Let's Move Persuasive Essay

LET’S MOVE
Tiffanie Grindle
ENG 122
Pamela Jongbloed
August 18, 2014

Over the past decades childhood obesity rates in America have gone up tremendously. Childhood obesity is now considered an epidemic in the United States. It is affecting many children in the United States and is causing things such as high blood pressure, diabetes and even death. Nearly one in three children in America is overweight or obese. Obesity is someone who has excess body fat. Obesity is started at birth and is taught by the child’s care giver. If obesity is not taken care of in the right way we will have higher insurance rates and even deaths of children. The numbers seem to be getting higher every year. The African American and Hispanic communities have
the highest rate of obesity and overweight children. With children being obese and overweight, it will later lead to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and asthma.
There are cities and towns in the United States that are working with Mrs.
Obama to create initiatives to encourage children to go outside and play than sit in front of TV or computer. With Mrs. Obama’s new program Let’s Move, it will help children from becoming overweight and obsessed. Let’s move is a comprehensive initiative which was started by the First Lady Mrs. Obama. She wanted to change the childhood obesity and find a solution as to how to change these children’s lives. She wanted it that children who were born today would grow healthier and be able to pursue their dreams without being overweight or obese. Let’s Move is a path for healthier living started at birth. Mrs. Obama wanted to educate caregivers who raise the children and providing healthier foods in our school. She also has a physical fitness with this program to get children
moving. Obesity is a result of an unhealthy diet. “Although there are genetic and hormonal influences on body weight, obesity occurs when you take in more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your body stores these excess calories as fat.” (www.mayoclinic.org). Many children get sugar all day because their parents are not home to monitor their eating. Many families eat out every day for dinner and many times it could be a burger and fries which is all carbohydrates which turns into fat. Sugar broken down, leads to fat which in return leads to obesity. Also drinking soda has a lot of sugar but so does many juices that children drink. I have seen where parents have put soda in their babies’ bottle. Babies cannot digest the soda or even exercise to burn off the sugar. Many younger children do not get any type of exercise to burn any calories because they are watching TV all day or playing video games. I have been an overweight person my whole life. When I was growing up and eating food in the cafeteria at school, it was not the best food. Mrs. Obama has put “Let’s Move” in action and I feel it’s a great program. It helps children get exercise and have fun at the same time. The school my nephew goes to has a “let’s move” program they put on at the end of the year. It’s a really cool and interesting program to watch. They have many games they do which help the children move. Other things that have been put into action are what the children eat. Mrs. Obama wants a healthier diet. She wants the children to think more about what they eat. I feel with teaching the children, they will be able to teach the parents how to eat and what is better to eat.
Obesity can be a result of genetics.
Having obese relatives can increase one’s risk for obesity, even if families do not live with you. “Estimates of heritability range from 30% to 70% with the typical estimate of 50%, this means about one half of our body mass is the result of inherited factors”. (ajcn.nutrition.org) our obesity genes only make up a small amount to our body weight but with all the other inherits we get, it can lead to a higher number. Some people stay thin and some become obsess no matter what their families are. It has been shown that twins and adopted children have more gene obesity than others. Obesity related genes can affect how we metabolize food or store fat. Genes can control our appetite making us less able to know when we are full. Genes can make us more responsive to the taste, smell and sight of food. Genes can affect our sense of taste and giving us wanting high fated foods. People with obesity related genes may not be destined to be obese but may have a higher risk of
obesity. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has several statistics and it stated that states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi had the highest obesity. It surprised me because those are Southern states and I guess chicken fried steak and sweet tea are not the best. Whereas Colorado, District of Colombia, Hawaii, Masseuses, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming had the lowest obesity.
On CDC and The book Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies both said that African American and Hispanics had the highest obesity. One graph it showed that Hispanic males had the highest obesity. African American ages 2 – 5 and 12 – 19 are second highest where as Non-Hispanic ages 6 – 11 are the second highest. With females ages 2 – 5 all races were the same. Ages 6 – 11 Hispanic and African American were the highest and age 12 – 19 African American were the highest.
Obesity can be caused by many different things but it takes the individual to change it. Some might have higher risk of obesity because of genes. Obesity could be because of a person’s diet. There are many things that can cause obesity and finding your reason can help you to lose weight. Mrs. Obama has really worked hard to change the school systems and caregivers that are taking care of children to educate them. Educating children start at birth and will continue on for decades and decades.

REFRENCES www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies; National Academics Press; Washington, D.C; 2011 www.letsmove.gov www.obesityinarmerica.org http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/basics/causes/con-20014834 http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/1/215S.full