Childhood Obesity Prevention and Intervention Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity Prevention and Intervention Essay â€Å"Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2008). That statistic is staggering. Data and surveys from the 1970’s to present suggest that the United States has been fighting obesity for a great deal of time and the battle continues, increasing in numbers and ever more alarming trends (Fals, 2009). Obesity has historically been treated as an adult problem, but the tripling of childhood obesity over the last three decades clearly illustrates that children are at exponentially higher risk, requiring a shift in focus. Immediate and continuing efforts are essential in the battle against childhood obesity. Prevention, education, and intervention require the involvement of not only affected children and their parents, but the public, government, and medical community as well. The government and society need to become involved in making prevention and intervention of childhood obesity a top priority. Family involvement is also critical; however, aid is needed to support and educate them. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, has been promoting a campaign (Let’s Move!) to raise awareness and help prevent childhood obesity (White House, 2011). The campaign’s checklists for parents and childcare providers contain numerous simple, but helpful tips like dietary changes, exercising, and restricting television and video game time. Similarly, We Can!  ® is a program offering many resources to parents, caregivers, and local community groups. Like the latter campaign, this program also places focus on diet, exercise, and media usage. The program partners nationally with a number of organizations and media outlets to ensure families in all parts of America have access to information and help (U.S. Department of Health Human Services [HHS], 2012). More programs like these are needed in communities and nationwide. The number of resources is increasing but not as quickly as the problem they are attempting to help. Strategies for childhood obesity intervention and prevention are surprisingly simple, but it is up to parents to implement them. One strategy is sharing meals as a family. Choosing healthy foods is not easy and parents can help by providing healthy meals and sharing them with their children. In addition, children often model the behavior of parents; therefore, a parent eating healthy foods may influence the child to do the same. Eating together has the added benefit of being an emotionally positive experience for the entire family. According to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, food choices and physical activity are the most important factors in the obesity battle. Consequently, parents must offer healthy foods in addition to lowering the calories their children consume. Children must also be encouraged to exercise (HHS, 2010, p. 10). Finally, reduction of television, video games, and computer usage encourages children to be more active and gets them moving. Reducing screen time to no more than two hours per day is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2003, p. 427). By implementing these strategies, parents will be able to help their children with making strides towards health. Research studies have determined health dangers faced by obese children are comparable to those of obese adults. Formerly adult-associated chronic diseases are striking children. These diseases (comorbidities) are numerous and may have grave consequences. Diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and the metabolic syndrome are only a few examples of the diseases striking obese children (Daniels et al., 2005, p. 2002). Furthermore, additional research has determined that childhood and adolescent obesity can cause early death (Reilly Kelly, 2011, p. 894). The medical community must provide more research and education to help with prevention of these disease processes and better interventions. Researchers have stressed the â€Å"stigmatization of fatness,† with regard to societal views of this disease (Gard Wright, 2005, p. 69). Obese children are assumed to be lazy and unworthy of attention. Obese children suffer many psychological issues and the bullying is one of the contributors. A recent study reported, â€Å"Bullying happens every day† and it â€Å"has a direct impact on stress and trauma symptoms† (Brandt et al., 2012). Furthermore, â€Å"Children who are obese are more likely to be bullied† asserts another study (Lumeng et al., 2010). In general, obese children tend to be at risk for depression, anxiety disorders, social phobias, poor self-esteem, eating disorders, and a higher risk of suicidal tendencies. Psychiatric intervention is required to aid obese children in developing normally so these problems do not continue into adulthood. Individual support and support groups could be very effective interventions to consider. The epidemic of childhood obesity is not getting better. Every year it appears to be getting excessively worse. Realistic goals are to educate parents, healthcare providers, and the public, giving them as much research and information as possible. Education, intervention, and prevention are the most important factors for combating the effects of childhood obesity and in helping to ensure the health and happiness of children suffering from this disease. References American Academy of Pediatrics. (2003). Prevention of pediatric overweight and obesity. Pediatrics, 112(2), 427. Retrieved from http://www2.aap.org/obesity/ppt/PREVENTION%20OF%20PEDIATRIC%20OBESITY%20AAP.ppt 9k 2010-03-11 Brandt, A., Zaveri, K., Fernandez, K., Jondoh, L., Duran, E., Bell, L., . . . Gutierrez, J. (2012). School bullying hurts: Evidence of psychological and academic challenges among students with bullying histories. Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences: Special Edition, 11. Retrieved from http://www.kon.org/urc/v11/bullying/brandt.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). CDC Obesity Facts Adolescent and school health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm Daniels, S., Arnett, D., Eckel, R., Gidding, S., Hayman, L., Kumanyika, S., . . . Robinson, T. (2005). Overweight in children and adolescents. Circulation, 111(15), 1999-2012. Fals, A. (2009). Childhood obesity : A bit of history National childhood obesity. Examiner. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/childhood-obesity-a-bit-of-history Gard, M., Wright, J. (2005). The obesity epidemic: Science, morality, and ideology (1st Ed.). New York, U.S.A.: Taylor Francis Inc. Lumeng, J., Forrest, P., Appugliese, D., Kaciroti, N., Corwyn, R., Bradley, R. (2010). Weight Status as a Predictor of Being Bullied in Third Through Sixth Grades. Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 125(6), 1301-1307. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0774. Reilly, J., Kelly, J. (2011). Long-term impact of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence on morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood: Systematic review. International Journal of Obesity, 35(7), 891-898. doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.222.

