En el barrio

The first theme analyzed was the concern for the well-being of obese students. Teacher responses. When asked about working with obese students, the physical education teacher shared the most concerns. Morris explained “in every class I teach there are typically at least three obese students in my class. The obese students are

carefully monitored in fear of them having a medical emergency related to exercising and being obese.” According to Morris, the majority of the students who are obese in the physical education class have asthma and become short of breath very soon after class begins. Morris shared concerns of continual weight gain in his current students that will lead to severe health complications as adults.

Molly shared that she fears for the physical development of her obese

kindergarten students. She watches her students develop before her eyes at a rapid rate and most of the obese students continue to gain weight. She wondered “what the pressure of the rapid weight gain will do to the child’s developing bones.” Emily shared the

concern for her students not being able to keep up with the other students. Emily shared that during recess her obese students “attempt to run and play with the other students though they become short of breath very quickly”. She believed this is also an

“embarrassment to the obese student who may desire to participate in physical activities with his or her peers, although due to obesity he or she is physically incapable of fully participating during the entire recess without taking a break to catch his breath.” Kimberly expressed her concern for obese students and the effects of taking strong medications at an early age. Kimberly stated:

I am concerned about the effects prescription drugs will have on a developing child. I have several students who take strong medication that doctors have warned maybe taken as long as they are alive. I have a concern of the harmful side effects associated with the medicine especially when the child will take a medication over a life span.

Roland shared his concern of the short life expectancy due to obesity. Roland stated that he had read articles, with an emphasis on American Indian children, that the obese student will have a shorter life expectancy than average weight students. He said,

It saddens me to think my students may not have a productive healthy life all because of obesity. The majority of my students are American Indian and many are obese. I often look at my obese students and wonder if he or she will live to be an adult and a productive citizen in society.

There are instances where obese students have lost weight and found the benefits in their lives. Sandra described the improvement of a child’s health by losing weight. She

shared “I have witnessed a morbid obese student lose weight and observed the severe health complications diminish. I believe if a student is placed on a proper diet, the health complications that are plaguing the student will disappear or greatly improve.”

Administrator response. The administrator shared that he had a serious concern for the overall well-being of obese students. George indicated “the majority of major medical emergencies during school hours have involved obese students. The health and safety of obese students and the struggle that has been observed during physical

education class and recess are one of my greatest concerns.”

School nurse response. The school nurse reported that health problems that once were mainly identified in adults are being diagnosed in obese students at Tiger

Elementary. According to Tabitha “the onset of puberty and metabolic syndrome has increased since I have been employed at Tiger Elementary at an alarming rate over the last 10 years.” The perception of the school nurse is that a majority of the health

complications observed at an alarming rate are the result of preventable diseases that can be prevented and often times reversed with proper diet and exercise.

Social worker response. The social worker shared numerous health referrals from health practitioners concerning students who are obese are received frequently. Barbara stated “few parents are aware of the adverse effects childhood obesity has on a child’s overall development.” Each week she receives health care referrals and it is her responsibility to contact parents to assure they are following up with the doctor’s orders. She stated, “It is amazing how many parents explain to me they do not have time to

follow up with the child’s pediatrician just because the child is overweight.” Barbara would like to have a parent education class on the adverse effects of childhood obesity.

School psychologist response. According to the school psychologist if a child is taught a behavior at an early age it typically becomes a habit. As a psychologist in the school, many students have reported a minimal exposure to an active lifestyle and healthy food choices. Bentley described a typical lesson as “students in our school need exposure to tasteful healthy foods and fun physical activity opportunities. If a child enjoys

consuming healthy food and staying active these habits most likely will be continued into adulthood and produce a healthy lifestyle.”

Cafeteria manager. According to the cafeteria manager most students do not consume the vegetables in the cafeteria unless they are served with dressing. Suzanne shared that the majority of students who bring lunch from home have lunches that consist of high fat and high sugar processed foods.” She stated, “having observed the content of the lunches prepared at a student’s home, I believe students are not consuming the appropriate vitamins and minerals that they need to properly develop.”

Summary. During the interview the participants shared a concern about the overall well-being of obese students. The main topic of the overall well-being theme was health related concerns. Concerns for a student’s development, diet and exercise

practices, prolonged medication use and a short life expectancy were the focused areas derived from the overall concern of obese students.