The Rant

Obesity in children is a serious problem. Even though schools sell many calorie packed foods, nutrition should be taken care of by a child's parents. Parents need to start taking control of their child's diet from birth. They need to teach them and set good examples of nutritional habits because children look up to their parents. Parents should also make sure their children engage in a sufficient amount of physical activity. Sitting in front of the television or the computer is not a good way to eat meals or spend free time. Children who consume meals in front of the television have a more likely rate of becoming obese. Parents should also make sure they have a traditional, sit down, family meal every night. Many obese children consume extra calories from fast food or take out because their parents don't have enough time to prepare home cooked meals. Sometimes, both of these parents both have hard working jobs that require long hours and fast food and take out are easier meals to serve.

What the Experts Say

The Department of Health and Human Services reported that “Among children and teens ages 6 to 19, 15 percent (almost 9 million) are overweight according to the 1999-2000 data, or triple what the proportion was in 1980.” Their expertise is that they have reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association and this supports my argument because obesity is a serious problem and it is just getting worse. This proves that parents need to take control immediately.

Mary Cooper, RDH, MSEd, professor in dental hygiene at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne says "It's obvious that watching television and playing video games requires no energy. In addition, watching television promotes snacking. Parents should avoid placing a television in a child’s room." Her expertise is that she is studying the effects obesity has on children like disease. This quotation supports my argument because it is saying how television negatively affects children by allowing them to over snack. It also supports how children are eating in front of the television do not get enough physical activity and do not burn of excess calories.

Richard Daynard, law professor, tobacco lawsuit veteran, and PHAI board member argues that “Kraft’s policy suggests marketing high calorie-density products to kids is improper and perhaps substantially harmful. His expertise is he has dealt with industries like the tobacco industry and he knows what types of marketing targets what age ranges. His quotation supports my argument because he is saying how television marketing is targeting kids and it’s unfair because they are young and they do not know better. What they see is what they want and when they are eating in front of the television and see more food, they will want what they see in addition to what they are already consuming.

My Second Strongest Argument

My second strongest argument is that family meal time should not be replaced by fast food or meals in front of the television. Many children and teens consume inflated portion sizes of high calorie and fatty foods while exercising less. Some parents follow daily routines they may not want to change. While working long hours, they are not able to prepare home cooked meals. They rely on easier and more convenient dinners that only require going to the drive thru or ordering out. Rather than having to set and clear the table, parents allow their children to eat in front of the television. This causes children to take in extra calories and greasy foods that they do not burn off because they are watching television, playing video games, or are on the computer. Watching large amounts television also exposes children to marketing. Many food companies such as Kraft run food commercials on many network such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, where children will see them over and over. This makes children want the unhealthy calorie packed food even more.

My Strongest Argument

My strongest argument is that parents should provide their children with proper nutrition from birth and they should teach their children how to properly eat and exercise. Parents have control over their children even before the are born. Mothers have to take care of themselves during pregnancy because whatever happens to them also happens to their child. Mothers should avoid cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, and they should eat right with lots of fruits and vegetables. Mothers should also watch how much weight they gain during pregnancy. The healthy amount is about 25-35 pounds. Mothers should also exercise while they are pregnant to lower their blood sugar and to help keep their weight in check. During the early months, babiess should not be fed formula. Mothers should breastfeed their child since their bodies produce the perfect amount of milk with the right vitamins and amount of calories. Formulas contain excess calories and are not healthy for a baby because they do not satisfy them like breast milk does. During childhood, children look to their parents as role models. Parents should make sure they practice healthy eating habits and they should pass this on to their children. Teaching them to eat and snack only when hungry. When a child reaches their teens, they start to become more independent but they are still affected by their parents. They have to practice what they have taught them all on their own in the real world.

Choosing a Side: The Parents Need to Take Control

I have picked the con side (Parents need to take control). I have selected the con side because after reading through all of my articles and books I have decided that parents have more control over their child's diet rather than a school. My strongest arguments will be that parents teach and instill their child's eating habits. They control what they are fed from birth and they are examples of how adults eat. Children will think this is the proper way of living and continue in their parents footsteps. Parents should also provide their children with healthy and nutritional meals everyday day. They should pack them a brown bag lunch and make dinner every night. Giving a child money to purchase unhealthy meals and getting fast food or take out every night is not the answer. Another argument will be that studies have shown that a child's weight fluctuates the most during the summer months when school is not in session. Even though physical activity may increase, children are not burring off all of the excess calories they consume during they day. Not only do they continue to eat unhealthy foods, but now more unhealthy foods like ice cream are appealing since it is hot out. I intend to convince my readers to agree with me by stating all of my research including statistics and quotes. I have many statistics that state obesity is the worse now than its ever been. I also have statistics that show when a child is mostly likely to gain weight and the results show that its when their diet is controlled by their parents. I also have quotes from USDA workers and influential people from many states including our own NJ Governor about this topic. My only concerns about not being able to effectively argue this position is if research shows that weight problems have decreased in New Jersey due to this new nutritional plan that has been introduced. It will take more than one year to definitely know if this plan is effective so I don't think this will b e a big problem for me.

Con: Rather Than Having Schools Regulate Nutrition, Parents Should Take Control

Over the past 20 years, childhood obesity has doubled. Weight problems can be genetic although it’s rare. Weight problems are mostly influenced by the child’s environment including their home. Children are consuming too many calories and they are not burning them off. Too much time is spent inside the house watching TV and playing video games. Children should play outside every day with friends to help burn off excess calories and to have a social life. Many children are being diagnosed with obesity related diseases that are only common in adults such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems. It is very crucial that parents instill good nutritional values in children at a young age. While mothers are pregnant, they should avoid alcohol, smoking, and drugs and they should also eat properly to ensure a healthy baby. As children start to bottle feed, parents should know when their child is full and they should stop feeding them. They should not overfeed them because they will be packing them with calories and fats. As children are able to eat solid foods, parents should set good examples by only serving healthy foods and showing their children how to properly snack. By the time children become teenagers, they are more dependent but the values the parents have taught them greatly influence how they eat. Besides teaching their children how to eat properly, parents should also eat properly since they are the main influence in their children’s lives and they will greatly influence their diets. Studies show that families with two working parents sometimes suffer from nutritional meals. Since it is hard to prepare a meal after a long days work, many families just order take out food or get fast food. These types of junk food should not replace regular family meals. Studies also show that children who consume meals in front of the television rather than at the dinner table are more likely to be overweight or obese.

Pro: Schools Should Adopt a New Nutritional Policy

Many school cafeterias sell sugary and fatty foods full of calories and cholesterol. In September of 2007 under Governor Richard J. Codey a new nutrition policy banning any item that contained more than 8 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, or contained sugar as the first of main ingredient was put into effect. In addition to these restrictions, drinks other than milk and water cannot be sold in more than 12oz bottles. This included vending machines, school stores, and even fundraisers during the school day. If schools do not comply with this new policy they will lose their state and federal funding. Many students are in an uproar over this new policy since it eliminated favorite foods such as french fires, cookies, chips, candy, and soda but the schools really are looking out for the students health. Many parents are in favor of these new regulations because they believe that the food served in schools is causing there children to be obese. Instead of packing their children nutritional meals, parents believe there should be nutritional alternatives sold in school. Some states other than New Jersey have already integrated new nutritional programs into their schools. In Florida, there is a new program called Fresh-2-U and this program allows children to try 20 different types of fruit throughout the school year. Parents are able to see their child's progress in this program by reading the checks on their report cards. A program like this comes with coloring pages, posters, and music trying to appeal to all children.