Children Overcoming Obesity - Essay Example

What are some programs encouraging physical activities among children? B. Is providing sporting activities effective in treating childhood obesity? C. Is eating healthy foods the best solution to overcome obesity? D. Is cooking meals at home encourages children to eat healthy? Provision of programs focused towards promoting healthy eating lifestyle and providing physical activities that children will enjoy highlights overcoming obesity among children. What are some programs encouraging physical activities among children?

One of the programs that may help improve the prevalence of obesity among children is incorporating physical education curriculum. Physical activities of 60 minutes a day is ideal for the body. However, more hours could be added depending on the body size of the child. In the study by DeRene and company (2008), they found out that incorporating physical activity in the curriculum which is done after school has decreased the skin folds of children who participated and even improved their distance in their walk- run test.

Physical activities may include brisk walking around the oval of the school. This could be enjoyed by children since they could tell stories while walking without actually the thought of doing the exercise for the sake to reduce their weight. Jumping rope is another activity children could enjoy as a program. In China, jumping rope is one of the activities incorporated in their physical education. Chinese children group themselves together to have five members to jump ropes during their physical education period and recess time.

Observations reveal that flexibility and physical fitness are not the only benefits of jumping rope but it is a form of enjoyment among kids too since giggling and laughing is a part of the activity. Other alternative is sports programs. How the sport is played, equipment to be used, and benefits of the sport should be explained to the participants though. Apart from this, schools should have their own sporting gym or playground. This would be another “come on” for them to enjoy the sport.

Is providing exercise activities effective in treating childhood obesity? Studies confirm that physical exercises through sports are effective in preventing obesity in children. In 2008, a study by Weintraub and colleagues appeared in Arch Pediatr Adolesc Medicine wherein the authors revealed that children in the soccer group showed a significant improvement in their body mass. This might be attributed to the fact that exercises help reduce fats by building muscle mass. As the individual participates in exercises involving squats, lifts, and isometric presses, the fats stored in the body are used and muscles are strengthened.

However, children who are already obese should take extra precaution to do the exercises gradually since they are prone to joints and muscles injuries. Is eating healthy foods the best solution to overcome obesity? Although obesity is caused by many factors, healthy foods with exercises prove to be the most realistic solution for its prevalence. Healthy foods include more fruits and vegetables in the diet. This food group which is rich in minerals and vitamins are low in calories and even aide in burning unwanted fats in the body.

In one study, authors found out that pomegranate consumption lowers body weight among mice because it decreases body fats (Vroegrijk, 2011). The