Obesity Revised

Strategies to Prevent Obesity
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Institution

Strategies to Prevent Obesity
Obesity is defined as a health condition in which one has excess body fat indicated by a Body Mass Index of more than 30. World Health Organization ranks obesity as the fifth leading risk of death (WHO, 2010). The causes of obesity range from hereditary factors to behavioral ones such as poor eating habits and low level of physical activity. Therefore, it is crucial to generate programs that can help address the obesity problem at its early stages among children between the ages of 7 to 12 years. CDC (2018) proposes the theory that obesity rates among children within the age bracket can be reduced by encouraging the students to participate in more physical activities and improving the nutrition of food provided at school. Children’s participation in physical activities can be increased through attractive programs such as dancing sessions which can be introduced in the middle and elementary classes to target children who may not be interested in traditional sports such as soccer or athletics. Additionally, sports program can be introduced in the mainstream learning process so that the children learn how to play different sports and develop the right attitude towards physical activity.
Meanwhile, to promote healthier eating habits among school-going children, it is crucial to introduce food and nutritional program that teach about various related issues such as cooking skills, nutritional education, and school gardening (CDC, 2018).

By teaching the students about proper nutrition, they become conscious and careful on the type of foods they eat and develop healthy habits which limit the risk of obesity. Similarly, healthy foods in schools should be sold using competitive pricing programs designed to attract more students to consider a healthier diet. The program can be promoted through subsidies offered by the school administration on the healthy foods.
References
CDC. (2018). Childhood obesity prevention. Retrieved: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/index.htmWHO. (2010). Population-based prevention strategies for childhood obesity: report of a WHO forum and technical meeting, Geneva, 15-17 December 2009.