Fighting Childhood Obesity

Part of the reason that childhood obesity is on the rise in America is that children are not getting enough daily physical play. It is also true that many children today spend a lot of time in some sort of childcare or school setting making us an important tool to help fight childhood obesity. As teachers we “encourage the development of various skills and behaviors by being role models and by providing motivation for children to succeed.” (Berns, 2013, p.19) In order to help children become more active we have to provide them with activities that promote physical activity. By also participating in physical activities and keeping children active we are helping to fight this epidemic by being role models for children. Within the classroom
and school setting it is important that we require children to participate in physical activities and to provide a daily amount of outdoor play time for children to be able to play outside. We do not necessarily have to force children to participate in a certain activity, but what we can do is add movement to various activities throughout the day so that children have many opportunities to be active. The weather should not be an impediment for children to use their large motor skills. One activity that can be done inside the classroom is through music and movement.
You can use animals as a theme where you can include movement. Make sure that the space is large enough so that children have enough room to move freely. As you introduce various animals to the children, encourage them to move as if they were that animal. For instance, to represent a cheetah, ask children to run in place allowing children to go as fast as they can individually. For a bird, each child can flap their wings (arms) going as fast as they can or are willing to go. Repeat actions of different animals and also allow children to choose animal movements of their own so they can all be successful in this activity. Do not forget to also participate in the movement activities with the children.
Another cause of childhood obesity is that children are not eating foods that provide the adequate nutrients that they need to be healthy. Today portion sizes are becoming larger and children are eating more and more unhealthy foods. It is important that we offer portion sizes adequate for the child’s age as well as providing them meals with items that are nutritious. What children drink is also a factor that contributes to childhood obesity, therefore, we should try to limit children’s options to reduced fat milk and water. It is also important that we include lessons about foods into our
curriculums. One strategy to help children in school is to introduce children to the different food groups. A book you can read is “Show down at the Food Pyramid” by Rex Barron. This book introduces a story in which fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, and dairy live a balanced life on a pyramid. Then one day a new group, junk food, comes and causes trouble eventually leading to the pyramid crashing down. After reading the book you can discuss with children that just like the pyramid they need to have a nutritious balanced meal to stay healthy and standing strong. Children are also introduced to the idea that too much junk food can cause their body to crash like the pyramid did. Let children talk about the different foods they have eaten and if they will fit into any of the categories presented in the book.
Go to the Choose My Plate website and download the my plate template. Give children pages from magazines and advertisements that include different types of food. Allow children to cut out foods that belong to each one of the food groups. After they are done collecting items allow children to glue their choices on the corresponding sections of the my plate template. Create an area in the classroom where you can showcase each child’s project so they can be reminded that they are able to make healthy choices on their own.

Another strategy that we can use to help combat childhood obesity is to have a program in place that screens children at the school setting. Children are already being screened for vision and hearing problems at schools so it makes sense that BMI screenings are also a part of the school based health management programs. Upon receiving the results for each child it is important to refer parents to the proper health professionals that can make a full evaluation of the child’s health and make the appropriate decisions along with the input of the parents. Johnson (n.d.) School personnel can come together to enlist the help of a community based or governmental organization that offers free BMI screenings to children at the school. You can create a yearly event at the school that promotes healthy living and involves opportunities for parents to also participate. Chicago Run is an organization that offers two fun runs throughout the year where children from different schools come together to run and celebrate a healthy lifestyle. By involving families, children, and the staff in this program you can create an environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Chicago Run (n.d) Although screen time should be limited for young children, you can use it to their benefit and help fight childhood obesity.
Chicago run offers different fit kits for the use of classrooms, students, and families. There is a printout of daily activities that you can use for each child that has a different goal, for every day, for ten days. You can also use the workout videos available on the website as a fitness activity lesson at any time of the day. If families have access to the internet you can provide the website information to them so that they are able to do the same at home, and you can also provide printouts to families that do not have access to the internet. Chicago Run
(n.d.)