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Childhood Obesity In Chicago Case Study

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Chicago children are faced with an epidemic, an epidemic that most communities are faced with today. The epidemic is childhood obesity and it’s only getting worse. According to Dr. Richard Jackson, this is the first generation not expected to live longer than their parents (Jackson R. 2012). Obese children run the risk of having many health problems. These health problems include Asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type-2 diabetes. In fact, a study done by Blank Children’s Hospital located in Des Moines, IA shows that “45 percent of children diagnosed with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes due to being obese or overweight” (10 surprising facts 2014). As a society we need to become more aware of the issues that contribute to …show more content…

Some of the major reasons why more and more children are becoming obese are issues due to the built-environment, lack of physical activity, and poor diet. Chicago is divided up into 77 communities. Some communities have greater risk factors than others. The different built-environments within the 77 communities can be a risk factor. A built-environment is simply the design and construction of a community’s structures, walkways, parks, and other physical and spatial aspects. Built-environments determine the walkability of a community. Walkable communities have many walkways with an abundance of crosswalks. There are lots of parks and open green space for recreation in a walkable community. The community is designed for mixed use, you can work, shop and play all within a few blocks to encourage walkability. Unfortunately, not all communities in Chicago are designed to be walkable. This causes a lack in physical activity as people tend to rely on cars to get from point A to point B and have no place to play or exercise. These communities are made up of predominantly lower-income families and are at higher risk of childhood obesity. Lack of physical activity in some of the neighborhoods is also due to high-crime rates. Families don’t allow their children to play outside as often in communities with high-crime rates. Too many children have died because of violence in the streets. According to Angela Caputo of The Chicago Reporter, 500 children were murdered throughout the neighborhoods of Chicago from 2008 to 2012 (Caputo A. 2014). With an alarming statistic like this, it’s no wonder why children don’t go outside to play. Another reason why children aren’t outside playing is the increased use of technology. Kids are too busy watching T.V., playing video games, and surfing the web. Kidshealth.org states that Children who consistently

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