English B1A CLASS PACK - Bakersfield College

Apart 10their earliest months and years” (“American’s Move”). As a result, community-based programsare being federally funded to provide education to parents regarding healthy eating and the needfor physical activity. Although the government, schools and health care providers haveimplemented obesity prevention strategies, they will not be successful without parentalinvolvement.If this generation of children is going to grow into healthy adults, promoting healthyeating and physical activity it has to start at home. Children are dependent on their parents forsupport, guidance, and direction; therefore, parents must be good role models. They shouldpromote healthy eating from infancy on so children develop good eating habits. In the article,“Overweight Children…the Greatest Threat to World Health” Dr. Fuhrman states, “If you aregoing to let your kids eat badly, you might as well let them smoke cigarettes, drink whiskey, andsnort cocaine, too” due to the health consequences (Fuhrman). It’s also a parent’s responsibilityto insure children obtain an adequate amount of physical exercise, monitoring the amount of timechildren spend watching television, sitting in front of the computer, and playing video games.Defeating the Childhood Obesity Epidemic states that “studies show that four- to seven-year-oldswhose parents are physically active are nearly six times as likely to be active themselves”(Ashworth 126). According to research in order to develop a lifelong habit of exercise, “it mustbe established during childhood and adolescence” (Ashworth 126). In addition, parents have thepower to control the foods they buy; in turn they can control the foods their children eat at home.Parents must be involved and play an active role in the health and nutrition of their children;otherwise, childhood obesity will continue to plague this country and its children.30