Essay about Obesity Among Minorities

Words: 1958
Pages: 8

Erick Cueva
AP LANGUAGE
Mrs. Finco
February 2, 2014
Obesity among American minorities I am going to discuss the issue of obesity among American minorities. Elma Dieppa, cousin of Helen Casillas, still wonders if her beloved family member would be alive today if she had been more conscious of her weight contribution to her diabetes. "She refused to take care of herself by not watching what she consumed or finding time during her day to exercise," Dieppa explains, reminiscing her as the “life of the party” during family reunions. At the age of 44, Casillas unfortunately suffered a fatal heart attack. Although Casillas worked in the medical field, the perception of her disease was skewed believing that she was not in fact over
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Unfortunately many kids are introduced to fast food at an undeveloped age and continue to ingest it as they mature. Obesity is on the rise in children, which lead to a variety of health issues including high blood pressure and diabetes. These are problems that no child should have to suffer from, and much of the problem could be reduced by limiting fast food.
To every problem, there is a solution. Many have already began to tackle the issue, and some succeeded. Educational steps are ongoing by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. This association and foundation have created the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to put a halt to the childhood obesity by 2015. Stated on the alliance’s website was that it works to "positively affect the places that can make a difference in a child's health: homes, schools, doctor's offices, and communities." The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported more than $50 million which runs the Healthy Schools Program, launched in February 2006. It now has partnerships with more than 12,000 schools across the country (Rodriguez). Because of the Healthy School Program, Memorial High School, located in West New York, N.J, is the "Healthiest School in America." This New Jersey High School has the third highest percentage of Hispanics in the state with 78.1 percent Hispanic students. It