Epidemic of Obesity and Type Ll Diabetes

Tony Ordaz

Epidemic of obesity and Type ll diabetes

In the past decade the United States has had an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes has increased by a 33% of what it used to be a 10 years ago. While about 66% of Americans today are classified as obese or overweight. A great amount of this number are kids or youths who are still in any type of k12 schooling. The more obese you are the more the probability you have to get type 2 diabetes. People who are classified as obese or overweight are usually the ones who don’t exercise or don’t follow a diet. The government should try and change the life style of this people who are becoming obese and then follow to get diabetes as the people who have this problem can suffer serious problems or even face death. Which is why they should have school lunch programs eradicate all sugar or processed foods from their menus as this will make kids a lot healthier and would not have less people get type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body's important source of fuel. As Glucose levels rise over time, the blood vessels stiffen and become prone to injury (The State of Obesity). It most often affects overweight and older adults. However with the rise in childhood obesity, it is now being diagnosed in children and teens as well. Since school lunches have become so unhealthy to children they have can also develop type 2 diabetes which is worse for them because at a really young age because they can be in serious risk of developing Kidney Disease, Becoming Blind, Having a heart attack or a stroke. Most of this are deadly diseases that young kids have if they develop type 2 diabetes.

Reducing sugars, and processed foods from school menus would be a great benefit for children’s health and for whether they become obese or not in a future. In 2006 a research was made by the USDA or US Department of Agriculture in which researchers studied 4,870 eighth-graders in 40 states during the 2006-2007 school year, and found that those attending schools that did not exceed nutritional standards were twice as likely to be obese as those in schools where these standards were surpassed. (Health line). Marion Nestle, PhD, of New York University in New York agreed to this research and said "In short, the study found an association between more stringent school meal standards and more favorable weight status, especially among low-income students.” Taking out some or most of the sugars and processed foods would help low-income status students the most as they are the ones who receive and consume most of the school regulated lunches.

Although some can disagree and say that is too expensive to bring in fresh fruits and vegetables for everyday consumption which would meet all the standards. Amherst public schools served menus of whole grains, seeds, and collard greens since 2010 and they stayed within school allotted by the federal government. Also their number of people who were gaining weight or are considered obese has dropped. So if they can do it any school program can. Millions or even billions of dollars are wasted on different things that don’t even beneficiate most of the people if this will help kids now and kids in the future why not give them the opportunity to become healthier in their future and become risk free of Diabetes.

Obesity has become a big problem in the US that First Lady Michelle Obama has made a campaign called “Let’s Move” which is a campaign with the (USDA) and its local partners which have set a goal this year to double the number of schools that meet the Healthier US School Challenge, which sets voluntary high standards for meals, physical activity, and nutrition education. Obese children can come to serious illnesses like type 2 diabetes which is a serious illness for adults and is now affecting children as well. Around 90% of the people with type 2 diabetes are classified as obese which is why this two things can be stopped by just targeting obesity.

There's no cure for type 2 diabetes, but you may be able to manage the condition by eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. (Mayo Clinic). Which is why exercising is key as well. According to Dr. Mark Hyman diabetes does not have a medicine or shot that can cure this but changing bad foods to healthy foods would contribute a lot to the well-being of the person “Because food is medicine and when you take disease producing food out and put the right food in the healing happens quickly.” Now image all the students eating unhealthy foods at school with all the sugars and processed foods and the big change that would be if schools adapted healthier menus.

Obesity