Schmidt 1

Cassidy Schmidt
Mr. Rogers
Government 3
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Mock Congress Research Paper: Adolescent Obesity
There is a horrible epidemic taking over our nation right before our eyes, yet somehow
has gone unnoticed by many. Obesity is the disease sweeping over our nations children, being
the most widespread nutritional disease in the United States (Dietz), and affecting one in six
adolescents (Obesity Rates & Trends Overview). Approximately 300,000 deaths a year are
associated with obesity (Gale 22). In October of 2014, it was found that the United States had the
highest rate of childhood obesity in the world (By Socioeconomic Status by Region). Obesity in
adolescents is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having a BMI at or
above the 95th percentile (Obesity Prevention Source). BMI is a common way to measure the
amount of fat one has by measuring ones height and weight and calculating them using the
equation kg/m (Obesity Prevention Source). Obesity is a fairly new problem among adolescents,
with the rates of obese children in the United States more than tripling in the last thirty years
(Learn The Facts). Although obesity is a very prevalent problem, there is a way to reduce the
numbers of obese children in the United States. By passing The Youth Health Act of 2016, which
would mandate school meals and require yearly physical education in all public schools k-12 in
the United States, obesity rates would decline because children and adolescents would have
healthier daily lives. Some say that obesity in the United States is not a problem that cannot be
fixed because it is something that is inherited and that eating healthier is too expensive.
Adolescent obesity is a major problem in the United States because many adolescents are
inactive, school-age children do not eat healthy foods, and those who are obese cost more to take
care of compared to those of an average weight.

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The first factor that leads to adolescent obesity in the United States is inactivity. In a
study done in 2009, it was found that over 20% of the students in public high schools did not
complete the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day (Raj and Kumar). This means
that about one in five adolescents are not exercising and burning off the calories that they eat,
which leads to the production of fat, which would lead to adolescents becoming overweight or
obese. Another part of this problem is that children are most susceptible to becoming obese one
they hit puberty (Jasik and Lustig). Most adolescents hit puberty in the first year of high school,
which makes them even more susceptible to become obese due to the combination of gaining
weight while going through puberty and not doing the recommended amount of physical activity.
This combination of problems has made it easy for many teens to be gain weight and make it
even more difficult to lose weight. The main problem is that physical education is not a required
course for students in many states, with most high schools requiring only two courses of physical
education to graduate (Physical Education). Due to this common policy, it makes it that student
only preform the minimum amount of physical education needed for only two years of high
school. With that in mind, it is easy to see how many adolescent students dont do the required
amount of exercise a day if it is only required for two years. This means that adolescents in high
school will most likely be inactive for two years and not meet the daily standard, which can lead
to weight gain and health issues. By requiring yearly physical education in all public schools k12, the number of inactive students will decline, bringing adolescent obesity rates down as well.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human services recommended that adolescents ages 6-17
years old participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, which have been found to
aid in the building and maintaining of healthy bones and muscles, control weight, and improve
blood pressure (Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans). This proves that physical education

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in schools would help adolescents to maintain healthier weights and help battle and prevent
obesity. In a study conducted in March of 2009, it was found that when physical activity was
added to the school curriculum, it was found to benefit physical, emotional, and social benefits
(Story et al). Although requiring physical education in schools is only one way to prevent obesity
in adolescents, there are many more ways.
Another large factor in obesity in adolescents is what they eat. In a study conducted in
2009, it was found that schools that were within a half-mile radius of fast food restaurants
consumed fewer servings of fruits and vegetables, consumed more servings of soda, and were
more likely to be overweight or obese than were youths whose schools were not near fast food
restaurants (Davis and Carpenter). This is shows that students and children who ate poorly were
more likely to be obese, and that living near fast food can bring down ones health. People who
live near fast food restaurants are more likely to be obese because fast food is cheap and easily
accessible. Not only are fast food restaurants a factor in how adolescents eat, but so are the meals
served in public schools. There are many reasons why children may rely on school meals, such
as the easy access and the affordability of these meals. Although convenient, these meals are
often unhealthy and can lead to obesity in children and school age children. In a study conducted
in 2004, it was found that when schools traded their cheap, processed meals to healthier
alternatives, students grades went up and absences related to illness and health went down by
14% (Belot and James). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students who
attend school for 6 house a day consume as much as half of their daily calories at school
(School Nutrition Environment). This further shows how meals in schools are unhealthy, because
in the small fraction of a students day that is spent at school, they consume more calories than
necessary in the short amount of time. In a study conducted in February of 2009, it was found