Personal Narrative- Parties :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Parties Every weekend there is a party somewhere. Whether it is out at the "Momma," the lake, or even at someone's house, it is the "cool place" to be. Last year, I arrived at the Halloween dance not wearing a costume but expecting to have a great time with all of my friends dancing and listening to music. I overheard someone talking about a party that was going to start at Mary's house. Being invited to go with all of my friends, I didn't want to be the wimp of the group, so I decided to go along. I drove away from the dance thinking that I would only stay for a little while at the party. Pulling into the driveway, I instantly knew that this wasn't a good idea. My hands were shaking, and I had goose bumps all over my arms and legs. "What if my parents find out?" I thought. How would I be able to explain being at a party to them? I was supposed to be at the dance. I looked at the trailer and saw people going in and out. Can I still leave? I was going to leave. However, I stepped out of my car and could hear the music playing from someone's system. It was the song "Joker" by the Steve Miller Band. The aroma of the trailer could be smelt outside, and the Jack Daniels was being circulated like popcorn at a baseball game. I looked inside and saw people sitting on a dark pumpkin-colored couch playing cards. They were hanging out in the kitchen. People were going to and from the small 70's size refrigerator popping the tops off of their beers and letting them fall on the floor which was covered in dirt, pieces of broken dry wall, and glass from a broken window. The looks on people's faces were that of sheer fun, they were making fools out of themselves, and, even if they hated it, they weren't going to stop. I found Mary, who was gloating with the thoughts of her fantastic party, and behind her rose a voice that I recognized very well. I looked and saw Tonya staggering down the concrete steps of the trailer. She was laughing hysterically and talking in a loud, uncontrollable voice. Supporting herself on the car next to us, she looked at me through her almost psychotic eyes and started to rummage through her pockets and babble.

Comparing Diverse African Cultures Essay

Throughout every culture there are many similar customs, however it is the personal experiences that make the cultures different and diverse. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character Okonkwo lives in Umofia until the tribe exiles him for accidentally killing a man in his village. After seven years the people of his village allow him to return to Umofia, among his return there are white missionaries in his village that have come to introduce christianity to his people. Okonkwo quickly realizes that his village is now unrecognizable. The short story Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu by Abioseh Nicol, expresses the strong relationships between the living and the dead that are present in African culture. The religious beliefs, social structures and attitudes toward the dead represented in Things Fall Apart are equally similar and different to the concepts present in the short story Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu. Death is a natural part of the circle of life, and the way the dead are treated varies from culture to culture. In Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu, a grandmother (Bola) and her granddaughter (Asi) receive an unexpected visit from the spirit of their son/father Meji. Except it is unknown to Bola and Asi that their loved one is a spirit until after he leaves them. Mr. Addai announces Meji’s death to the village on Monday, â€Å"‘But I tell you, he was here on Friday and left Sunday morning,’ Bola said. ‘He couldn’t have died on Friday.’† (Abioseh 10). The spirit of Meji had come back to his family to say his final goodbyes and thank his mother for all she had done for him. In the African culture they worship and praise the dead, as the dead are a huge part of their lives and culture. Similarly in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s people believe in spirits of the Nigerian tribes, also called the egwugwu. The people of Umofia both fear and respect the egwugwu, â€Å"A woman fled as soon as an egwugwu came in sight. And when, as on that day, nine of the greatest masked spirits in the clan came out together it was a terrifying spectacle.† (Achebe 78). The people of Umofia believe that the egwugwu have magical powers, and know that when they are present someone will most likely be taken as a sacrifice to the gods. The people of African descent treat the dead with great respect and think highly of them. There are many different types of religion in the world, in many African cultures the people are polytheistic. In Things Fall Apart not only do they worship gods and priestesses but they idolize spirits too; like the ojbange. The ojbange is a child who has previously passed away, but has come back to haunt the mother and be reborn. â€Å"Some of them did become tired of their evil rounds of birth and death, or took pity on their mothers, and stayed.† (Achebe 70). Some of these children did continue their lives and grow into adults, but most of them die as young children or infants. Also in Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu the mothers of ojbange children are ridiculed and mocked by the village people. â€Å"All the years of their married life, people had said she was a witch because her children had died young.†(Abioseh 6). Even though most likely it is not the fault of the mother that their child had died, the people of the village overlook that and continue to outcast them for their â€Å"witchcraft†. A major social custom in African culture and many other cultures is food. Food has the power to bring a lot of people together. In Things Fall Apart we see this during the feast for Obierika’s daughters wedding shower. â€Å"As the evening wore on, food was presented to the guests. There were huge bowls of foo-foo and steaming pots of soup. There were also pots of yam pottage. It was a great feast.† (Achebe 104). Everyone, all over the world, eats food; it is the recipes and different dishes that make the experience diverse. Similarly in Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu, Bola uses food to welcome home her son. â€Å"We must make a feast, we must have a big feast. I must tell the neighbors at once.† (Abioseh 3). Bola’s excitement that her son is home calls for a celebration. When having people over nine out of ten times food will be involved in some way. Food is something that most all people have in common, and is something they think about everyday. The religious beliefs, attitudes toward the dead and social customs make Things Fall Apart and Life Is Sweet At Kumansenu equally similar and different. Two different African stories, from the same culture but that have different traditions and techniques is what makes our society different and diverse.

