Growing up, children depend heavily on their parents for necessities such as food, water, shelter, and emotional support. Under some circumstances, these necessities cannot be easily accessed or provided, which can potentially lead to the development of unhealthy habits within children. Families who struggle to make ends meet tend to turn to cheaper, less healthy foods; something quick that does not take much time to prepare. In addition, the parents’ stress levels tend to be higher because of financial stressors and this stress is then placed on the children as well. Researchers across the country have discovered a strong correlation between low income families and childhood obesity that is prevalent in the United States. “One in eight preschoolers in the United States is obese. Among low-income children, it is one in seven.” It is a known fact that the chance of being obese is higher when a family’s income is lower, but with an improvement in government programs and educating these families, there could possibly be an end to this epidemic. Ending this epidemic could not only save the government money from healthcare costs over the years, but also improve the lives of America’s future. 

For years now, low income families still are struggling to provide adequate, healthy foods and environments for their kids to grow in. There is a debate over how to assist these families and to what extent they should be assisted. There is a handful of politicians who do not support the increase in funding for nutrition and health programs for children. They believe that what is being provided as of now is substantial, but clearly, the issue still is prevalent. Funding, resources, and support are much needed in the fight to end this growing health problem. Already, a wide variety of solutions have been proposed; from nutrition programs to altering the infrastructure of communities. In order to attempt to make a change, action needs to be taken by not just one, but the entire country. 

A major contributor to a person’s health is the food they consume. Children spend a large percentage of their day in school; where they are served lunch and sometimes breakfast too. Recent proposals by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have created speculation amongst school officials. The government wants to implement a plan that incorporates more fresh fruits and vegetables into the meals. Those not in favor for the plan believe that it not only will be more expensive than current meal prices, but also that these “fresh” foods will go to waste. Kids who are not used to eating healthy will most likely not bother eating the fresh foods, resulting in them being tossed into the trash; simply money being thrown out. “Ms. Castaneda (director of food service at Pennridge school district in Pennsylvania) said her district’s food budget, including breakfast and lunch programs, would increase by $111,234 under the guidelines taking shape.”  Such a large amount of money will place an enormous strain on a school system’s budget. “Federal school lunch program reimbursements would cover $32,460, leaving the Pennridge district little choice but to raise lunch prices to come up with the remaining $78,774” (Wolfgang). This immense amount of needed money would ultimately result in an increase in meal prices. Although there is a chance that a portion of these fresh vegetables and fruits going to waste, overtime the implementation of these foods could better the health of students. They will finally be given consistent access to healthier foods, which with more exposure will most likely lead to them trying these foods and starting to consume healthier foods. Without taking a chance with programs, there is no way of knowing if they will be successful or not. 

A common mistake is that the media places a spotlight on food and exercise when it comes to identifying causes of obesity in children. Those are two large factors, but not the only ones to consider. One is that children can sense when there are marital and financial issues. Many do not realize that the stress from the parents is transferred to the children and this can take a toll on a child’s emotions. “The stress concomitant with low family income and material hardship will further restrict parents' abilities or willingness to invest in their children” (Gershoff.) Failure to invest enough time into a child can lead to the child feeling neglected and unwanted. This feeling creates a sense of sadness which can lead to sedentary behaviors as well as overeating; turning to food to fulfill them since they have a void that needs to be filled. 

Behaviors turn into habits, habits then become hard to break. Someone who is used to eating greasy, salty, fatty foods is not going to want to all the sudden turn to vegetables and grilled meat without struggling to stick with the healthy foods. Food security plays a role in how children view foods and how healthy they tend to eat. As food-insecure teens begin to be fed unhealthy foods such as food from fast food restaurants, they become used to these foods. This greasy, fatty food is what they grow to like and choose over foods that are foreign to them; the foreign foods being fruits and vegetables. In urban schools across Minneapolis, Project EAT surveyed thousands of teens and found a trend amongst food-insecure teens. The trend that they discovered was that these teens did not think healthy foods tasted good and found eating healthy to be inconvenient. Why waste time and money preparing and buying healthy food when you could simply just heat something in the microwave or drive through a drive thru. In addition, it was found that the food-insecure teens tended to eat less family dinners together than those who are food-secure. “Family meal consumptions is important because it has been associated with a higher quality diet and lower likelihood of being overweight in adolescents” (Widome). Home cooked meals tend to be much healthier than a meal from a restaurant or a frozen meal. In addition, family dinners help build relationships and is an ideal time for parents to communicate with their children, showing them the attention that children need. Not always being guaranteed a meal on the dinner table every night is not a stressor that should be placed on children under any circumstances, which is why food programs need to be evaluated more in depth. 

Steering away from food, exercise, and psychological stressors, an additional variable to consider when determining a solution for childhood obesity is the environment in which the child is raised. The safety of their neighborhood, accessibility to supermarkets, and transportation are all considered to be factors affecting a child’s environment. “There is strong evidence to show that long-term solutions to the childhood obesity epidemic can be achieved by modifying the built environment to increase children’s physical activity and access to healthful foods, and reduce their access to unhealthy foods” (Rahman). A way to improve this issue is to provide easier, affordable access to recreational facilities and grocery stores that have affordable, healthy foods; not the convenience stores or fast food restaurants that tend to be located nearby to these low-income neighborhoods. Another option that may take more effort is creating community gardens. “Not only do community gardens generate fresh, locally grown produce, they provide an opportunity to engage in physical activity” (Rahman). Although these changes take time, effort, and money to implement, they should be greatly considered when city officials and planners are creating new programs and plans. 

