Obesity In North Carolina Essay

1. Introduction

In this next paper, the plan is to talk about the obesity and overweight rates of youth and teens in the state of North Carolina. What will mainly be studied is where in North Carolina obesity in youth is most prevalent. Also included will be some personal facts about the obesity locally around Greenville, NC. I decided to research this topic because in the Athletic Training field an extremely important part of our focus is helping others maintain a healthy body weight. We feel if one of our clients is overweight or not at their ideal size, then we are failing them. There should be more commitment to resolve the problem of youth obesity within communities by Athletic Trainers and other medical personnel.

2. Background

Obesity has been on the rise for the past couple of years. This is important because Stanford Health Care says, “obesity has been known to cause problems; such as, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, Psychosocial effects, Metabolic syndrome, Osteoarthritis, Heart Disease, and sometimes even Cancer” (Stanford Health Care 2016). Although people know about obesity’s effects, many people feel like they can still be healthy while they are overweight. The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement, developed by Linda Bacon (2010), backed that argument by saying, “good health and physical fitness can be achieved regardless of body size” (Lumpton 2012). I disagree with that movement and believe that our youth should know good health is determined by a persons BMI (Body Mass Index) and not by if they feel healthy.

3.

Thesis and Questions

There are many primary causes of obesity in youth, but I argue the lack of physical activity and the abundance of unhealthy foods around our youth has caused obesity to grow locally. How can we, as Athletic Trainers, promote healthier eating to youth around North Carolina? In what ways can we get more youth to participate in physical activities on a regular