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Jennifer Gramajo
Ms. Owens
Final Draft
December 8, 2013
4 Educating the Public Should be a Right not a Privilege
As the national government keeps improving the food stamps programs for low-income
families, it should advertise digitally through national public transportation so that low-income
families can get information about where and how to purchase fresh and cheap produce. First of
all low- income families would be healthier if they would know where to go for resources. The
families would be able to know that there are programs like Petaluma Loves Active Youth
(P.L.A.Y) that would be able to teach the children and parents different skills. Families would be
able to learn to make healthier meals, which would make create more family time and this make
a stronger family bond. In additions this would help schools to also start helping by doing more
action in the meals the schools serve. Schools in Los Angeles are working with the communities
to make programs for the students to help decrease obesity. Unlike other schools they give out
junk food to the students, students and parents should know what goes through their body at
school with the lunches. Lastly fast foods restaurants have to stop selling toys with the kids
meals. Then the child wont beg their parents to go out and eat junk food. The national
government has to help the low-income families who are need of the help and educate them
right.
Families can survive with a low income but they arent as healthy as the higher classes in
the U.S. The government gives U.S. families help with health insurance if the families cant
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receive Medicaid or any other health insurance. The government helps with private health
insurance for the children of low-income families. But even if they do get health insurance the
families still arent smart food wise because vegetable and other sources are expensive these
days for a low-income family. Or the low-income families dont know how to make healthier
foods. Some people still bring their traditional foods that are from their native country and some
of those foods are very greasy and have lots of fats. But people dont really know the long run,
diseases that can come with eating unhealthy the child can become obese, they can have
diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Dr. Kyla Ehrenreich said, The large majority of pediatric patients at Petaluma Health
Center (PHC) are Latino, thus they are the predominant group being referred to the program
P.L.A.Y. Also there seems to be a general interest among Latinos population about wellness,
healthy eating, and exercising. So the low-income Hispanics would like to learn, if taught to do
something doing about their well-being. So the community and government should help each
other to spread the word that there are programs out there that are willing to help the families.
This is what Dr. Ehrenreich said when ask about if money is the only issue that low-income
families arent healthy, No, I think money/income level is a significant challenge to health,
however I dont think its the only barrier. I believe education, attitude about health and change
are also large barriers to health. The low-income families need education on how to be healthier.
Project 10 kids have been helping obese kids be healthier, PROJECT 10 Kids gives the
Vi-Community an opportunity to share the benefits of achieving a healthier weight with the next
generation. It takes our mission even further by helping overweight and obese kids make better
nutritional and lifestyle choices for a healthier, longer life.(ViCares) They help kids who are
hungry to get food but eat healthy and end obesity here is what they had to say,
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By donating nutritious ViSalus Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix meals and
Chocolate Chip Nutra-Cookies to childrens charities across North America,
ViSalus Promoters Customers and employees can give back to their local communities by
helping hungry, overweight or obese children receive the nutrition they need to lead longer
healthier lives.(ViCares)
This program is trying to get people to lose weight so that for every 10 pounds and donations
people will do, will go to help children eat healthier. Will get these healthy shakes to drink
instead of soda or juice. This is what this program wants to do with the youth today, PROJECT
10 Kids gives the Vi-Community an opportunity to share the benefits of achieving a healthier
weight with the next generation. It takes our mission even further by helping overweight and
obese kids make better nutritional and lifestyle choices for a healthier, longer life.(ViCares)
This program has been almost successful if more people would sign up to do the challenge.
It has been a good program who has help kids all over America to help stop obesity and
help end hunger. There are lots of programs out there who are willing to help out kids and help
families decrease obesity across America. Families dont really know about these different
programs that can help stop and end chronicle diseases. Even schools are helping low-income
families end obesity. There are two schools in L.A who are helping to end obesity in children.
This is what people have said, In 2006, After-School All-Stars Los Angeles was chosen by the
Center for Collaborative Solutions to join a network of ten outstanding after-school programs,
spotlighted for their innovative physical fitness and nutrition education programs. (ASAS) This
shows that some schools really want to improve their school environment to help decrease
obesity in children and teens.
