Question

As sociologists, we can ask: what institutions influence childhood obesity? How would they need to shift in order to deliver high-quality nutrition to children? Do children experience other ill-effects, on a societal level, from obesity? Do you think that high-profile initiatives like First Lady Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, in limiting sodas and junk food in schools, are useful in influencing structural changes that affect children?

Answer 1

1. What institutions influence childhood obesity..?

Many factors contribute to childhood obesity, including:

• Genetics.

• Metabolism—how your body changes food and oxygen into energy it can use.
• Eating and physical activity behaviors.
• Community and neighborhood design and safety.
• Short sleep duration.
• Negative childhood events.

Genetic factors cannot be changed. However, people and places can play a role in helping children achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Changes in the environments where young people spend their time—like homes, schools, and community settings—can make it easier for youths to access nutritious foods and be physically active. Schools can adopt policies and practices that help young people eat more fruits and vegetables, eat fewer foods and beverages that are high in added sugars or solid fats, and increase daily minutes of physical activity. These kinds of school-based and after-school programs and policies can be cost-effective and even cost-saving.

2. How would they need to shift in order to deliver high-quality nutrition to children?

Our nutritional needs change with different life stages. To be fit and healthy, it is important to take into account the extra demands placed on your body by these changes.

To meet your body’s regular nutritional needs, you should consume:

• a wide variety of nutritious foods
• water on a daily basis
• enough kilojoules for energy, with carbohydrates as the preferred source
• essential fatty acids from foods such as oily fish, nuts, avocado
• adequate protein for cell maintenance and repair
• fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
• essential minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc
• foods containing plant-derived phytochemicals, which may protect against heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, arthritis and osteoporosis.
• A varied diet that concentrates on fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, dairy foods and lean meats can meet these basic requirements

3. Do children experience other ill-effects, on a societal level, from obesity..?

Children who are obese are at increased risk for emotional problems that last well into adulthood, according to several studies and experts on the subject. Obesity and the mental disorders they contribute to should be considered as serious as other medical illnesses, they say.

4. Do you think that high-profile initiatives like First Lady Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, in limiting sodas and junk food in schools, are useful in influencing structural changes that affect children.?

The Let's Move! campaign focuses on eliminating childhood obesity in the U.S. through four strong objectives:
(1) Empowering parents and caregivers to create a healthy
start for children;
(2) Providing healthy food in schools;
(3) Improving access to healthy,
affordable foods; and
(4) Increasing physical activity.
These objectives are supported through different communication strategies achieved through various tactics. The primary message is that
everyone is responsible eliminating childhood obesity targets parents and caregivers, elected officials from all levels of government, schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community based organizations and private sector companies. In the theoretical implications section, we identified the agenda setting theory and systems theory as a component in the campaign. The celebrity status of Mrs. Obama and the partnerships with other celebrities contributes to the ongoing media coverage of the campaign. Organizational open systems theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding how communication and the structure of the Let's Move! campaign functions.
Through thorough examination of the Let’s Move! campaign, it is hard to criticize the campaign in its entirety. The campaign proposal was difficult to understand because of the various programs and organizational structure. Instead of focusing on making a large difference in one or two areas of interest, the campaign attempts to tackle diverse issues in a short span of time. Perhaps the campaign would be more successful if the goal of completely eliminating childhood obesity was narrowed down to decreasing it by a certain percentage. Additionally, the multiple programs implemented (Chefs Move to Schools, Let’s Move Outside, Safe Routes to School, Let’s Move Cities and Towns, Let’s Move Faith and Communities, etc.) make it hard to overview the success of the campaign in its entirety.