Persuasive Speech

 

Children are the future, and we all want what is best for our children.  We do what we can to let our children grow up healthy, safe, and strong.  Many of you are here in class today for your children—whether to set an example or to be able to provide a better life for them.

So how do you feel when I tell you that there is a health epidemic that affects 31% of all the children in the United States?  This epidemic is incredibly pervasive in our society.  It is present in all 50 states, in both young children and adolescents.  It is seen in children of families from all income levels and in all ethnic subgroups in the U.S.  Policy makers have even ranked this problem as a critical health threat.  I am talking about childhood obesity.

Ladies and gentleman, today I am going to talk to you about this top health concern facing youth in America today, and about the way schools are fostering environments that perpetuate the problem.

According to my survey, seventy percent of the people in this class have children, or have children in their household, anywhere from 1 ½ to 17 years old.  I’m sure you want to see these children live long, healthy, and happy lives.  However, researchers are telling us that if things don’t change, children born today will be the first generation in United States history to have a shorter life span than the previous generation¹.  For this reason, schools need to change in order to curb this growing epidemic. 

I am a mother myself, and I realize that my daughter spends more of her day at school than at home.  So it’s important to me to make certain that schools are doing everything they can for the well being of our children.  Schools need to foster a healthy environment to help combat the obesity epidemic facing today’s children—who are tomorrow’s adults.

First, let me describe to you the extent of this issue.

There is a prevalence of childhood obesity in this country and current school environments are perpetuating the problem.  The U.S. government estimates that 31% of children in the U.S. are overweight or at risk of becoming so.  An Arkansas study suggests that childhood obesity may be even more common—it found 38% of students to be overweight or at risk².

There are many health risks associated with obesity.  This includes increased risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, cancer, gout, and breathing disorders such as sleep apnea and asthma.

Many schools foster an environment that encourages behavior that leads to overweight and obesity.  Lunches served in cafeterias are governed by lax nutritional guidelines, if any.  Vending machines offer sugar loaded snacks and beverages.  Also, physical activity has been decreasing as physical education requirements shrink.

Since 1980, the proportion of children who are overweight has tripled!  There are now nine million overweight children in the United States³.  And many these children are developing many health risks that are normally associated with middle-aged people.  Earlier this year, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study that found 40-50% of children who are moderately to severely overweight had metabolic syndrome—a cluster of factors which raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke⁴.  Also alarming is the increasing number of overweight and obese children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, commonly referred to as “adult onset” diabetes.  Diabetes is the 5^th leading cause of death in the United States.  According to John Allegrante, professor of health education at Columbia University and the President of the National Center for Health Education, the prevalence of diabetes is projected to increase by 165% — to some 30 million Americans—by 2050.

Just imagine discovering that your little one has diabetes.  Treatment consists of daily insulin injections—sometimes several each day.  Can you picture yourself administering these shots?  Plus, there would be several finger-prick blood tests on a daily basis as well.  And there is always the risk of nerve damage.  Optic nerves are especially vulnerable, and permanent blindness can occur.  Do you want to live with that risk?  This is just one of the many real dangers childhood obesity imposes.

Now, let’s consider some of the underlying causes of this problem.

The rise of obese and overweight children can be attributed to poor diet and increased inactivity. Today’s on the go lifestyle in families promotes the convenience of unhealthy diets through fast food, packaged snacks loaded with fat and sugar-rich beverages.  Children are also getting less physical activity.  More leisure time is spent watching television, playing video games, or sitting in front of a computer.  This amounts to less activity and exercise for children.

Schools themselves are another part of the problem.  There are few standards in place to regulate foods being served in cafeterias.  Vending machines with unhealthful snacks are often prime sources of fundraising for school sports teams and extra curricular activity.  Teachers often like to use candy as incentive or rewards for good work done.  There is a whole culture of food in schools.

There has been a decrease in physical activity built into the school day.  Between 1991 & 1995, the portion of students attending daily physical education class nationwide dropped from 42% to 25%.  Initiatives such as the “No Child Left Behind” program has channeled resources and energy toward preparing for standardized tests in reading and math, neglecting other areas of children’s personal development.  With limited funds and pressure on schools to show results in specific areas, many “extras” are being eliminated.  For example, in Yonkers, New York, 233 athletic, visual arts, vocal & instrumental music programs have been eliminated³.

There is also parents’ failure to recognize or acknowledge children’s weight problems.  Dr. Joe Thompson, of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, explains many parents compare their child to other children and think they look fine.  But many children are overweight.  But just because a child may look like the other kids, doesn’t mean that there is no health risk⁵.

