The United States is held responsible for the overall well being of its people.  Childhood obesity has been classified as an epidemic in America.  In the last four decades alone, the number of children who are classified as obese has tripled (Christeson).  With this rate rising so quickly, the parents, school systems, and the United States government have to find a solution.  Children who are at risk or classified as obesity are more likely to have mental and emotional stress ultimately damaging them even further.

School systems have a direct link to the growing obesity problem.  "Children consuming an additional 130 calories in junk food sold at school each day is part of the obesity problem" (Christeson).  Many public school districts have no regulations on what they can serve and the direct result is sugary foods and absence of healthy food groups.  Not only do schools lack healthy foods, but there is also an absence of physical education.  If children are not taught a healthy lifestyle whenever they are young, they will not know how to maintain a healthy weight later in life.  Schools are 100% responsible for the obesity problem in America.

Whenever children as young as the preschool age are suffering from this epidemic, someone has to be held accountable.  The government facilitates two out of three meals that young people consume each day.  By simply reducing the sugar content and adding more vegetables to these meals, the United States government could make a difference.  Fixing this problem can only be done by small direct actions.  By reducing the amount of obese children, the government will in the long run save themselves money on healthcare.  Not only will the cost of healthcare claims go down, Americans as a whole will be happier.  Obese adults and children are at a higher threat of depression, low self-esteem, and even feeling suicidal (Haelle).  By simply calling for stricter requirements on physical education and healthier alternatives in school lunches, the United States could avoid a world of problems to come.  

As recent as 2001, obesity was deemed an epidemic.  In such a short time it has become a nationwide concern.  As few as seven years later, one in three children were deemed medically overweight.  What is so concerning about this issue is how fast it has consumed the youth.  Conferences such as the National Obesity Prevention Conference, and others groups get together to try and figure a solution (Hurst).  Before a solution can be found, they must first identify the problem.  

The government is not doing enough to prevent American children from suffering from childhood obesity, which matters because it affects mental health issues, cost of healthcare, and safety issues in the United States.   The government needs to intact legislation to promote healthy habits in the day to day behavior of kids.  This legislation could be something as minor as reforming what is served or even calling for required health classes that explain what a healthy lifestyle is truly like.

Background

The childhood obesity problem in the United States began less than a few decades ago.  The sudden rise in overweight and obese children is concerning to parents and even legislators.  In the 70's, only five percent of all children were obese.  In 2012 nearly 43 million preschool children were obese (Haelle).  Since this is such a fast rate of change, someone has to be held accountable.  Before someone can be held accountable, its important to see where the problem began.

What is causing all of these children to be obese is a topic of much controversy?  Some believe that parents are the sole reason that children are becoming obese.  Of all adults, two-thirds are what scientist considered overweight or obese (Haelle).  With that being true, how are children supposed to learn about living a healthy lifestyle.  At the preschool age, these children are not able to distinguish between good and bad eating habits.  Whatever they're served, they will eat.  Tara Haelle, calls childhood obesity a "disease of the environment," implying that it is not about their genetic makeup, but about what types of food they are being exposed to.  If obesity is an environmental disease, where children are getting their food needs to be analyzed and reformed.  

Another belief as to the cause of childhood obesity is that the school systems are not providing the right kinds of food in public school lunches.  Most children during the school year eat two out of their three meals a day at school.  This puts a huge responsibility on the government.  Along with eating right, children's bodies need physical activity, and the United States government has no legislation in place that requires public schools to have some sort of physical education programs.  At such young ages, these are the times thats children need to learn how to live active lifestyles.  With a lack of physical education, American children are never going to learn how to keep themselves healthy and happy.  If the lunches contain too many sugary foods, and then the children are not given the opportunity to be active, the obesity rate is only going to continue to rise.  

Mental Health

Regardless of what or who is causing this epidemic, one thing remains clear, it is causing disastrous results on American children's mental health.  Obesity is often thought of as only a physical disease.  Being obese as a child affects their psychological development.  Obese people are more likely to "miss school or work, to feel suicidal, to earn less, and to find it hard to marry" (Ambinder).  These side affect happen to everyone who is living an obese life, and only magnify in children. 

Being obese at such a young age, will directly cause more young children to be depressed and have low self esteem.  With these sorts of mental issues, this could stunt the developing of their social skills.  Children who are overweight or obese cannot participate in as many activities as healthier children.  Those who are obese will not be able to excel in sports or other competitive physical activities.  Obese girls experience a difference form of isolation. Since these girls are so young, it puts them at risk for eating disorders and body image issues.  If they appear to be more filled out or larger than the other girls, this could lead to bullying.  Between the

The children who are obese, are often told that it is their own fault.  This could later cause depression.  Children cannot be held accountable for their weight if they are not taught how to make the proper decisions.  If children suffering from obesity are not taught what is healthy or not, they can never be expected to return to a healthy weight.  This constant battle between eating the right foods and doing the right activities would cause strain on anyone, and even more so in young children.    Health classes should be enacted in schools in order to teach these young people to be sound in their appearances and that a complete array of foods groups is a healthy way to live.  This could only better the chance of reducing the amount of mental illnesses that are associate with obesity.  Not only could this class help children have a better understanding of what to eat, but also how to handle if they do become a little overweight at some point in their lives.

Cost of Health Care

Unfortunately, obesity leads to many health problems.  Being overweight or obese has been linked to diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease, joint problems, and these are only naming a few of the possible outcomes (Cummins).  With all of these diseases so closely linked to obesity, the amount of money spent on obese American's health care is substantially higher.  

