Essay about Childhood Obesity

The kids have no developed the needs to fast foods as they are seeing toys that come with the meals and they want something that is quick to receive and easy to pay for. Children of the age of 10 through to 17 years old are rated 18.6 percent obese in the state of Alabama as they are ranked number 11 of the 51 states and this group is rising alarmingly due to kids not eating school lunch and going to get food after school and these items that the y want need to be quick to receive and in large portions. These adolescents want something that is high with fat and allow them to get the consumption that is more than what they can bare. The highest levels of fast-food consumption were found in youngsters with higher household income levels, boys, older children, blacks and children living in the South. This is because being raised in the south there are a lot of fattening foods in which many people in Northern States would not dare eat in their lives. The new study results bolster evidence that fast food contributes to increased calorie intake and obesity risk in adolescents.

Obese- is becoming an “epidemic!” We have 44.3 million people that are either obese or over weight. In 1986, the numbers were at 1 in 2000, and they became 1 in 400 by the year 2000. Even our high school age students are at an all time high of 16% overweight and 10% obese. As that number keeps increasing, future projections for covering healthcare expenditures must figure in the obese-related

People eat about one-third of their meals at restaurants, a figure that has almost doubled since the late 1970s.2 Fast food consumption is even higher among adolescents, with 75% eating fast food at least once a week.3

Why is it that America, deemed to be the most developed and advanced country in the world, has the largest epidemic of childhood obesity? Obesity is a frequent topic of discussion, and extensive research and studies to find the root of this disease. So why are some American children, despite the knowledge of the importance of health, variety of food that is available, and health awareness at schools, are still gaining excess weight? Lack of proper nutrition and sedentary lifestyle of some American children may be contributing to the rise of childhood obesity in the United States.

IV. I have provided a bar graph for you to show the increase in childhood obesity over the years and to provide visualization that this is still an ongoing problem. As you can see by the chart, the rate of obesity from the 1970’s to the 2000’s the rate has increased dramatically.

Fast food has a harmful effect on society because it can cause obesity. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes obesity “Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.” (parag. 1).The causing and treating of obesity is complex but it is the most recognizable disease. Consistently eating fast food and a poor can lead to obesity in anyone. The risks of obesity include an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, fast food “Studies have shown that over the past four decades, consumption of food eaten away from home has also risen alarmingly” (parag. 8). This means that fast food is high in fat, sugar, salt, carbs, calories, saturated and trans fats. This type of eating leads to a higher body mass index or gained weight. Children and adolescents are at a

Did you know that Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. Children aged 4 to 19 eat fast

It’s a scary feeling when climbing a simple flight of stairs only to reach the top and be completely out of breath. In America today this is the reality that many children face. Obesity has become an epidemic in our world, it has many contributing factors, affects learning abilities but there are preventive methods for it. Although little is being done about obesity, it's affecting the lives of many but mostly children and by a multitude of different factors.

Sub-sub-supporting point: Fast food is linked closely with higher BMI’s. People who prefer to eat fast food can highly get chances of becoming obese.

II. For the past 92 years fast food has become a popular choice of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"Typical fast food meals consist of hamburgers or cheeseburgers, french fries, and sugar-sweetened sodas. They are frequently 'super sized' at very little additional cost, encouraging children and

Another environmental cause of childhood obesity is the lack of physical activity. The problem is that physical activity has been replaced by video games, television, social networking and other technology. (Child Obesity Statistics) “It’s proven that children who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity.” (Hosten) The American Heart Association they recommend “all children age 2 and older should participate in at least 60 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activities every day.” They also recommend “if your child or children don't have a full 60-minute activity break each day, try to provide at

Sub-point: Not only does fast food contribute to children being obese, but where they live has an impact as well. During a study it was found that, “21 percent of the children were overweight, and 5 percent were obese, which is similar to the Canadian norms.

On the other hand, not all cases of childhood obesity are a result of external forces. In some cases a child’s problem with their weight is mainly a genetic problem. In this case even the healthiest of habits may not be enough to prevent a child from becoming obese. (American Obesity Association) Yet the dramatic increase of overweight adolescents in the past few decades has clearly not been a result of genetics, but rather has in fact been do to poor health habits.

A study of The Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that more than 70% of men and more than 60% of women have extra pounds because of the consumption of fast food in large amounts. In kids the problem gets more extreme. If kids consume too much fast food they could have high cholesterol and obesity, then they would have higher risks of cardiovascular issues, diabetes and heart diseases. Parents should prevent those kinds of health issues in their kids because it will be reflected in them as adults.