Let me give you a great example of parents’ denial.  Arkansas conducted a groundbreaking study where every public school, from pre-school to high school, weighed and measured its students.  Based on body mass index calculations, the students were classified as underweight, normal, or overweight. Then, a letter was sent home to each child’s parents with the individual results.  Local pediatrician, Dr. Wesley Kluck prepared about 400-500 handouts in preparation for the flood of follow-up calls from parents.  He received three⁵.  I’m sure many of the parents reacted the way some of you said you would—feeling angry and insulted, or simply not thinking it was very important.  But as a result, a problem goes on.

So, finally, what should be done to combat these problems?

We must insist that our community schools maintain a healthy environment for the children who are our future generation.  Schools should provide a consistent environment that encourages healthful eating behaviors and regular physical activity.

Institute nutritional standards in schools.  Ideally, this should be instituted at a federal or local government level.  But starting locally is great too.  Have standards for meals and foods options served in school cafeteria regarding nutritional content.  Remove unhealthy snacks and beverages from pop machines.  These can be replaced with more healthful snacks to continue producing revenue for school activities.  Change fundraising methods in the school.  Instead of bake sales, hold craft sales.  Instead of selling candy bars, sell gift wrap or participate in Market Day.

Re-introduce physical education requirements into school curriculum.  Ensure that children are getting enough physical activity on a daily basis. 

Schools are one of the best ways to reach the nation’s children.  In 2000, 53.2 million students were enrolled in public and private elementary and secondary schools in the United States⁶.   Nurturing a healthful environment in schools offers a great opportunity to shape children’s lifestyles and their choices about nutrition and physical activity.

By instituting firm nutritional guidelines for food offered by the school in its cafeteria, we are encouraging healthful diet and proper nutrition.  Removing readily available snacks that contain excessive sugar, fat, and calories from vending machines will persuade children to choose healthier snacks.  By changing the culture of food that currently exists in schools, we will help to shape the way children think about food, leading them to more healthful choices throughout their life.

Instituting daily physical education requirements will increase the amount of activity children get on a regular basis.  According to the National Academy of Sciences, it is generally recommended that children receive 60 minutes of physical activity every day⁶.  Since children spend more than half of their day at school, it follows that they should have at least 30 minutes of physical activity at school every day.

When the environment in which children spend most of their day is built around healthful living, the children will most likely learn and absorb good habits.  Even if that fails, by controlling the environment where they spend so much time, it limits the amount that food craving and inactivity can be indulged.

Instituting healthful meals served in school cafeterias will ensure that students are receiving at least one meal a day that is not overloaded with fat and sugar.  By making “junk” foods less readily available on school premises, students will have less exposure to those foods, and therefore have less opportunity to eat them.  Forcing a physical education requirement on students will ensure that they get at least a minimal amount of physical activity—which is more than many children are getting now.

There are those who feel that these types of initiatives take too many resources away from areas that really need our attention—that is, the academics of the school.  With stringent demands of policies such as “No Child Left Behind,” there should be less time spent in a gym running around and more time spent with the books.  What many fail to realize is that good health and physical fitness improve learning.

According to Dr. John Allegrante, “Physical activity boosts self-discipline, reduces stress, strengthens peer relationships, enhances self-confidence and self-esteem, and improves mental alertness.”  A 2002 study of hundreds of thousands of students in California showed that children who met fitness standards in three or more areas also showed highest academic achievement.  Research also shows that aerobic activity enhances cognitive performance.  The activity increases the number of capillaries in the brain, thus bringing more oxygen to the brain and facilitating the removal of wastes³.  Basically, rather than taking away from children’s academic achievements, fostering good physical health actually helps to enhance them.

Think about it—focusing of children’s health in schools will decrease the growth of a critical epidemic.  It will also help to increase general academic achievement.  Our kids can liver longer than us and be smarter too!

References

1 = "Schools Will Reward Kids Who Eat Right." Community CustomWire 30 Nov. 2004. EBSCOhost. 10 Dec. 2004

2 = Hurst, Marianne D. "Arkansas Pupils' Body Weights Add Up." Education Week 15 Sept. 2004. 12 Dec. 2004 <http://www.edweek.org>.

3 = Allegrante, John P. "Unfit to Learn." Education Week 1 Dec. 2004. 15 Dec. 2004 <http://www.edweek.org>.

4 = Kirchheimer, Sid.  Heavier Kids Face Health Dangers Early. 2 June 2004. WebMD. 15 Dec. 2004 <http://my.webmd.com>.

5 = Inskeep, Steve. "Analysis: Arkansas public schools trying to measure the obesity problem in students by weighing and measuring them." National Public Radio 14 June 2004. EBSCOhost. 11 Dec. 2004. Keyword: children obesity.

6 = Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Ed. Jeffery P. Koplan, Vivica A. Kraak, and Catharyn T. Liverman. 15 Dec. 2004 <http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11015.html>.