Statistically, Americans who are obese cost insurance companies forty-two percent more than the typical heathy American (Ambinder).   This statistic has only continued to rise.  Some insurance companies now charge those who are deemed medically obese a higher rate than those who are not.  Being overweight is the most common reason someone applying for life insurance would be denied.  These are common concerns among healthy Americans.  "Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading drivers of rising costs for Medicare patients, and 60 percent of cases result directly from weight gain. In short, even as the nation is convulsed by a political struggle to "reform" health care, no effort to contain its costs is likely to succeed if we can't beat obesity" (Ambinder).  Many healthy Americans are having to pay the medical bills of these who are not taking care of themselves.  This alarming statistic only furthers the point that if obesity continues to rise, it will not only hurt the American people, but overall our economy as well.  All of this monetary loss could be solved by simply teaching America's youth a healthier lifestyle.  There will always be exceptions, but one in three people being obese is not simply by chance.  This number is the direct cause of a lack of education on health.  All of these diseases can have deadly side affects, so not only would they save money if they reform the schools, they will save lives.

Since the number of obese children is only rising, diseases that were previously only see in adults are now much more common in kids.  Diabetes is at an all time high in young children.  This is alarming because of how dangerous diabetes can be if not properly tended to.  If these young people cannot talk care of their own weights, how are they expected to be able to take on the care of such a demanding disease.  People with type 2 diabetes have to constantly monitor their insulin and sometimes administer insulin shots to themselves.  This is such a change from the normal routine of a healthy child.

If children are taught while in school to eat balanced proportioned meals, live an active lifestyle, and monitor their health, it could later lower the cost of health care for all Americans.  The money spent on setting these reforms in school would nearly be immediately returned to the government in the money they'll save in healthcare cost.

Lack of Physical Education in Public Schools

PE, or physical education, is ideally enacted in schools to keep children active and healthy.  PE classes teach skills such as, gymnastics, competitive sports, dancing, hula hooping and other field day activities.  As students participate in these activities, they can really learn about themselves and what they enjoy.  Students learn way to stay active throughout their days and they have no idea what they are learning.  

With all of the immense benefits that physical education courses offer, it is surprising the lack of legislation pushing for these programs.  One of the most important of these benefits would be the children learning that getting active can be fun and   "[o]nly six states  --  Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Illinois and Iowa  --  adhere to standards from the National Association of Sports and Physical Education that schoolchildren participate in 150 minutes a week of physical education" (Rochman).  That is six out of fifty American states that follow the guidelines set by the NASPE.  That is a shockingly low static, but what is even worse is that only three states have laws requiring that students participate in 20 minutes of recess each day (Rochman).  This leaves 47 states that give no guidelines to school district on what sort of programs they should offer.  Many times whenever a schools funding gets cut, PE is the first thing to go.  

The current first lady, Michele Obama, built her platform on making America's kids active again.  She named her campaign the Let's Move Foundation.  This foundation recommends that every child gets at least 60 minutes, or one hour of exercise each day.  The slogan of this campaign is, "Americas Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids."  This campaign promotes a healthier lifestyle and gives guideline for it, yet actually takes no actions to enforce it.  There has been no legislation to back her foundation, therefore there is still only 3 states with mandatory recess.  This program has no actual backbone to it.  If Washington would reform the country's legislation on this matter, than they could really create the change that the Let's Move Foundation wants.

With the rising amount of obese children and the lack of legislation to get more kids moving, this poses a direct threat to the United State's safety.  Nearly seventy-five percent of United States young people could not join the military even if they wanted to (Christeson).  With this the United States military requires all who enlist to pass a physical exam. This process cuts all who are overweight or obese.  If America has nearly a third of its population as deemed medically obese and rising, how is the military supposed to protect?  If the number of obese Americans only continues to rise, there will not be enough young people to serve.  So not only does a lack of physical education programs threaten health, it will ultimately threaten the United States safety and that is a problem that Washington will not be able to ignore.  

This lack of potential military personal creates a direct threat to the protection of the United States.  The strenuous personal fitness test that soldiers are put through demand that each of them are in the utmost state of fitness.  In the military at any given time, a solider could be required to lift heavy things or run quickly in order to avoid violence.  Neither of the last can be completed by an obese or even overweight adult.  "For example, many accepted recruits are diverted to special training to address their inadequate physical fitness before they can even begin regular basic training" (Christeson).  This fitness test would be passed by many more young adults if only fitness test were part of their childhood educations.

Conclusion

Epidemic can be defined as widespread occurrence of a disease in a community.   The statistics show how quickly this epidemic of American obesity happened and if there are no changes enacted, it will only continue to spread.  These changes in healthcare and the school systems are not expected to change overnight.  It will take legislation, new programs, and healthcare reforms to start helping Americans live a better lifestyle.  The government does not have to spend billions of dollars to combat this problem, by simply just changing the foods served during school lunches would make a huge difference.  By cutting out the fatty foods and replacing them with healthier ones, the cost would be nearly the same.

If only the school systems would switch out the vending machines from candy to healthy granola bars, a change this small would have a nationwide impact.  If healthier alternatives are offered, kids will still make snack time purchases, and as these kids eat healthier, they will being to feel better and have more energy.  Even if these healthier alternatives are not the children first pick, they will still buy them because they're hungry.  As time goes by children will realize they can eat more of better alternatives and feel fuller longer.

All of these small but crucial changes will in total make a huge difference.  Enacting required physical education classes will lower the average adolescence's weight.  This direct link to children's weight will increase the amount of young people who can enlist in the military, and ultimately protect our country.  Whenever children are served more balanced meals, this will lessen the number of cases of diabetes and heart disease in younger Americans.   The amount of money that healthier young people would save the United States pays for the healthier food option and physical education classes ultimately fixing this problem that has taken over America's youth. 

