The Nuances of Confronting Childhood Obesity
Posted October 22, 2012
We frequently read reports expressing concern about childhood obesity and the related impacts on our society and economy. Obesity in children leads to chronic obesity in adults and the impact is widely felt. The challenges for each individual who struggles with this health concern are sufficient alone for us to respond. But the costs associated with increasing healthcare demands linked to obesity, coupled with the loss of productivity, make this an urgent national concern.
A few years ago I was part of a small group of faculty and administrators at Northeastern University in Boston working on the development of a city-wide partnership to confront childhood obesity called: Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures. During that time I became acquainted with one of our faculty colleagues, Jessica Blom-Hoffman, who was doing research, evaluation and intervention planning for nutrition in public schools.
We had a dinner meeting one evening (yes, it was a healthy menu) and I had occasion to engage in a conversation with Jessica I will never forget. I asked her the simple and obvious question, “What are the challenges associated with reversing trends in childhood obesity?” Her answers stunned me.
First, she noted the fundamental problem in urban areas is the supply chain. Jessica shared there are very few grocery stores with fresh produce and healthy options in urban centers. Further she described the prices charged for the fresh fruits and vegetables in these settings are high enough to serve as a deterrent for many lower income families. It’s simply more affordable to buy junk food. I did not expect to hear a professor in the health sciences field talk extensively about a business problem, but she was looking at base factors contributing to childhood obesity wherever that would lead her. Facing childhood obesity is clearly an interdisciplinary challenge. We will need to draw on the expertise of many from different academic and professional fields.
Second, Jessica noted the way healthy foods are placed on a cafeteria tray makes a huge difference in the amount kids will consume. The best example she gave was an orange. Those planning menus are working hard to get kids to eat oranges. So the kitchen provides a stack of oranges, and the cafeteria staff pops an orange onto the tray. Apart from the obvious problems of an orange being a suitable projectile for mischief, the majority of the oranges simply end up in the garbage. Why? The students either cannot or will not peel an orange. By contrast, if you cut an orange into slices and place those on the tray, the kids will consume far more and throw far less. The more slices, the better.
Third, the research on childhood obesity shows the point of intervention matters a lot. The opportunity is really before the students enter kindergarten, during the preschool years. Children’s earliest ideas about food are formed in this stage of development and driving the value of physical activity, combined with making healthy food choices, must begin at a very early age. Success at the preschool level is promising if parents are eager participants. The older the children get, however, the tougher this becomes.
I learned a lot from Jessica and admired the fact that she was engaging in her research by also playing an active role in the process. She had her hands in the work, literally. It’s easy for us to sit in conference rooms and think we understand the nuances of a problem. It’s an entirely different matter to be involved and learn through the power of direct observation and experience.
In an interview in 2010, Jessica offered the following observation that sums up the challenges we are facing:
“Children eat many meals and snacks in schools, so having healthful, good tasting food that they want to eat is important for physical health and optimal learning Likewise, making healthy, good-tasting foods the easy option because they’re affordable and accessible will make it easier for families to eat better. This is difficult because healthy foods tend to be more expensive, time-consuming to prepare and not readily available in many communities, so the food industry needs to play a role.
“However, healthy eating is only part of the equation. Focusing attention on promoting physical education and recess for all kids in school is also very important. And when kids watch television, they are bombarded with advertisements for junk food. Clearly, a serious comprehensive approach to obesity prevention needs to include efforts to curb children’s exposure to these types of ads.”
Childhood obesity is a complicated problem that will take all of us to tackle. It will only happen through partnerships that value the health of our children more than our convenience and profit-margins.
This piece was originally written for The Des Moines Register’s A Better Iowa, where President Mark Putnam served as a featured columnist.
About the Author
I'm the lucky individual who carries the title, 21st president of Central College in Pella, Iowa. Passionate about higher education and the issues facing it and the world today, I hope to invoke an engaging conversation with all who are ready to dig in, make a difference and build for the future. Share your thoughts. I'm listening and interested.