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that the consumption of school meals is related to the intake of key food groups, and offering
more fresh fruit, whole grains, and a greater variety of vegetables could lead to additional health
benefits (Condon et al). Obesity in adolescents could lead to many serious problems in both
ones health and life.
Another problem that comes with obesity it its cost. Due to the many health issues that
are linked to obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis, the United States spends
billions of dollars each year on both direct and indirect costs. In 2005, the United States spent
$190 billion in 2005- double the previous estimates (Economic Costs). Some of these indirect
costs, or resources forgone as a result of a health condition (Economic Costs). Some of these
costs can come from missed work and school, as obese people have more absences than those of
a healthy weight; from insurance, as people who are obese pay more for life insurance than those
who are not; and from wages, as some studies have shown that obese people have been seen to
have lower wages (Finkelstein et al). According to a combination of 33 studies, the average cost
per obese person was $1,723, while the average cost of somebody who was overweight was only
$266, $1,457 less than somebody with an obese weight, and it was also estimated that the direct
medical cost of overweight and obesity combined is approximately 5.0% to 10% of U.S. health
care spending (Tsai et al). In addition to the medical costs that comes with being obese, children
who are found to be obese are more likely to have a low self-esteem, negative perceptions about
their body, and be depressed, which can lead to additional costs for things such as psychiatrists
and therapy (Obesity Rates and Trends). This relates to the fact that obese adolescents have
increased chances of having worse general health and psychological functioning (Halfon et al).
With all the costs that come with obesity, being obese is something that expends large amounts

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of money and can creates a negative financial impact on both people who are obese and the
United States itself.
Although obesity is often thought to be something some people may do to themselves,
some may argue that eating healthier and exercising more wont help because obesity is often an
inherited trait, and healthy food costs too much. A child has a higher chance of being obese if
their parents are obese. If one parent is obese, there is a 50% chance that their child will be
obese, and if both parents are obese, the probability of a child being obese is raised to 80%
(Obesity in Children and Teens). This shows that obese is often inherited, but that is not one of
the main causes of obesity. A study conducted by Harvard University stated that more than 400
different genes have been implicated in the development of overweight or obesity, although only
a handful appear to be major players (Why People Become Overweight- Harvard Health). This
is proof that genetics can pass down obesity, but again, it is not one of the main causes of obesity.
Harvard also states that the main reason people become obese is because they consume more
calories than they burn, leading to becoming overweight, and after, obese (Why People Become
Overweight- Harvard Health). Others may argue that obesity isnt something worth solving, due
to the cost that it would take to aid in the help of lowering obese peoples weight. Healthier food
alternatives are more expensive, as eating a healthy diet can cost about $1.50 more a day
compared to an unhealthy diet, which adds up to about $2,000 dollars a year (Eating Healthy vs.
Unhealthy). Although this cost does add up, it would almost balance the $1,723 average medical
cost for obese people, which would make eating healthy cost only $277. This proves that
switching to a healthy diet is actually inexpensive, while lowering obesity rates. Although many
people believe that obesity is a problem that is unable to be to be solved, the epidemic of obesity
can be solved with a just a few simple changes.

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While some may think that obesity is an inherited trait and that eating healthy is too
expensive, it is necessary to mandating meals served in public schools and require yearly
physical education because many children are inactive, most adolescents do not eat healthily, and
those who are of an obese weight cost more to take care of. If obesity is not treated now, it is
estimated that by 2030, about 51% of the population of the United States will be obese
(Finkelstein et al). In order to prevent future obesity, the people of the United States as a whole
need to eat healthier and exercise daily so that they can maintain a healthy weight and lower the
current obesity rate.

