The Social Environment and Childhood Obesity

I, Marisol Nuñez, reside in South Gate the reason for this letter is that I am very concerned about the prevention of childhood obesity. Residents in our city lack the resources of acquiring healthy nutritious foods for their families, the resources in our city are very limited. The city has a farmer’s market once a week, and the likelihood of working families purchasing healthier foods is very limited. We need more resources for our families can eat highly nutritious foods.

The low-income neighborhood seems to be the target for fast-food chain companies to target children and their families consume this low-quality food, food that leads to obesity, it is more accessible for families in our community to get unhealthy low nutritious food than to acquire high nutritious food. Studies have documented fewer retail food outlets (e.g., full-service supermarkets and smaller markets with fresh produce) and higher concentrations of unhealthy food venues (e.g., fast food restaurants and convenience stores) in low-income communities relative to more affluent communities (14-16). A family in this city has more accessibility to low nutritious foods than to highly nutritious foods. South Gate has a significant number of retailers selling food with low nutritional values distributed throughout the City while healthy food sources are more limited both in number and proximity to residential parcels (South Gate General Plan 2035).

As mayor of the city, you can bring more resources to our community, for families can feed healthy nutritious food, food that has high nutritional values. Obesity is an epidemic and it can prevent if there is early intervention. Children are the future adults and if they start early they can be the change that can change the epidemic of obesity. Being overweight can cause children to develop cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, asthma, acid reflux, and skeletal problems (Daniels, S.R., 2006. Pp 47-67). These illnesses are illnesses acquired by obese adults if we can change prevent childhood obesity this disease can be prevented for children in our community.

Advocating: Prevention of childhood obesity to low-income families in South Gate, for families to have access to affordable healthy food choices, groceries stores, and farmers markets; for families to have healthier food options.

• Although obesity is a pandemic it can be changed with early intervention, children are the future of our city, and if families can have accessibility to nutritious food this epidemic can be changed. City of South Gate adult overweight and obesity rates are significantly higher than in Los Angeles County and the state of California, 68% of South Gate residents are overweight or obese compared to 56% in Los Angeles County and the state(South Gate General Plan 2035).
• Families of South Gate have more accessibility to fast foods than to healthy nutritious food. According to a survey prepared by the LACDPH, children in South Gate eat more fast food and adult eat less fruit and vegetables than residents of Los Angeles(South Gate General Plan 2035).
• South Gate has a significant number of retailers selling food with low nutritional values distributed throughout the City while healthy food sources are more limited both in number and proximity to residential parcels (South Gate General Plan 2035).
• Families living in low-income neighborhoods tend to have limited access to affordable nutritious foods, safe playgrounds or parks, and timely medical care, challenging their ability to lead a healthy and active lifestyle (Woolf, SH., 2011).
• Low-income communities have limited food and the data shows how low-income neighborhoods have more obesity. The prevalence of childhood obesity also varied significantly among cities and communities, from a low 3.4% in Manhattan Beach to a high of 38.7% in Walnut Park, and was found to be strongly correlated with economic hardship(LA County Department of Public Health.2011).
• Studies have documented fewer retail food outlets (e.g., full-service supermarkets and smaller markets with fresh produce) and higher concentrations of unhealthy food venues (e.g., fast food restaurants and convenience stores) in low-income communities relative to more affluent communities ( LA County Department of Public Health.2011).
• If there is no intervention early in life the obesity epidemic is going to keep growing more and more. Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980, with almost one-third of children aged 2 to 18 years now overweight or obese; 36% of black and 38% of Hispanic children affected, and 28% of preschool-aged children and 45% of children in poor families are overweight or obese (Ogden, CL., Carroll, MD., Curtin, LR., Lamb, MM., Flegal, KM., 2010).
• High school students, 63% do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity, only 22% eat recommended several servings of fruit and vegetables, merely 14.5% drink 3 or more glasses of milk a daily, one-third watch 3 or more hours of television daily ().
• The prediction that 1 in 3 children will eventually develop type 2 diabetes is dire ().
• Illnesses that use to be illnesses that were acquired in older adult life are now being onset in children. Being overweight can cause children to develop cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, asthma, acid reflux, and skeletal problems (Daniels, S.R., 2006. Pp47-67).
• Healthy and fit should be the new normal and not obesity and diseases. Us Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, a family physician, wants to change “the national conversation from negative feedback about obesity and illness to a positive conversation about being healthy and fit”(Gordon F.K., Ferguson, E.L., Toafa, V., Henry, T.E., Goulding, A., Grant, A.M., Guthrie, B.E.,2003.)

Consequences:

• One of the causes of high costs in health care is obesity. Obesity has emerged as a major driving force of health care costs(Finkelstein, EA., Trogdon, JG., Cohen, JW., Dietz, W., 2009. Pp.882-831).
• If obesity can be prevented in children the economic burden can be reduced drastically. In 2006, the economic burden of overweight and obesity in the county was estimated at $6.0 billion, including $3.6 billion in healthcare costs and $2.4 billion in costs due to lost productivity (The California Center for Public Health Advocacy. 2009).

Reference

1. McPherson, M.E., Mirkin, R., Heatherly, P.N., Homer, C.L., 2012. Educating health care professionals in advocacy for childhood prevention in their communities: integrating public health and primary care in the be our voice project. American Journal of Public Health102(8).
2. Saxe, J.S., 2011. Promoting healthy lifestyles and decreasing childhood obesity: increasing physician effectiveness through advocacy. Annals of Family Medicine Web. doi:10.1370/afm.1263.
3. Los Angeles county department of public health. 2011. Assessment and epidemiology. Obesity and related mortality in Los Angeles County: a cities and communities health report.
4. South Gate general plans. 2035. Healthy community plans.

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