Pushing Scales: Combating Childhood Obesity

The role of a Chef should go beyond the restaurant arena.

Aspiring to be future culinarians, require us to dedicate all our energies to produce a healthy meal for consumers at large. In this era, millions of people struggle to eat right and are confused as to what is considered a healthy diet. Here in the United States the obesity epidemic has pushed the scales to its limit, literally! — our kids are now affected by childhood obesity. Is this the bliss of a regular American life that 2/3’s of the country bows to hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases?

Childhood Obesity

Losing limbs such as toes and fingers prove to not even shift a crowd. Obesity is a killer and a “terror from within” according to Dr. Richard Carmona, U.S Surgeon General. This crisis can be only curbed if people like myself, within the culinary industry, prioritizes healthy alternatives of all cuisines. According to the documentary Killer at Large, humans adapt to their environments so easily that they are not even conscious about the food choices made on a daily basis. American cuisine for decades has been based on more food at a cheaper and more affordable price. Both manufactured and processed foods have now become a trademark for a normal American lifestyle.

Children such as Brooke Bates are an example of how they suffer from this disease at a tender age of twelve years old. There is a need to have liposuction, for even children as opposed to only adults. It is not only outrageous but saddens me in the realization that in the next decade children as young at 7 years old will suffer from diabetes.  How much more evidence do we require as chefs and nutritionists to direct our passion towards producing and promoting healthy cuisine to deter childhood obesity? School cafeterias play a major role in the effects of eating habits as well as meals served in at home by parents themselves. Health seminars should be a priority at all high schools, educating parents and food service workers alike about healthy food selections for kids. Simple tasks such as trimming fat from meats before cooking and removing fat from a chicken after being roasted can easily decrease the fat content of a meal. Another great way of maintaining a better diet is by utilizing food substitution methods such as avocado spread versus mayo, olive oil versus butter and fresh fruit versus canned fruit. All those techniques can prove to be successful and needs to be enforced by most of the food service outlets nationwide. The future of the country is at risk and is in a balance when children are easily overweight by the foods consumed. These are the future doctors, politicians, lawyers, and engineers of this country. It is our duty to take charge providing healthier meal options starting from the schools.

Physical activity is constantly encouraged but there should be more efforts to stress on eating habits as priority. Exercising will be futile; if when practiced, is followed by the consumption of a 20-ounce soda pop or extra-large fry. It will be difficult to change such a pattern when the most paid advertisements relate to junk food and empty calorie foods. These ads run through the most popular television shows and programs for both adults and children. We need to make a statement and enforce changes through the foods we prepare in our kitchens.

Despite all the attention brought onto the obesity topic by doctors, the media and researchers, there is no actual change in the rise of obesity in the United States. Changing the way society eats today, is of course an extremely studious task. With time, the little changes that are made in restaurants can prove to make a difference to help in this tragedy. In my perception, chefs can play a major role in changing such life-threatening patterns because that may be our only hope.