Introduction
Globally, obesity has become a significant problem, especially in children. There exist a relationship between nutrition and obesity. According Hales (2017), 16% of young children between the ages of 6 -19 years are obese. Childhood obesity is a continuous health problem that begins from children to adulthood and results in numerous health issues in the future or at old age. Nutrition is the provision of essential food supplements from food to the body for the maintenance of life. Hence proper diet is necessary for the management of obesity. The trend in childhood obesity in the world has demonstrated an increased BMI (Body Mass Index) for a long time. As per Smith & Collene (2018), overconsumption and poor diet are commonly associated with high chances of obesity development. Nutritional factors are highly associated with childhood obesity; certain foods such as energy-dense foods, SSBs (Sugar-Sweetened Beverages) are highly referred to as risk factors of childhood obesity.
Dietary patterns in children have significantly been associated with childhood obesity. Unhealthy eating patterns in children are highly related to non-communicable diseases in children. Lower intake of milk, fruits and vegetables, reduced number of food intakes, high intakes of snacks, high consumptions of SSBs, and sedentary behaviors in children have highly been associated with obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is a vital community issue that is related to nutritional, behavioral attributes (Ogden, 2017). Adequate intake of milk and dairy products, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals is essential in managing obesity in children. The essay seeks to discuss and examine the importance of meal managers towards the management of obesity in children in schools.
School Foods Environment
According to Lott & Story (2016), the School food environment has a significant impact on children's and adolescents' dietary; this is because they consume a remarkable proportion of around 20% – 50% of their total calorie consumption in school. An increased rate of obesity in children and adolescents has been due to the rise of different food categories that are available throughout the school. According to research conducted by the CDC (Centers for Disease Prevention and Control), it was found that schools do not fully offer a healthy diet to children and adolescents (Nguyen, 2018). The study demonstrated that most of the foods sold in the vending stores and school canteens were sports drinks, fruit drinks, sodas, cookies, cakes, which contained low levels of nutrition. It also demonstrated that unhealthy foods were more consumed in high schools and rural schools than in urban and elementary schools (Welker & Story, 2016).
National School Breakfasts and Lunch Programs
The main aim of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs (NSLP) was to safeguard and protect the health of the children in the United States. Nevertheless, one-third of the U.S. are children who are obese and overweight. The NSLP offers potent policies that are geared to improving the school diets in America (Nguyen, 2018). It is believed that school meals have a significant impact on the children's nutrition, more so them that are of low-income youth who happen to be the recipient of school meals. Obesity is also related to hunger and is prone to children from low-income families, which proves a burden in ensuring that school nutritional programs equate the need to prevent hunger and obesity. It is, therefore, crucial that meals served in the SLP and the School Breakfast Programs must meet the nutrition standards offered to the learners (Zoeller, 2020). NSLP considers finance has a significant barrier in the implementation of its objective towards the provision of nutritious meals in the schools. Currently, most school meals are self-supporting in the U.S.; this means that children are responsible for their meals. In such a case, most meal managers have been subjected to sell low-nutrition foods in school canteens and cafeterias. It is revealed that most schools do not provide daily fresh fruits or raw vegetables. As per Spees (2018), children who take lunch and breakfast in school have a significant likelihood of obesity as opposed to those who carry food from home. This is because most of the foods consumed in the school have levels of calories.
Parental Influence on Childhood Obesity
Parental influence on children feeding is defined under three categories, namely, parenting styles, availability of food, and the home environment. Different parenting styles have a more significant impact on the outcomes of the child's weight (Parrino & Frittitta, 2016). They also have a substantial influence on the child's feeding, which can duly be replicated in school environmental settings; this is because parents have a more significant role in developing the children's eating behaviors and patterns. Parents have an excellent task that revolves around determining the feeding of their children. Their feeding approach reflects their children feeding and eating habits. Social-economic and cultural factors determine parental perceptions of their children's weight. It is believed that children from low-income families are prone to obesity (Nguyen, 2018). In early child development, children are dependent on parents for the provision of food to sustain their growth and development. According to Vinciguerra & Romeo (2016), parents' choice of foods and eating habits has a more significant influence on the feeding habits of their children. Children obesity has also, in many instances, been associated with parent's obesity; this is due to genetics or other environmental factors. It is, therefore, evident that parent has more considerable influence in food selection of the children in a school setting during breakfast and lunch hours.
Management of Childhood Obesity in Schools
As per Smith & Kobayashi (2020), different interventions ranging from government, parents, schools, and other stakeholders have been employed to manage childhood obesity. Childhood obesity varies from different child to another, and hence it requires different treatments and approaches. First, parents determine the feeding behavior of a child beginning from breastfeeding; thus, they must be taught on proper ways of feeding their children. They should strive to provide children with healthy diets; they should also encourage their children to participate in various physical exercises at home (Dabas & Seth, 2018). Schools should be at the forefront of creating awareness and partner with goodwill organizations on childhood obesity. They should also ensure that meals provided in the school are of balanced diets; this will go ahead in integrating classroom educational nutrition programs.
Schools should provide learners with proper physical activities. Meal managers in schools must maintain active school meal programs, and the school must ensure that children have appealing, healthy food choices and beverages, especially foods offered outside the school. The government, on the other hand, should come up with various interventions that are aimed at reducing obesity in children, such as controlling advertisements on unhealthy foods and weight loss (Kobayashi, 2020). The government should also institute multiple programs in schools, hospitals, among others, aimed at reducing the increasing trends of obesity and ensure children Adhere to the treatment given.
Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a health problem that has diverse effects on children's health. It is indeed a complex issue, especially in the modern world. In the U.S., most children do not consume diets that meet the DGA (Dietary Guidelines for Americans), nor do the learners achieve the recommended daily levels of physical activities. This has significantly resulted in high rates of obesity. Obesity has increased in not only the U.S. but also the entire globe. Obesity needs significant interventions and treatments to improve children's health (Nguyen, 2018). The policies of management and treatment must include government approached. The issue, therefore, need to be adequately managed by schools, parents, governments, and other stakeholders. Education, lifestyle and environmental conditions must also be improved