As stated before, the prevalence of supermarkets, playgrounds, parks, and recreational facilities within neighborhoods affect the health of its residents. Researchers have analyzed the concentration of obesity within major cities across the United States, compared it to the accessibility to these places, and found a common trend. “It brings up this question of what degree of free will do people really have when they are in a certain controlled environment.” (HBODocs). For instance, not having your own form of transportation limits your travel to further away places; such as a supermarket, a child’s sport practice, a safe park, etc. Limitations to these places is a constant struggle that lower income families face on a day to day basis. They do not have many options when it comes to obtaining healthy foods or access to places that promote physical activity; the reason why statistics show the higher rate of obesity in low socioeconomic areas. 

Now that the issue has been identified and the causes of childhood obesity are visible, it is time to organize a plan that can end this epidemic. What is the most efficient, impactful plan to implement? The main focus is to change the unhealthy environment that surrounds low socioeconomic areas. Safety within these neighborhoods has been a concern, but that should not hold back children from having a safe place to play. “Studies found fewer parks, sports fields, fitness clubs, and trails in low income neighborhoods than in more affluent ones.” (Salis). Without these safe places to exercise, children tend to partake in sedentary behaviors such as playing video games, watching television, or surfing the web. A key proposal, in my opinion, that would be effective is to get commercial groups (local sport leagues, dance studios, etc.) to reduce their prices for those who receive lesser income. They could “use sliding-scale fees to increase access to low-income youth” which then the government could “provide tax breaks for the commercial physical activity providers” (Salis). In order to get to and from these facilities safe transportation should be provided. Whether it is putting in sidewalks in neighborhoods, which would encourage walking/biking to school and other areas, or by providing busing for the children. “Some 90 percent of a national sample of U.S. adults supported using local government funds for walking/jogging trails, recreational centers, and bicycle paths” (Salis). Although the cost may seem high, the savings in healthcare down the road would offset these expenses. The support for these changes is there, it is just action that needs to be taken for change to happen. Food wise, changes in the environment need just as much assistance as the infrastructure and recreational areas. It is crucial that there are local grocery stores that are affordable to the lower income families.  It is common that “cost concerns and time pressures often lead parents and their children to rely on convenience foods and fast foods” (Salis). Yes, it may save time, but the high amounts of calories and fat found in these “fast” foods take a toll on a person’s health. 

The rise in obese children seemed as if it would never taper off. Thankfully, beginning in 2012, it began to. The Center of Disease Control reported that the rates of obesity have begun to level off. Without a change in these high rates, a high number of people will begin to experience additional health problems such as “diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, and osteoarthritis” (Blumennthal). With medical issues come medical expenses. “In 2008, obesity-related medical expenses reached $147 billion…this figure is projected to rise to $344 billion by 2018” (Blumenthal). Initiatives have begun to be taken. For example, the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, both programs have implemented rules to post nutrition facts on vending machines and at restaurants, as well as make meals served in schools healthier. In addition, a handful of government housing neighborhoods across the nation are beginning to take shape to promote more of an active lifestyle and healthy eating. “Targeting only one aspect of the problem will not be effective in fighting the obesity epidemic, since many of its causes stem form broad social and environmental factors” (Blumenthal). Even though it is not a decline, the ideal result, leveling off is better than rising. 

Although it is too large of an issue to have positive results in a short amount of time, there are signs that numbers are dropping. A study including nineteen states, specifically focusing on children who take part in government programs, has recognized a decline, “the first time a major government report has shown a consistent pattern of decline for low-income children after decades of rising rates” (Tavernise), but the reason behind the decline has quite been pinpointed. There are a few predictions behind the decline such as changing the food in government funded nutrition programs, a rise in breastfeeding instead of using formula, and a reduction of calories in sugary drinks such as soda and juices. In addition, many parents have reported that over the past few years they have become more educated on proper nutrition and healthy family habits. It is a start in the right direction if the researchers’ predictions hold true.  A mother whose children participate in Head Start, a service that provides education, health, and nutrition services to low-income children, stated that “I think parents have changed. Our income may still be low, but we’re more educated” (Tavernise). Even with money acting as a contributing factor, knowledge about a healthy lifestyle outweighs the financial burden they face. 

For this wide spread issue to be solved, both parents and children of low income families need assistance. The government should continue their current programs such as Head Start; as well as provide additional programs to help educate the parents. Obesity is a serious issue. It can lead to long term health problems including heart disease, diabetes, stroke; the list is endless. Investing in children’s health now can potentially save a significant amount of money down the road, cutting healthcare expenses down greatly once these children reach their adult years. You are only given one body and one life, and people continue to mistreat their body with a wide range of substances. In this case, the substance is food. Without proper access to adequate health related services and goods, bettering one’s health is nearly impossible.  Obesity is an epidemic that can be stopped. What this country needs is additional support and funding. The funding that is used now will most likely be returned in savings on healthcare costs down the road. There is no definite guarantee that these proposals will be successful, but there is no way of knowing unless we try. 