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Works Cited
Belot, Michele, and Jonathan James. Healthy School Meals and Educational Outcomes.
Healthy School Meals and Educational Outcomes, Elsevier, Mar. 2011,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0167629611000270.
"World Obesity Federation | Overweight / Obesity by Age Category." World Obesity Federation
| Overweight / Obesity by Age Category. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
http://www.worldobesity.org/resources/overweight-obesity-age-category/
"Child Obesity." Obesity Prevention Source. N.p., 08 Apr. 2016. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends/global-obesitytrends-in-children/
Condon, Elizabeth M. et al. School Meals: Types of Foods Offered to and Consumed by
Children at Lunch and Breakfast. Science Direct, Journal of the American Dietetic
Association, Feb. 2009,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0002822308020555.
Davis, Brennan, and Christopher Carpenter. Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and
Adolescent Obesity. American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health
Association, Mar. 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2661452/.
Dietz, William H. "Health Consequences of Obesity in Youth: Childhood Predictors of Adult
Disease." Table of Contents. N.p., Mar. 1998. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
Eating Healthy vs. Unhealthy Diet Costs about $1.50 More per Day. News, Harvard
University, 13 Jan. 2014, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vsunhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/.

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Economic Costs. Obesity Prevention Source, Harvard University, 8 Apr. 2016,
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesityconsequences/economic/#references.
Finkelstein, Eric A. et al. The Lifetime Medical Cost Burden of Overweight and Obesity:
Implications for Obesity Prevention. Wiley Online Library, Wiley Online Library, Aug.
2008, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2008.290/full.
Finkelstein, Eric A. et al. Obesity and Severe Obesity Forecasts Through 2030. Obesity and
Severe Obesity Forecasts Through 2030, Elsevier, June 2012,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0749379712001468?np=y.
Gale, Thomson. Obesity: Opposing Viewpoints. N.p.: Greenhaven, n.d. Print. Opposing
Viewpoints Ser.
Halfon, Neal et al. Associations Between Obesity and Comorbid Mental Health,
Developmental, and Physical Health Conditions in a Nationally Representative Sample of
US Children Aged 10 to 17. Academic Pediatrics, Oct. 2012,
http://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/s1876-2859(12)00284-7/abstract.
Jasik, Carolyn Bradner, and Robert H. Lustig. "Adolescent obesity and puberty: the perfect
storm." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1135.1 (2008): 265-279.
"Learn the Facts." Learn The Facts. Lets Move, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2016.
http://www.letsmove.gov/learn-facts/epidemic-childhood-obesity
Obesity in Children and Teens. American Academy of Child &Amp; Adolescent Psychiatry,
Apr. 2016, http://www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth/facts_for_families/fffguide/obesity-in-children-and-teens-079.aspx.

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Obesity Rates & Trends Overview. The State of Obesity, http://stateofobesity.org/obesityrates-trends-overview/.
Physical Activity Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 17 June 2015,
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/facts.htm.
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Guidelines Index, ODPHP,
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Publications, Harvard Health. Why People Become Overweight - Harvard Health. Harvard
Health, Harvard University, http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-peoplebecome-overweight.
Raj, Manu and Kumar, R. Krishna. "Also of Interest." NCCP. National Center for Children in
Poverty, Nov. 2010. Web. 06 Sept. 2016.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3028965/
School Nutrition Environment. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 20 July 2016,
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/schoolnutrition.htm.
Story, Mary et al. Schools and Obesity Prevention: Creating School Environments and Policies
to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Wiley Online Library, 11 Mar. 2009,
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00548.x/full.
Tsai, Adam Gilden et al. Direct Medical Cost of Overweight and Obesity in the United States:
A Quantitative Systematic Review. Obesity Reviews: An Official Journal of the
International Association for the Study of Obesity, U.S. National Library of Medicine,
Jan. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2891924/.