Schools are recognizing that obesity has increased in the last 20 years, Obesity has
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reached epidemic proportionsover the last 20 years, overweight levels have doubled in
children and tripled in teens, nationally. Poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles lead to obesity
and related health problems, and adversely affect academic achievement.(CARES) Schools are
worried it wont be stopped soon, so there trying to do something about it now before its too
late. This program has been very successful its been confirmed by a nutritionist coordinator,
We are seeing amazing results with our students, said Debra Mason, nutrition program
coordinator at Mt. Diablo CARES. More of our students are able to make healthier decisions
about what theyre eating. Weve increased access and consumption of fruits and vegetables here
at CARES and in our community. Weve brought in almost 137 tons of fresh fruits and
vegetables over the past two years for our students, their families and our community. We are
excited to mentor other programs and help their students develop healthy habits that will last a
lifetime.(CARES) If programs like CARES can help their communities then why arent other
programs created to help others across America. And this way it will be easier to decrease and
maybe even end obesity.
Even though some schools want to end obesity some enforce it by selling kids at schools
junk and unhealthy foods. According to the book Generation Extra Large, In a high school not
far from Aptos, students were loading their trays from tray with Taco Bell tacos, Subway
sandwiches, and Dominos pizza, all available in the school cafeteria.(pg.78) If parents were
informed and would talk to their child about what they are eating for lunch they would know this
isnt something a school should be serving. Companies such as Coca-Cola are sponsoring
schools so then they have to sell their products there on the schools campus. (pg.78)
Soda companies are even shaping at one of the nations most venerable
school organizations. In 2003, the Parent Teacher Association accepted
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sponsorship by Coca-Cola and gave Coke Enterprises Senior Vice President
of Public Affairs John H. Downs Jr. a seat on the PTAs national board
with full voting rights. The PTAs defense is that Coca-Cola is endorsing
them, not the other way around. (pg.79)
The schools shouldnt be doing with other business the government should be helping out the
schools to get supplies and other materials. This has to end the schools should a way to give
kids a healthier meals in schools not sell any sugary things. The schools shouldnt have done that
because now Coca-Cola can decide whatever it wants in the schools like maybe more vending
machines.
Its satisfying when the programs that community achieves to help out their
community. There should be more programs like this around the U.S that would help bring in
communities together to help solve problems like this which is obesity in children and teens. It
has been affecting a lot of children and teens across America the whole country should unity
together to help stop this serious problem. The following generations dont have to suffer with
chronicle diseases. It needs to end a lot of children and teens are suffering terribly with diseases,
like diabetes type 2, heart problems, high cholesterol. Some toddlers even have diabetes 2, Type
2 diabetes mellitus is also becoming more prevalent in adolescents, especially among obese
adolescence. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children has grown ten fold over recent
decades where one third of toddlers are expected to be affected by this condition at some point in
their lives.(ObesityHelp) Even toddlers that small of age are already being diagnose with
diabetes type 2. Childhood obesity is much worse than teen obesity, Severe obesity in
young
people has grave health consequences, said study author Aaron Kelly, a researcher at the
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University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. It's a much more serious childhood
disease than obesity.(Huff Post) That is really surprising that is becoming much worse now than
before, About 5 percent of U.S. children and teens are "severely obese, and the numbers are
rising, according to a new statement from the American Heart Association.
Its hard to believe treating obese children would be hard, Treating children and teens with of
severe obesity is challenging, the researchers said. Many treatments that are commonly used with
some success in overweight and obese children, such as lifestyle changes, are less effective in
those with severe obesity.(Huff Post) It must be hard on those children and teens that are
overweight to lose that weight because of stress, for being bullied, teased. That really affects
them to lose that extra weight off. But they dont realize that if they dont lose that weight it will
bring even bigger problems in adulthood, that if they make it, and dont die of heart failure.
The parent should take their child to a psychologist so they can get a mental help,
because sometimes that a problem going on in their mind. And they need to get professional help
because its more than just eating unhealthy. They probably eat because of stress, for being
teased, or many other different reasons that can be going on with them. A child or teen will eat
instead of fixing or even facing their problem because its an easy way out. And food is like any
kind of drug once you start over eating you cant stop as much as they try to. It must be really
hard, so parents must be supportive of their child in any way possible to help them. CDC
Vital Signs says, Obese children are more likely to be obese later in childhood and adolescence.
In these older children and adolescents, obesity is associated with high cholesterol, high blood
sugar, asthma, and mental health problems.(CDC Vital Signs). Low-income families with
preschoolers have been found to be more over weight than other preschoolers from other classes.
