CHILDHOOD OBESITY: CONFRONTING THE GROWING …

CHILDHOOD OBESITY: CONFRONTING THE GROWING PROBLEM

A Thesis Presented to the Department of Sociology In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of

Bachelor of Arts with Honors

Emily C. Goyert egoyert@umich.edu University of Michigan

April 2011

Dr. Sarah Burgard, Assistant Professor of Sociology Honors Faculty Professor

Dr. Raymond De Vries, Professor of Sociology Honors Faculty Advisor

TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW SOCIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE METHODS a. Behavioral Surveys b. Focus Groups c. Cafeteria Observations d. Semi-Structured Interviews RESULTS a. Administrative Support b. Scorecard Evaluations c. Cafeteria Observations d. Behavioral Surveys e. Focus Groups Themes DISCUSSION CONCLUSION APPENDIX

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to sincerely thank my class advisor, Dr. Sarah Burgard, for consistently

offering encouragement and motivating me to challenge myself. Her dedication to both the field of sociology and the education of her students is undeniable. Many thanks also to the Project Healthy Schools staff for their willingness to participate in my research, Dr. Raymond De Vries for asking thought-provoking questions, and my family for their insight and support throughout this project.

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ABSTRACT

Over the past three decades, obesity rates have tripled in the United States. One third of American children are currently overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk for a multitude of obesity-related health problems. In order to combat the current trend in childhood health, a non-profit organization - Project Healthy Schools (PHS) ? began educating students about the importance of healthy eating habits and physical activity. PHS aims to decrease students' future risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes by educating them how to live hearthealthy lifestyles (Project Healthy Schools, 2010). This leads to the question: is the Project Healthy Schools' intervention model successful in encouraging students to make healthier decisions? To examine this issue, I utilized measurement tools including cafeteria observations, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and behavioral surveys to assess the impact the program has on student behaviors. The findings reveal that the level of school cooperation with Project Healthy Schools regarding administrative support, staff enthusiasm, and event participation are associated with a positive change concerning level of physical activity in some, but not all, of the populations studied. In addition, although students retained knowledge from the exposure, it is apparent that there are other factors playing a role in successfully changing behavior. By expanding programs to address various other factors of influence, including structure of the cafeteria, administrative support, and family influence, it is likely school-based intervention programs will be more successful in combating this epidemic.

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INTRODUCTION Over the past three decades obesity rates have tripled in the United States. One third of

American children are currently overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk for a multitude of obesity-related health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, various cancers, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and respiratory problems (Koh, 2010; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Basically, having a "...BMI in the obesity range is equivalent to aging twenty years in terms of chronic conditions you face" (Orszag, 2010). Because this trend in childhood obesity is relatively new, it is unclear whether the health effects later in life will be more severe than anticipated. While American lives are threatened by this disturbing reality, there is also an economic strain. The aggregate cost of obesity to society is $150 billion every year and this figure is predicted to double in a decade (Orszag, 2010).

As this daunting truth looms over our heads, we are able to take comfort in recognizing that obesity and other weight-related conditions are largely preventable. While environmental and genetic factors may play a role in causing obesity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim behavioral factors, such as dietary patterns and physical activity, have the largest effect at the population level (2009). The current First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, has directly acknowledged this epidemic and launched a national campaign in February 2010 to eliminate childhood obesity within one generation. "Make no mistake about it--this problem can be solved," Mrs. Obama said. "This isn't like putting a man on the moon or inventing the Internet. It doesn't take a stroke of genius or a feat of technology. We have everything we need right now to help our kids lead healthy lives" (Stolberg, 2010).

Before Michelle Obama identified childhood obesity as the major issue she would confront as First Lady, a non-profit organization - Project Healthy Schools (PHS) ? began

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