Any Medical Professionals willing to help me with my Persuasive paper on...

I am a RNY patient and struggled my whole life with weight and exercise and eating properly. I am writing a College paper about Making a change in the community. That change I thought should be Focusing on the Obesity epidemic. Focusing on "what can be done, or changed to stop this epidemic, maybe even starting in the schools with young people and focusing on the importance of diet, exercise throughout our lives, so we can have a good quality of life, be healthy, and not be overweight or obese."

I want to have the following questions answered:

1. How can something be instituted to start others to focus on "Obesity" before it becomes worse?
2. What steps can be taken to get people involved and actively making changes, starting at an earlier age?
3. Why is it important for people to realize Obesity needs to be prevented?

I appreciate any and all assistance with my questions. Please let me know your professional credentials and your name and an email or phone number where I might follow-up with you.

If you would rather, personally email me: [email protected]

Thank you,
Brenda Crandall

I'm not sure why you think medical professionals would be the only ones to address these questions  I would think that if you are interested in getting ideas for addressing childhood obesity, for example, teachers would be the place to start.

Most medical professionals I know don't have any special insight into generating social OR institutional change.

Lora

I don't think that medical professionals would be the only ones to address these questions, personally, I feel more qualified to address them, as well as my fellow gastric bypass friends on here.

But my assignment is requiring me to ask for a medical professionals views on this subject.

If you would like to answer, I will use your comments in my paper.

Thank you for your input.

Brenda Crandall

Actually, a teacher is a "professional", so I can use you to assist me, if you are a teacher.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Brenda

Nope, I am not a teacher.  I am actually a mental health professional (with primary focus on treatment of  trauma, anxiety, and depression, but who also does pre-op WLS psych evals).  

Despite that -- and even as someone who used to be SMO -- I have not even ever given a thought to addressing the "obesity epidemic".  My only concern with it (outside of my own life) is the way in which psychological issues and traumatic experiences contribute to obesity (and the need to address those issues in order to be successful with maintaining a stable weight long term).

Lora

This request for outside professional assistance is for a College paper only. I would love to do something for real to get my community to recognize Obesity as an epidemic, but this shout out was for my College paper.

Thanks Lora for you thoughts, concerns and comments.
Brenda

One thing I will say is that school lunches need to be revamped. I worked in a school with children who did receive free lunch and it was constant that they would have chicken nuggets and other processed foods. 

They took away bringing any type of sugar in the classrooms such as cupkakes for someones birthday. I don't think this is why we are obese. I think if you do not have a lot of money you can only afford foods that are inexpensive and processed.

3Bassethounds....Thank you for your thoughts. I agree that there are processed "junk" for lunches in schools. I also am aware that my local school has Chobani Yogurt (since that is made up the road a few miles). But education about Obesity needs to be shown or taught about at the school level from a young age til graduation; since it is a BIG problem. And is killing more people than cancer or any other medical issue.

I agree that Fresh foods are expensive. We have lots of Market places in the summer months for fresh foods that don't cost a lot of money; taking care of it before it spoils is the hard part, for me. However, we just bought a stand up freezer, so packaging foods to eat during the cold months, will be worth the cost and help us with our weight.

Brenda Crandall