Big Kids = Big Costs

According to the Surgeon General’s website, in 1999 14% of children ages twelve to nineteen were overweight or obese. While one might consider obesity to be a personal issue, not a government issue, in 2001 the economic cost of obesity in Texas, according to the Department of State Health Services website, was estimated around $10.5 billion and it is estimated that the cost will rise to $15.6 billion by 2010! Not to mention, these children are at a high risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer which are all costly problems that could be prevented.

I believe that the public educational system is contributing to this rise in childhood obesity. For most children the cause of obesity is a lack of exercises and eating too much unhealthy food. In many elementary schools across the United States, recess, a time for students to run around and play, is being cut in favor of more academic time for students.

There are elementary schools in Atlanta that are being built without playgrounds. Recess is a primary time for children to go outside and be active, and schools are eliminating it. Furthermore, public schools sport many non-nutritious lunch menus, with food like pizza, chili, and nachos. This is an unhealthy diet for these children, and, coupled with their loss of recess, it's no wonder that so many of these children are becoming overweight.

The United States needs to take a stand against this problem of overweight and obese children by making sure that schools offer healthy lunches and have enough time at school to exercise. These simple preventative measures could save many people from major illnesses and save the economy from these preventable illness costs.