Childhood Obesity Epidemic Analysis

Growing up, my parents were never really around because they were always at work. I was raised by my grandma, and was never taught the importance of healthy eating. In elementary and middle school, I ate a great deal of unhealthy Italian food because my grandparents owned a restaurant, and when I didn’t have food from the restaurant, I would love to eat microwavable corn dogs (I would eat like 4 in one sitting). Even though I ate a lot of junk, I was very active. I played almost every team sport, and loved it. High school came around and I played basketball, volleyball, soccer, and softball. Unfortunately, I started making friends with the wrong crowd, and ultimately became an unhealthy individual. I quit playing sports, as well as doing horrible …show more content…
My weight gain caused many complications like: blacking out and fainting, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. After my fainting episodes, I immediately sought medical attention. My doctor showed me my BMI chart, and based on my height and weight I was classified as obese. After that appointment, I realized that this was a huge issue. It was frustrating, since I didn’t have anyone to tell me that I have to cut down on junk food, and start working out. I did a lot of research, and set out a meal plan, on top of that I forced myself to wake up at five every morning to exercise. Consequently, I ended up losing about forty pounds, and looking back, I am pleased with myself, and grossed out by the fact that I ate several corn dogs a day without getting sick. Now that I am older and more educated about the significance of physical health, I have made crucial changes to my lifestyle, such as being vegan for almost a year, and having a daily exercise routine. At this point in my life, I may not have a great figure, but I feel great and that’s all that matters to …show more content…
Over the years, I have been working on my social skills. I’ve noticed that I improved on networking well with others, and with the social environment. For example: When I was younger, I was very shy and had social anxiety. I would never go out with my friends, if they wanted to go to the movies or mall because I loathed crowds of people. As I got older, I learned how to deal with my anxiety, and I started to volunteer with a lot of organization in my community. I started to form relationships with other people, which essentially enhanced my communication skills. Some organizations that I have been a part of which truly shaped me up as a person include: UNICEF, Reading Partners, Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, and finally one of my goals in life is to start my own non-profit foundation, so every month I like reach out to people who follow me on social media, get people together to do a homeless feed around Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley. This dimension of health has been influenced mainly by community because it has shown me the importance of helping people, and doing