How to Help Kids Learn Digraphs in Spelling and Sounds

Digraphs are two letters that make a third letter sound, when combined, such as ch or sh. Many sight vocabulary words use digraphs, which may provide a springboard for exploring these letter pairs when helping students learn to read new and unfamiliar vocabulary.   When considering a spelling program and how to best help children learn the sounds of the English language, you will need to choose words that help them understand all of the 44 sounds. Part of those 44 sounds include the digraphs. It is also important to distinguish letter digraphs from letter blends, which are letters commonly paired whose individual sounds are created in concert, such as sl, pl, pr, sr, etc.  Often, children with disabilities have difficulty hearing and distinguishing letter blends, but consonant digraphs are easier because even the voiced and unvoiced digraphs (th) are made in the same way, with tongue placement in the same place. Often, students who have problems with identifying and/or hearing digraphs are also struggling with hearing (hard of hearing) or articulating (apraxia) the letter sound.  Students with these difficulties should be referred to audiologists or speech-language pathologists for assessment and/or services. The consonant digraphs are: ch, sh, th, ng (final sound) ph, and wh. Strategies for Teaching Common Words With Digraphs Introducing the Sound Use decodable books with consonant digraphs to introduce the sounds.  Use picture cards (chew, chop, chin, etc.)  to introduce the sounds.Use a double ch letter card with other letter cards to build words.  Have students build the same words with an individual pocket chart. Practicing the Sound Word Sorts:  Put lots of words with paired initial sounds in squares.  Have them cut out the words and paste them under the consonant digraph, i.e. ch-chap, chart, chink, chop, chip and then sh-ship, shop, sheep, sharp, etc.Word Building:  Create worksheets where students choose from two digraphs to build words, such as ship, sheep, shop. Some should have more than one of the same ending (chop, shop) and others should have only one ending (chin, sharp, etc.)  Word Games:  Create bingo games, especially with more than one word from a word family, to help students focus on the digraph. Examples include chip and ship, shop and chop.   Sounds Sound: ch as in chew Initial ch sound:  chew, chop, chips, choice, chance, chain, champ, chase, cheer, cheek, cheat, chase, chalk, choose Final ch sound: touch, each, reach, coach, ditch, ouch, beach, teach, ditch, lunch Sound: sh like in shy or rush Initial sh:  shadow, shade, shine, shop, shell, shout, shrub, shut, share, shower Final sh:   push, rush, fresh, wish, wash, fish, dish, trash, ash, rash Sound: the unvoiced th as in this the, then, they, there, their, this, them, these, that, though Sound: the voiced th as in thin thin, think, thick, thank, theft, thumb, tooth, truth, with, width Sound: wh as in why why, where, what, when, while, wheel, white, which, wheat, whistle Final Sound ng as in ring sing, sang, wing, bang, clang, bong, dung, sung, mung, clung, cling Sound:  ph as in phone Phillip, phantom, phonics, phase, phlox