According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 340 million school-age children and teenagers, specifically those between the ages of 5 and 19, were overweight or obese in 2020. One way to determine whether a student is obese is to calculate their body mass index (BMI). In the Philippines, one of the duties of the classroom adviser is to monitor and keep track of the Learner's Basic Health and Nutrition Report, also known as the automated School Form 8 (SF8), which provides a precise count of the number of students who fall into the categories of severely wasted, wasted, normal, overweight, and obese.
Studies have shown that frequent inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits, especially the consumption of junk food, are the main causes of obesity among students. Students are more exposed and more prone to indulge in fast food because of the industry's rapid expansion across the nation. The study of Robert W. Jefferey et.al. stated that, "eating at "fast food" restaurants was positively associated with having children, a high fat diet, and Body Mass Index (BMI)."
Students who are obese often times have trouble breathing while working on simple tasks at school. They also tire easily and are more likely to nod off during lectures. In a research journal about obesity, it was discussed by Kirsi H. Pietilainen et.al., that physical inactivity in adolescence strongly and independently predicts total abdominal obesity in young adulthood, favoring the development of a self-perpetuating vicious circle of obesity and physical inactivity.
It was also mentioned in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that obesity is associated with different non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as increased risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), hypertension, cardio-vascular disease, gallbladder disease and cholecystectomy, and colon and postmenopausal breast cancer.
In addition to health problems, stigmatizing obese students is another unfavorable effect of obesity. Students who are obese are frequently referred to some derogatory and backhanded terms linked with being overweight. Students who experienced stigma because of their weight usually experienced bullying and a sense of estrangement.
Obesity is preventable. A healthy-fiber-rich diet that includes foods like beans, grains, corn, wheat bread or pasta, broccoli, pineapple, mango, and other similar foods, together with regular participation in a variety of physical activities as part of daily routine, will also assist eradicate those unwanted fats and extra pounds.
It is advisable to motivate these students to participate in healthy physical activity by getting them interested in sports teams and other organizations that support physical exercise for preventing childhood obesity rather than discriminating against them. Supporting these students emotionally and morally is also crucial. So it's highly advised to have moral and emotional support from the parents, peers, and teachers.
The problem of obesity among students is real and prevalent, but it may be avoided with the right direction from the responsible and caring party or individual, self-control, and self-discipline.
Follow up Questions:
1. What are the various issues related to obesity that are brought up in the article?
2. What other strategies can you suggest to combat student obesity?
References:
1. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2007.72
2. https://doi.org/10.1093/1jcn/55.2.503s
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