Why are kids fat? Researchers across America asked this question. They found a host of reasons from children’s access to sugary products in schools, to the proliferation of fast-food restaurants in poor areas of town. The bottom line? Kids are surrounded by unhealthy options and influences in nearly every aspect of their daily lives.
In a recent press release, researchers shed light on their findings. Many universities across the country, including the University of Michigan, University of Chicago at Illinois, participated in this research. They found that kids are bombarded with messages promoting unhealthy lifestyles, which contribute to fat kids.
Money
Low-income neighborhoods have more fast food, and higher calorie foods, than wealthy neighborhoods. This contributes to fat kids.
Low-income neighborhoods have more convenience stores and fewer grocery stores. This contributes to fat kids.
TV
TV ads target kids, steering them toward junk foods, high in calories and lacking nutritional benefits. Minority kids watch more TV, so they’re more susceptible to commercials driving their desires for junk food. This contributes to fat kids.
Schools
The vast majority of both middle and high schools in America have contracts with soft drink companies. While these contracts bring in money for the school districts, in exchange, the contracts give students access to sugary beverages all day! This contributes to fat kids.
How much money do these contracts bring to schools across America? What is the price on each childs head? Researchers determined that the average high school gets an additional $6.48 per student. The average middle school gets $0.70 per student from soft drink contracts. This contributes to fat kids.
Students are pressed for money. Many have cut gym classes. Kids spend less time in gym than ever before. While in middle school, students average 172 minutes per week in gym, or PE, classes. That drops to a whopping 89 minutes a week on average for 12th graders. This contributes to fat kids.
Community
Poorer schools and independent athletic programs often don’t have money to fund athletic programs. Poor families are hard pressed to afford the fees, transportation costs, equipment costs for many after school sporting activities. This contributes to fat kids.
Researchers also found that kids are fat because:
* Children in school have access to high-fat, high- sugar and salty foods through vending machines and snack carts in schools
* Racial and ethnic minorities have less access to healthier foods, such as low-fat snacks.
* Students of low socioeconomic status have less access to healthy snacks at school than do students with higher socioeconomic status.
* On average, Hispanic high school students are exposed to brand name fast-food items at lunchtime twice as often as African-American and white students.
Why are kids fat? The research seems to back common-sense thinking. Kids don’t get enough activity, are more sedentary than in the past, and eating healthy is expensive. School budgets are tight, and many have been forced to reduce physical education. TV targets kids with commercials for high fat, sugary, taste-good products.
Research is showing us that we have in our schools and communities a perfect storm that will continue to feed the childhood obesity epidemic until we adopt policies that improve the health of our communities and our kids,” said Frank Chaloupka, head of the University of Illinois at Chicago research team.
Source:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/533694/
