Across the United States, the American Dietetic Association has begun its annual March National Nutrition campaign to promote proper food choices and exercise and improve the health of students.
Excessive junk food consumption reigns among children and adolescents. With a McDonalds on every street corner, students learn bad eating habits at a young age—habits that are difficult to break. Many students even feel that the school is not providing healthy foods, as a great number on campus purchase Gatorades and Hot Cheetos on a daily basis at snack.
“It’s so hard for kids not to just walk over to the nearest McDonalds and buy a cheeseburger when they’re hungry,” senior Melissa Lopez said. “It’s convenient, and it tastes good, but it’s not healthy.”
Childhood obesity and its subsequent health problems have doubled in the past thirty years in America. Children and teens nowadays are at an increased risk for Type-2 Diabetes, a potentially fatal condition. They may develop Sleep Apnea, in which a person stops breathing while sleeping, that may affect their learning abilities and memory. Liver diseases, asthma, and bone structure problems are also more common in obese students, and as the majority of obese teens retain their weight to adulthood, they will face increased risk of heart diseases.
“I have a history of diabetes in my family, so I have to be extra careful about what I eat. My mom’s side has a history of Type 1, and my dad’s side has Type 2. I don’t want to develop diabetes too,” senior Anyssa Aguilar said.
The American Dietetic Association has observed this alarming increase in student obesity; they have begun a campaign to end the increasing health problems of the future generation. This month, the association is encouraging parents and their children to adopt healthier eating habits. Instead of dining on fast food or high-fat foods, a family should eat more vegetables and whole grains to foster muscle growth instead of fat gain. The organization is also encouraging an increase in exercise, as today’s youth is prone to excessive weight gain due to inactivity. The ADA has even advertised on a giant electronic billboard in New York’s Times Square that says “Eat Right with Color.”
“It’s better to eat foods that are green, red, and colorful,” senior Michael Cardenas said. “If a plate is brown, it probably has a lot of high-fat and high-carb foods.”
High school students have long lives ahead of them. Though the school has not introduced “Eat Right with Color” to the student body, hopefully Vikings will take the initiative and be more self-conscious of maintaining a more fit appearance, healthy body, and extended lifespan.