Should Schools Carry Weight of Obesity Prevention Education?
The American Medical Association is recommending that schoolchildren be taught about the dangers of obesity, and supported using revenue from proposed taxes on sugary sodas to help schools pay for the educational programs.
The call for obesity prevention education in grades 1-12 came at
the AMA’s annual policy meeting held last week in Chicago. The
association’s membership is hardly alone in its concern. First
lady Michelle Obama has made tackling childhood obesity one of
her policy priorities, and there are massive campaigns underway
at the local, state and federal levels to address the underlying
issues. Indeed, the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reports the crisis is now a full-blown epidemic. The
childhood obesity rate nationally is 33 percent, triple the rate
of 30 years ago.
An obvious question that springs to mind when such initiatives
are proposed is how will schools find the time in an already
crowded day for yet another instructional priority? It’s worth
noting that the AMA’s recommendations included urging its own
members to volunteer to help schools implement obesity education
programs. But given the controversy surrounding proposed taxes on
junk food, funding for such initiatives could still be
scarce.
There are also critics who say such programs cross the line into
meddling in what should be a family matter. Some efforts by
school districts have been more successful, such as setting up
extracurricular activity programs that involve the entire family.
Others, such as sending home report cards informing parents that
their child’s body-mass index qualifies them as obese, have been
viewed less favorably. A 2009 research review by researchers at
Boston’s Children’s Hospital found BMI report cards used by
schools in the United States and in Europe had not improved
parental awareness, or reduced the percentages of overweight and
obese children. In some cases, the report cards might have made
things worse if they spurred children to diet – something that’s
discouraged at a young age because of the potential risk factors
and the possible connections to adolescent eating disorders.
But as educators know – and the research supports –students can’t
learn well when they’re not healthy. Recent research suggests
that students who are obese score lower on standardized tests,
and they are also less likely to go to college than their healthy
weight peers. The reasons behind this relationship between
academic performance and obesity aren’t clear-cut. Some studies
suggest that a student’s self-esteem is a significant factor in
academic performance, and being overweight can influence
that.
Students also can’t learn when they’re not in school. A 2007
study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and
Temple University found that the rate of absenteeism was 20
percent higher among children who were overweight. According to
the study’s overview, obesity was as significant a factor in
determining absenteeism from school as the age, gender, race, and
socioeconomic status, which are the four main predictors.
And the problems don’t end when the students graduate. Economists
say obesity-related expenses
cost states billions of dollars annually in increased
subsidized health-care costs and lost productivity.
As for the AMA’s recommendation, it would be difficult to argue
that public school teachers couldn’t play a role in educating
students about the heavy burden of obesity. But given the
short-term harm to individual children, as well as the long-term
risks for the broader community, it’s not a burden that schools
can shoulder alone.
Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Contact Emily Richmond. Follow her on Twitter @EWAEmily.
Comments
Post new comment