Baltimore Childhood Obesity

Abstract
The following is research proposal on the issue of childhood obesity in Baltimore City, Maryland. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the reader with the issue and then to propose realistic solutions. The rate of obesity amongst children in Baltimore is well above the national average, and is a cause for concern. Many of the causes of this problem stem from the low socioeconomic status of Baltimore 's population. This problem must be addressed to improve the future heath of the city and to lessen the burden on the health care system. There are many proposed solution to this problem, but many of them are implausible in Baltimore, due to economic constraints. Education and improvement of school lunches are two solutions that
1). Studies have shown that this is a major cause of obesity, especially in Baltimore. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a food desert is an area that lacks access to affordable health foods (2012, par.1). Areas that are food deserts are missing grocery stores, but often have many fast food restaurants and convenience stores. Children who live in food deserts tend to eat more junk food and fast food because it is cheep and readily available. Consumption of foods that are processed, hight in fat, and lacking nutritional value leads to obesity, especially in children (Demas, Kindermann, & Pimentel, 2010, p. 251). Children who grow up in food deserts may lack the ability to choose healthy foods over bad foods. The variety of food distributors is a reflection of the socioeconomic state of the community. Food deserts are typically located in poor, urban, neighborhoods. The inhabitants of food deserts lack the money to purchase health food and transportation to areas that sell healthier food. In 2010 the Maryland government passed a bill that promised tax incentives to grocery stores located in low income areas (Advocates for Children & Youth, 2010, p. 2). Although this was a step in the right direction, little change has been seen Baltimore City. Because of the lack of choices, children growing up in
Since kids spend a lot of their time in school, it is good medium to provide healthy weight education. Children are very impressionable and pick up their life long eating habits at a young age. That is why starting in elementary school positive eating habits and exercise should be encouraged. Ideas such as banning unhealthy foods from schools and increasing mandatory physical education sound good in theory, but are too costly and not feasible solutions for Baltimore. It is much more probable that children will learn to make better choices if good habits are reinforced in schools starting at a young age. The results of study conducted in Canada in 2005, which compared fifth grade students who had attended an elementary school with a nutritional education program to students who attended schools without nutritional programs, showed that students at schools with nutritional education program had significantly lower rates of obesity, higher fruit and vegetable intake, and lower fat consumption ( Veugelers & Fitzgerald, 2005, p. 234). Baltimore school should create healthy weight education programs targeted at elementary school children. Teachers should be required to incorporate basic lessons that teach kids about healthy foods and the importance of exercise. I propose that Baltimore City schools partner with Education in Elementary, a nutritional education program started by Dr.