Childhood obesity has been front and center in 2010 with the much publicized Let's Move campaign headed up by first lady Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution bringing to light the unwholesome state of our country’s school lunch program.
A new study points out that childhood obesity isn’t just a family problem, but a community and societal problem as well. A team of researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute, the University of Washington (UW), and Group Health Research Institute found that children who live in “socially disadvantaged” neighborhoods were more likely to be obese. Factors that appeared to directly impact risk included things like education level, single-parent homes, low median income and home ownership.
We tend to put a lot of blame on the parents, but living in a disadvantaged neighborhood with less access to healthy foods, more fast food restaurants and little or no “safe” places for children to play outdoors presents a real threat. Many parents struggle everyday just to put food on the table, let alone thinking about whether that food is the very best choice for their kids. This reminds me a lot of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If access to the most basic needs (healthy food, clean water, safety, etc.) aren’t met then how can you expect a child to thrive?
Although the results of the study aren’t shocking, I believe they speak to the sheer complexity of the issue as a whole. It’s not just the fact that lunches aren’t healthy at school or that kids play too many video games. The childhood obesity epidemic penetrates every part of our society and therefore action will need to be taken on many fronts to combat the problem.
I applaud Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver for doing their parts. Even if you aren’t a parent, we all have a responsibility to ensure the health and future of these kids. What are you going to do to help?
- Lauren
Read more about the study and be sure to stay tuned Jennifer’s post later this week on ways to keep you and your kids healthy this summer!
If you like this article, you might also enjoy…
Sensei Talks: Michelle Obama’s Action Plan for Childhood Obesity
Sensei Talks: School Lunch Memories
Labels: Childhood Obesity, Lauren
|
