Health education is needed for many reasons. Unfortunately, obesity is the second leading cause of death currently in the United States. The obesity rates of children in the United States …show more content…
Rates of severe obesity are 1.7 times higher among poverty stricken children and adolescents (FRAC). In fact, in California where there are higher poverty rates there are more overweight children (FRAC). People who have a low SES typically taken in higher rates of fats and fast foods (FRAC). For reasons that are uncertain, women and children who have low SES are at a greater risk of obesity (FRAC). Fortunately enough, the correlation between SES and obesity are starting to weaken (FRAC).
As for the psychosocial risks related to obesity. Children who are obese are unsatisfactory when it comes to physical activity, experience rejection from their peers, and develop depression and/or anxiety (Koberstein, 2016). If you add on the stresses of living in an under privileged area, it is easy to imagine how difficult these children’s lives are. Dealing with so many issues, eating healthy and getting the right amount of exercise might not be on their minds. Given the six suggestions in the table on page six, I have implemented a program that may help under privileged overweight children (Berk, …show more content…
Getting them involved in the process would bring more value to the food that their consuming. Watching the plants grow over time and then being able to eat them would be a positive reward. If there is one thing I have learned from my past Field Period experiences its that children appreciate things more when they can be apart of it. Another factor to consider is that gardening tools are inexpensive, so for someone of low SES this could be an affordable activity. “But what if they don’t have don’t have a backyard or a lawn to plant vegetables in?” you may ask. Plants can easily be grown in the window of your home! All things considered, this will also help the child build a routine. It will allow the child to develop the characteristics to take care of something. They learn to have patience as they watch the plant grow, responsibly, and the unfortunate but necessarily lesson of life and death. After eating the benefits of these fruits and vegetables, it is important to educate to them why they are so good for them. But also to assure them that if they do not like them, they don’t have to eat