NEEDS to be prevented as much as possible, and there's really only one way for us to do that, and that is by tackling its direct causes!

For now, I have to go to a study group for the next 10 hours of my life, but I will definitely get back on here soon to start discussing what I believe are the main causes of childhood obesity!! See yall later and have a great Wednesday!

Is Childhood Obesity even a problem in the United States?

The answer to that is YES!! Over the course of the next several weeks, I am going to dive in to share all of my research with you guys about Childhood Obesity, from what I believe causes it all the way to a few possible solutions that we can act on. So first, let's find out why exactly I chose childhood obesity!

Here are a few reasons as to why I chose Childhood Obesity for my research topic:
1) The percentage of kids who are obese has doubled since the 1970s.
2) The money that is being invested in obesity related healthcare is ridiculous!
3) I believe that there are certain causes of childhood obesity that can be prevented.
4) By raising awareness of these causes, we can help tackle a national problem one step at a time!

I have such a great interest in learning more about Childhood Obesity, so at the end of each blog post I am going to leave a question for my readers. Feel free to please comment and share your thoughts. I highly encourage it! For now, it's 2:30 in the morning and I need to get some rest! Night!

Kain has a blog?!

Yeah, that was my reaction too. I never thought I'd actually have a blog, but this is for an english project that we are working on and I'm actually finding that this is really cool. I wanted to test out my first post to make sure I'm doing things right so here it goes! Look forward to a blog full of interesting information and the walk through my life as a college student! Later!