The Issues at Hand
Obesity in America
Obesity in America is a growing problem in the country today, not only in adults but in children, too. But where does this problem start in any person’s life? It is believed to start with your eating habits as a child. From 2003 to 2006 statistics show that 16.3% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years old are obese. There are many reasons why this is but the cause could be the fact of what the school serves at lunches. Students spend seven and a half hours a day at school and students are overwhelmed enough with the stress of schoolwork that they do not take the time to make healthy choices and take a lunch. But why not make it easier to make the healthy choice? By substituting the fatty foods with healthy foods students will get the nutrition that they need and the taste they desire. An eighth grader here at Stahl Jr. High, Kylee Jackson, said, “I would like to see a salad bar put in as well as a fruit bar.” This may reduce the chances of obesity and create a healthy lifestyle to live by for kids. Another eighth grader here at Stahl Jr. High (she would like to remain anonymous) would like to share an incident that happened at lunch, “I was buying my lunch and all I wanted was an apple, but in order to receive my apple I first had to buy a dessert.” This does not seem right and may be a cause for starting overweight children, teenagers, and adults in America.
