TO: Department of Health/Community Health Administration

TO: Department of Health/Community Health Administration

FROM: Catherine Barrie

RE: Nutrition in Elementary Schools

DATE: February 17, 2015

Problem Memorandum

Childhood obesity has been on a steady incline over the past 30 years and is considered a serious public health concern, especially in elementary school aged children. According to the US Surgeon General, nearly one in three children are overweight or obese (US Department of Human Health & Services, 2014). The American Heart Association (2010) has age and sex specific growth charts that show the calculation of children’s BMI using their height and weight. When children’s weight is well above the average for their height and age they are classified as obese.Our nation’s obesity epidemic effects are immense: taxpayers, communities, and families spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year in medical costs and attempts to end childhood obesity (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014). Obesity is the reason our youth is predicted to live shorter lives than our parents and we need to change this.

Childhood obesity has long-term harmful effects on a child’s future health. Obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol which put them more at risk for cardiovascular disease in the future (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2014). Childhood obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes, cancer, asthma, joint problems, and liver disease. Over a lifetime, the medical costs associated with childhood obesity total about $19,000 per child compared with those for a child of normal weight (Healy, 2014). These costs occur decades later when children are adults with long-term effects. Obese children normally consume more energy in the form of food and drinks then they burn off with physical exercise (Kids Health, 2014).One long-term effect of childhood obesity is poor self-esteem and eating disorders that can continue into adulthood. Obese children that are teased by their classmates often have difficulty forming meaningful social relationships.

The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012 (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2014). The American Heart Association (2010) states risk factors that increase the rate of obesity are racial and ethnic groups, social economic status, and geographic location. The prevalence of obesity is on a rise in African American and Hispanic populations. Children are at a greater risk of being obese if their families are of low social-economic status. The cost of buying healthy food is considered a barrier to providing a nutritious meal for some families. Low-income families don’t have access to gyms and sports leagues to enroll their children in. As stated by Moore and Diez (2006), predominantly minority and racially mixed neighborhoods have half as many supermarkets as predominantly white neighborhoods. There is a very high regional prevalence of obesity in Southern states such as Alabama and Florida (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2014).

Although the national childhood obesity rate is believed to have plateaued, childhood obesity remains a major public health concern (Ogden et al., 2014). Multiple approaches have been made to change the way children eat and incorporate physical activity in elementary schools. Six out of 10 children ages 9-13 don’t participate in any kind of organized sports/physical activity program outside of school (Robert Woodson Johnson Foundation, 2006). In many elementary school curriculums physical education has been cut in half, not encouraging out of school exercise. Elementary school children continue to have poor food choices that include fast and fried foods, soft drinks, and unhealthy snacks. These are just a few of the contributing factors to the childhood obesity epidemic that has dramatically increased since 1970 (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014).

My recommendations are to start using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s NutStat program. The NutStat program records and evaluates the length, build, weight, and the circumference of a child’s head and arm (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). A recent study took into account their age, sex, race, and if they qualified for free or reduced fare lunches. The participants were clustered into two BMI categories, <85th percentile or ≥85th percentile. Another program to recommend using comes out of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act called The School Day Just Got Healthier which provides an audience-specific collection of resources including brochures, fact sheets, FAQs, school lessons, and templates to prepare children for the changes in their cafeteria’s school meals. Lastly, I would implement Traffic Light Eating into elementary school cafeterias. Traffic Light Eating is just like driving a car. Green means “go”, yellow tells children to “slow down”, and red tells children to “stop” and think about what they are eating.

Thank you for considering my proposal on elementary school nutrition. Investing in this generation of our youth is investing in our future. If we act now to change the nutrition in elementary schools we can improve the outcome of their lives. By enacting these policies, we will be able to focus on what truly matters, the children and creating a healthier future. Thank you for your kind attention.

References

American Heart Association (2010). Understanding Childhood Obesity. Retrieved from

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). NutStat. Retrieved from

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). U.S. Obesity Trends. Retrieved from

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Youth Media Campaign VERB. Retrieved from

Healy, Michelle. (2014, April 7). Price tag for childhood obesity: $19,000 per kid. USA Today

Moore LV, Diez Roux AV. (2006, February). Associations of neighborhood characteristics with the location and type of food stores. Am J Public Health.

Ogden C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B.K., & Flegal K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association, 311(8), 806-814.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2006). A Nation at Risk, Statistical Sourcebook, Presents Facts about Obesitys. Retrieved from

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2014). Signs of progress on childhood obesity. Retrieved from

US Department of Human Health & Services (Retrieved 2014). Surgeon General