Preventing Childhood Obesity: Government Policy, Prebiotics, and Education in School Lunch Programs

Rates of childhood obesity have been rising for almost half a century. Causes, although varied, can be summed up into genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Schools play a large role in impacting students’ dietary and lifestyle choices, so our proposed solutions stem from the school-level. Various research papers were reviewed and analyzed in order to come to a solution that satisfies the complexity of childhood obesity from the care of schools. These covered a large spectrum of topics, from different perspectives such as the scientific and political sides. Through analysis of these research papers on topics like prebiotics and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), solutions were developed. Among the solutions developed were changes to education programs, meal options, and government regulations. These have been shown to be effective in reducing obesity rates, across various studies and reviews. Research has been compiled from various sources to provide comprehensive evidence to these solutions. Our solution is multifaceted, with suggestions across categories such as food choices and health curriculums. Prebiotics were shown to have a positive effect in reducing the risk of contracting childhood obesity. Programs like the HHFKA were shown to be effective in their goals. Additionally, further health education classes demonstrated a positive effect. The solution was formed based around these findings. The proposed solution connects with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, with an overall goal of reducing childhood obesity all over the world. This solution is compiled into a proposed government policy that would ensure support for student health through the various mentioned programs, and should be considered in countries across the globe.