Targeting Parents Exclusively v. Parents and Children, Essay Example

Health/Obesity

One problem that is present in the classroom, or in schools, is childhood obesity. It’s a serious problems because of different health risks to the child. These include diabetes, or even, later in life, heart risks, and high blood pressure which in turn can cause more serious problems. Anything that a child does with their bodies early on effects them on down the road. Some problems that are present in childhood obesity are endemic in the society in which we live (post-industrial society). This is because the culture promotes indolence in the form of video games, desk jobs, and a general state of sedentariness. This is not to say that video games or television are to blame for obesity, merely, they are part of the problem. Another problem with childhood obesity is it’s promotion of fast food. Fast food, as opposed to gourmet food, cannot be broken down by the viscera in the gut to a substantial degree, is full of plastics and other chemicals that in turn the body cannot break down, and thus leads to obesity because they make the eater more hungry and don’t supply good enough nutrition. Fast food in turn can cause hormonal and thyroid problems. Having a healthy lifestyle and perspective begins in the classroom. In the classroom is where children can create better eating habits that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.

The best prevention is to alter the child’s environment through education.  Teaching a child how to live a health lifestyle and the cause and effects of their eating habits has a lasting effect.  This modification is done through intervening in how the parents shop and how they teach their children to eat through their own example as Golan (2006) states:

Although most treatments include a dietary component, it is generally recognized that nutritional intervention alone is ineffective as the sole treatment for childhood obesity. Epstein et al. (1980) demonstrated that adding behavioural techniques of contingency contracting, self-monitoring of energy intake and weight, praise, and stimulus control, to nutrition education, significantly improved the reduction in percentage of overweight compared with nutrition education alone over a 5-month period (217·5 v. 26·4 %). It was also demonstrated that focusing on increasing the intake of healthy foods was a useful approach for nutritional changes for parents and their obese children, rather than avoiding intake of high-fat–highsugar foods. (Epstein et al. 2001) The same results were shown in an intervention programme conducted in schools to improve health-related behaviours (Muller et al. 2001). (Golan 1009). 

Therefore not only are healthy foods an important part of a child not being obese, but portion control (which harkens back to restraint) and the types of foods that are chosen such as fatty foods or foods that are high in sugar.  This type of intervention must not only be done at  home base but must extend to the child’s other environments such as school and friends houses.  The parent can only do so much control over the child’s food intake at home but it is up to the parent to instill in their child the importance of consistency in their eating lifestyle and that eating junk food at school is inexcusable.  Thus, targeting the parents as well as the children as culprits in childhood obesity is a positive step in finding an intervention process that fully works.

In order to curtail the daunting effects of childhood obesity it’s important to incorporate healthy eating habits in the classroom: this can be accomplished for preschool aged children by: having healthy food choices available for lunch (low salt and fat content foods are best) as well as healthy snacks (snacks should be at a set time each day so that overeating by preschoolers isn’t encouraged); eating slowly (lunch time for preschoolers should be no less than half an hour in order for the children to properly digest their food—this will also help with upset stomachs that occur when children eat their food quickly and then try to play on the playground); preschoolers need to be reminded to drink more water therefore planned water fountain breaks as well as thermoses/water bottles will be encouraged in the classroom.

Activity Plans/Technology

Physical activity is a staple in school’s programs. For preschool aged children physical activity is a must so that the kids can burn off extra energy acquired through sitting and learning all day. There are many diverse activities available for this specific age group, for instance, preschoolers will have gym time where a gymnastics coach comes in and helps the children learn how to tumble. These are easy to learn, low impact exercises that the kids will enjoy doing (somersaults mostly because of the developmental level of their bodies (i.e. joints, bones, etc.) and for some maybe a cartwheel) and will be safe doing as tumbling requires mat work.

Another classroom based activity plan will be to have a local artist come in and help the children finger paint. These paints are non-toxic, and encourage a tactile learning environment for the children. They are also of the age where bright colors and compliments are necessary for building self-esteem. The art will then be hung in the school hallway and parents will be encouraged to come to the school’s Art Night where they can see their kid’s work and purchase it (prices for art will be $5 and will be given to the kid with a percentage being retained by the school for supply costs).

Another classroom-based activity will be for the preschools to illustrate and write their own story. Aides in the classroom will help the child write out their story but the child will be the sole illustrator of that story. The stories will then be read during story time by the author. This will encourage self-esteem and public speaking/story telling skills.

One final classroom-based activity will be a field trip to the local art/science museum where children will get to explore their world through the scope of these subjects. Many art museums have an area for preschoolers in which taxidermy owls and other animals are available for children to touch, as well as solar system interactive activities.

Health/Safety

Health and safety tips for children and parents can be delineated as follows:

• A “know your neighbor night” in which members of the community get together and get to know one another – parents get to know one another, and children get to know one another. This can also turn into a neighborhood watch in which possible criminals in the neighborhood can be pinpointed (think child predator) so that everyone is aware of who one another is.
• Healthy eating night in which parents bring in their most healthy and fun dinner dishes that the kids helped them prepare. This one will be a feast in which a local farmer’s market speaker comes and takes about the importance of locally grown food, etc.
• Field trip to the local farmer’s market or to the local farm in which children get hands-on experience of growing their own food. This exercise can be extended to the classroom in which kids tend to their own garden.
• Guest lecture series about good lifestyle habits in which local food vendors, exercise gurus, or coaches come in and do activities with the kids (exercises, cooking, etc.) to teach them different ways to stay fit.

Works Cited

Golan, Moria et al.  (2006).  “Childhood Obesity Treatment: Targeting Parents Exclusively v. Parents and Children”. British Journal of Nutrition. Vol. 95. 1008-1015. Print.

Little Parachutes. (2014). “Books: Healthy Eating & Exercise.” Web. 3 December 2014.

Wareham, Nicholas et al. (2005).  “Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention”. Proceedings of the Nutritional Society.  Vol. 64.  229-247.  Print.