Child Obesity (Due to the Pandemic)

Class 5A310

Teacher: Katty Gonzales email: KGonzal2@schools.nyc.gov

INTRODUCTION

Child obesity in the United States is a serious public health issue that puts children and adolescents at risk. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this problem worse. In 2017-2018, before the pandemic, obesity affected 19.3% of children ages 2 to 19 years (about 14.4 million). There were racial and ethnic differences in the findings as well, 25.6% among Hispanic children, 24.2% among black children, 16.1% among White children, and 8.7 % among Asian children. Children with obesity are more likely to have type 2 diabetes, contributing factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, muscle and joint problems and fatty liver disease.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with the biggest jumps occurring in younger school-aged children and those who were already prone to obesity, the percentage of obese children and teens increased to 22% compared to 19% before the pandemic.

Many children with obesity problems in schools feel ashamed, teased, and perhaps alone at times. Some kids do not know how to handle their feelings/confusions, and many times they do not know who and how to ask for help.

This video outlines clearly how children are being impacted by obesity. We need to be informed about this issue and as a community, we need to look for a possible solution.

Here, at P.S. 152Q, you are going to develop a plan of action to help our classmates stay healthy.

TASK

You have been hired by the New York Health Department to conduct research about obesity in children due to COVID-19, and to create a plan of action to help our fellow classmates develop healthy eating habits and a healthy way of living.

At the end of the research, you should be able to present a well-developed essay with your findings and suggestions on how to improve our eating habits, and how to keep healthy.

PROCESS/PROCEDURE
Here are the steps you will use when conducting your research.

PPA: 6 Steps

Step 1: Defining the social problems

Step 2: Gathering Evidence of the problem

Step 3: Identifying the causes of the problem

Step 4: Evaluating the existing school policies

Step 5: Developing public policy solutions

Step 6: Selecting the best public policy solution

Instructions:

● You will work with a partner. Make sure that each member has a clear job, and clear notes. Deviate the workload accordingly and when possible evenly.

● Corroborate that the information gathered is accurate.

● Develop a draft. Make sure to have a clear introduction, body (2 paragraphs) and conclusion,

● Do not forget to cite your sources and/or paraphrase when necessary.

● Use only the resources provided, do not venture out to do additional research.

● Make sure to check punctuation and grammar!

Resources:

Childhood Obesity Facts

BMI for Children and Teens

Causes of Obesity

Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents

EVALUATION

Use the following rubric to make sure that every component is present in your essay/final task.

CONCLUSION

The students embraced this topic from the start. They were very fascinated at first, however many of them were finding relationships/similarities that made them wonder about their own health. When working in partnerships, I noticed that the students were actively participating, they were reading the various articles presented, they were taking notes, and they were having deep conversations about the topic presented. The final product is still in the process (due to the Math State exam). Based on the conversations, note taking and information gathered, I can attest that this activity was a very successful one.

STANDARDS

ELA: Reading Informational Text