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The most effected ethnic groups are Hispanics and African-Americans. Some
Hispanics women feel its good to have curves than worry about their own healthy and maybe
even ding at a young age, and leaving their kids without a mom. Like Elma Dieppa will say
about her cousin,
She refused to take care of herself by not watching what she ate or exercising, this is the
problem within the Hispanic community, we love our curves, but the line between beautiful and
deadly curves is blurred. (CNN) Some Hispanics think curves are the best thing in the world
without imaging it will end up giving them a chronicle disease or maybe just end up killing them.
Some African-American women are also overweight or obese. Like said in the article,
But several studies show that Black women are more accepting of their own weight and are less
likely to have distorted body images leaning towards the tall, thin model types prevalent on
mainstream media. Black men have also been reported to prefer fleshier body types.
(FinancesOnline) Husbands also are to blame because they want chubbier women than the
healthier or skinny ones. (FinancesOnline)
The media and marketing are attacking at teens to go out and buy a lot of junk food
instead of going out to buy healthier foods. And also because fast foods have a toy that comes
with meals so the kids are attracted to it and the cry to their parents until the kids get it. But
unlike this restaurant I would recommend if families would want to go out and eat, Brownell
referred to the ordinance passed last week in San Francisco that only allows restaurant meals to
include a toy when the meals meets certain nutritional standards and criteria. He hopes that other
states and local jurisdictions will take similar actions. (SOUTHBEND) Unlike McDonalds this
restaurant is trying to get kids to get a healthier meal and they would get rewarded by getting a
toy. According to the book Always the Fat Kid , A food desert is a location where a grocery
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store or supermarket is not readily available, effectively forcing people to make un healthy
choices by getting their food at fast-food restaurants or convenience stores.(pg.38) Even some
towns who dont have resources or just doesnt have government support to get healthy foods are
lead to these restaurants.
This percentage is very high for advertising fast foods restaurant and for children who
watch it, Indeed, the $4.2 billion dollars spent in 2009 on advertising by the fast food industry is
working. The researchers said that 40 percent of parents report that their children ask to go to
McDonalds at least once a week and 15 percent of preschoolers ask to go every day. Another
finding concludes that 84 percent of parents take their child to a fast food restaurant at least once
a week while 66 percent reported going to McDonalds in the past week.(SOUTHBEND)
Parents shouldnt let their kids watch too much TV and let them get their way in going to
McDonalds or any other restaurants.

In the final analysis, the government should really do something about this huge issue obesity in
the low-income families if its not stopped soon it will keep getting bigger and bigger until it will
be too late to stop it. And this problem wont only be affecting low-income families sooner or
later it will start affecting other classes to. First the government has to find ways to teach the
public to be healthier. Second has to fix school lunches to healthier choices not all pizza, burgers,
or snacks at all. And has to make other restaurants that families could go for a cheap meal but
that is also healthy. Or tell fast food restaurants to have healthier choices. But communities have
to come together and unite to fix this problem.



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Works Cited
"Beautiful but Deadly: Latinos' Curves Put Them at Risk." Cable News Network, 17 Oct. 2013.
Web.
"A CULTURE OF GIVING." ViCares. 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
"Interview with Kyla Ehrenreich, PA-C, MPH, Physician Assistant." Telephone interview. 20
Oct. 2013.
"Obesity and the Black American: Causes, Culture, Consequences, and Cost." Web.
"Progress on Childhood Obesity." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Samakow, Jessica. "'Severe Obesity' In Children And Teens On The Rise In The U.S." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
"Study Shows Fast Food Companies Aggressively Market to Kids, Minorities." 10 Nov. 2010.
Web.
Tartamella, Lisa, Elaine Herscher, and Chris Woolston. Generation Extra Large: Rescuing Our
Children from the Epidemic of Obesity. New York: Basic, 2006. Print.
"Teen and Childhood Obesity." Teen and Childhood Obesity. ObesityHelp, Inc., 13 Nov. 2013.
Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
"Two ASAS-LA Schools Recognized for Programs Helping to Combat Obesity." Two ASAS-
LA Schools Recognized for Programs Helping to Combat Obesity. After-School All-Stars, 13
Nov. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
Warren, Jacob C., and Bryant K. Smalley. Always the Fat Kid The Truth About The Enduring
Effects of Childhood Obesity. New York: PALGRAVE MACMILLAN, 2013. Print.
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"Why Low-Income and Food Insecure People Are Vulnerable to Overweight and Obesity Food
Research & Action Center." Food Research Action Center Why LowIncome and Food Insecure
People Are Vulnerable to Overweight and Obesity Comments. Food Research and Action
Center. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.