Article Analysis - Changes in Childhood Food Consumption Patterns: A Cause for Concern in Light of Increasing Body Weights

Article Analysis - Changes in Childhood Food Consumption Patterns: A Cause for Concern in Light of Increasing Body Weights

The article talks about how the fast food industry is contributing to the growing number of cases of obesity among school children. The article explains that school children nowadays are not getting the necessary nutrients from the food they buy at fast food outlets such as the school cafeteria. The article says that “school lunches tended to exceed the national recommendations for fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol” (Onge, Keller, Heymsfield, p. 1070). The article also talked about the health consequences of childhood obesity. The writer explains that if not checked, childhood obesity may lead to the child experiencing sicknesses such as metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, and high blood pressure in his or her adult life. The article also emphasizes that “changes in the children’s food supply have been dictated largely by political and economic forces”(Onge, Keller, Heymsfield, p. 1072). To solve this problem, the article suggests “manipulating the prices of foods through taxes on unhealthy food items of price supports for healthy food items”(Onge, Keller, Heymsfield, p. 1072). Hopefully, this measure would “help the population achieve dietary goals”(Onge, Keller, Heymsfield, p. 1072). Based on what was presented in the article, it appears that the fast food industry is doing the school children more harm than good. Children used to get a lot of nutrients from the food they eat but that is no longer true. The article states, “there was a decrease in the percentage of energy intake from restaurant food and fast food” (Onge, Keller, Heymsfield, p. 1069). Proof of this