Question

n this scenario imagine that you have been chosen as a member of a citizen panel to come up with solutions to the childhood obesity epidemic. The idea of a citizen panel is that you do not have the narrow perspective of an expert but can look more broadly at how people actually live.

Your panel has significant powers and a sizable budget at its disposal. You can tax things, you can ban things, and you have money to initiate new programs. You can actually do things. Don’t be afraid to THINK BIG, or to “think outside the box.” The question is what do you think will actually make a difference.

Below brainstorm a list three things you think would work writing a sentence or two for each.

Then choose one of the three that you think would have the biggest impact.

1. Explain in detail how you think the idea should be implemented practically to be successful. Remember the saying “the devil is in the details.” A good idea implemented ineffectively will be a failure. (one paragraph)
2. Explain why you think this would be would have the biggest impact if only one idea could be chosen. (one paragraph)

Through discussion with others in the class come up with two ideas, including the specifics of implementation, that you can all agree would have major impact and present them.

Answer 1

Childhood obesity is a very common problems that is prevalent in U.S. The main factors are children engaging in a very unhealthy high calorie diet like burgers , coke , chocolates and leading a sedentary life usually spending their time watching T.V. or playing video games instead of enagaging in rigorous physical play .

To fight with this obesity epidemic , there are some ideas mentioned below that could be feasible:

1) Taxing high unhealthy and junk foods and reducing the price taxes or removing taxes of healthy food items: Taxing unhealthy junk foods will automatically lead to the hike in the prices and will deter the parents as well as children feom buying such high priced items and will motivate them to choose low price alternatives that is healthy food .This idea will work best for population belonging to the low income strata.

2)Banning media advertisements of fast unhealthy food : Food companises advertise the unhealthy junk food as a delish without mentioning its hazardous consequences on health .Such luring advertisments make the child crave for the junk unhealthy food and pressurise the parents to buy it .

3)Introduction of the school health programs: Since a child spend most of the time in schools , it is school's responsibilty to adhere a child to a healthy diet and physical exercise to maintain a healthy weight .

In my opinion , the last idea of the devising of a School health program and strict implementation of it is practical and would reap the required benefits .A school health programme that makes it mandatory for all schools to incorporate "Health Classes " in their curriculum where the children are taught the benefits of a healthy diet and physical exercise and the ill effects of fast food. Also the school canteens should strictly provide children with a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables , beans etc and should not sell or limit the selling of unhealthy food to only once in a week

The school should also add a 45 minutes to 1 hour period for physical exercise daily or atleast 4 times in a week .

The school in the parent taecaher meeting also encourage the parents to take the responsibility of the health of their child and monitor the child's diet to keep him healthy and fit .

The last idea is feasible because it involves taking responsibilty for the health and incorporates the health education into account that make children as well as parents to make a healthy choice .

Taxation of junk foods or reduction of taxes or banning of junk food advertisement of food will ve only slight effects as in the end i it all boils down to the choice the individual makes  . The individual still choses a high priced junk food over a low priced healthy item. But health education educate the child to make the right choice and engineer the environment in a way that the child had no choice but to choose healthy food is probably the best effective way to fight child obesity.