Obesity : A Growing Problem

Today’s generation of children is the most inactive and obese in all of U.S. history (Loonin, 54). Poor exercise habits are developed as early as preschool age (All children above the age of 2 should be getting at least an hour of exercise a day in order to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight (Overweight and Obesity, 2). Many young children have become accustomed to staying inside and using electronics, where they do not have to exert much energy whereas going outside and playing would. The average child in today’s society spends up to

Childhood obesity has placed the health of an entire generation at risk. Obesity in America is a big problem that has been growing over the years. “An estimated 12.5 million children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (Loop 2015). As the number of children being affected keeps growing, parents or guardians do not change the habits that lead their children to become obese. “Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood” (American Heart Association, 2014). Not only is obesity causing health problems more than before, but it also causing a big problem in America. More and more children every year become obese and it keeps growing. Even though some people believe the lifestyle of a person is not to blame for the childhood obesity problem in America, the technology, the parenting style , and the media of the outside world are huge factors that contribute to childhood obesity.

Have you ever wondered what are the major causes of obesity? The CDC (2017) states that one out of every five children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise. Wilson (2016) states that many children who are obese develop health complications, such as joint, gallbladder, and sleeping problems. The majority of children who are obese as kids tend to be obese as adults. Reason being, many children develop bad eating habits by learning from their surroundings. When it comes to such an important topic as obesity there 's not only one cause, but several causes of why obesity is such a huge problem in America. Childhood obesity has greatly increased over the years and there are three main causes that have caused

Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. Nearly 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) in the United States is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for serious health problems. Studies show that overweight kids are likely to become overweight and obese adults. This is a significant issue in the U.S. and needs to be monitored closely. Some parents are in denial that their children are obese and do not do anything to help or prevent it. When obesity is a problem at a young age it is very easy to have, it become a habit all throughout their life.

Children are our future, and therefore, everyone should protect the young community. Childhood obesity is an epidemic that should be prevented. Children have the right to live a long, healthy life. However, the rise of obesity is affecting the young community. Childhood obesity attains negative repercussions. Yes, doctors have found many ways to combat obesity. As a matter of fact, they emphasize how important one’s health is. It is crucial to acknowledge that obesity alters a child’s health. Obesity has the power to affect a child mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Does one ever wonder what factors contribute to the increase of childhood obesity? Childhood obesity is a major issue and common disease that is becoming prevalent and widespread. The amount of children that are obese has doubled and the amount of adolescents who are obese has quadrupled within the past thirty years. Children at a young age are already being diagnosed with medical issues such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity itself is the second leading cause of preventable death. Currently, every one out of three kids is diagnosed as obese. Over the past years, obesity has highly increased in children and there are three things that lead to this issue; which are the consumption of fast foods, lack of physical activity, and certain family situations, like upbringing. Many critics and doctors believe that the best way to battle childhood obesity is by having the child engage in physical activities, cook more healthy meals at home, and reduce their portion size.

As a matter a fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said “[o]verweight or obese preschoolers are five times as likely to become overweight or obese adults as their normal weight peers” ( Phil 1). American children are easier to become obese adults that will later become a greater problem to society. “More shocking, an obese child can expect a shorter life” (Dalton 35 ) . Obese children are likely to face health problems such as “cardiovascular disease, such as elevated blood pressure or serum insulin levels or dyslipidemia, and 25 percent had two or more risk factors, type 2 diabetes” (Dietz 1) . For this reason, parents need to take action and solve the problem with obesity because it will affect children's health that can later result as a bigger

The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s (“Healthy Schools.”). Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers who contain excess body fat. This condition is very common today, having about 3 million cases per year (“Healthy Schools.”). A sign that a child is suffering from obesity is when their weight is well above the average for a child’s height and age. Today about one in five school children, ages 6-19, are obese (“Healthy Schools.”). I will be addressing the causes, health complications, treatments, controversy, and supporting obese students.

Within the past 30 years, the rate of overweight and obese children has been growing at an alarming rate. The cause of this increasing problem is due to lack of physical activity, poor eating habits, and genetics. Childhood obesity can also lead to conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and bone problems later on in life. The prevalence of obesity varies among ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age.

The causes of obesity in children, and adults for that matter, is relatively straight forward children are taking in more calories than they are burning throughout the day, but this is something that can be resolved. Eating an appropriate amount of healthy foods and exercising daily seems like a simple solution, but as a society we have become obsessed with eating sugary, fatty, and calorie latent foods. As if the extra calories were not enough of a problem, we have also decreased the amount of physical activities we get each day. The increase in the obesity rate in children is a direct consequence of these unhealthy habits, children are being allowed to eat unhealthy food in large quantities and are remaining sedentary for the majority of

Obesity is a serious medical condition that requires treatment to lower the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. However, one in three people in the United States is clinically obese (Overweight and Obesity Statistics) and 10-25% of obese individuals are labeled metabolically healthy (Bluher). Obesity is clinically diagnosed with a body mass index (BMI) of a score of 30 or greater in reference to the total weight in people’s body compared to their height (Overweight and Obesity Statistics). Although obesity is shown to increase mortality rate with associated metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, a recently classified observable trait of an individual, or phenotype, developed to separate the metabolically healthy from the unhealthy: Metabolically Healthy Obesity or MHO (Bluher). Whereas metabolism is the biological functions that maintain the living state of cells, metabolic health in reference to MHO is classified as being clinically obese while maintaining a waist size of a maximum 40 or 35 inches for a man and woman respectively, normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar compared to healthy individuals of their age groups, normal sensitivity to insulin and moderate physical fitness (Skerrett).

Obesity is classified as one of the extremely common and serious public health problems in the world. Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading global risks of mortality in the world (World Health Organization, 2009). Furthermore, they are one of the major factors of for a number of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer (World Health Organization, 2005). According to NHS UK, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more for adults, and the UK 1990 growth reference curves are used to define obesity for Children (Cole TJ, Freeman JV, Preece MA, 1995). The growing challenge of obesity of Europe countries is remarkable among Asian countries .In 2008, 1.4 billion adults (35%) aged 20 and over were overweight and 500 million were obese (11%). More than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2012(World Health Organization, 2014). That is the global obesity situation. Furthermore, the obesity problem in the UK is not optimistic, the UK has the highest obesity rates among Europe countries, and this trend has strikingly increased over the recent years to the point where more than 20% of the population are now obese. (University of Birmingham, 2014) However, the obesity situation in Singapore is more worrisome. In 2010, 40% adults aged 18 to 69 were overweight and 10% were obese which is more than double the level seen in 1992. (Ministry of Health Singapore, 2010) This essay will

Obesity is a growing disease within our ever quickening, largely sedentary society. The American Obesity Treatment Organization reported the current obesity problem in the US as 72 million people dealing with this disease and associated risk factors. Obesity is a disease that affects both adults and children. The CDC lists related risk factors of this disease as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, Type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and stroke ("Adult Obesity Facts"). Obesity is highly prevalent in Florida with rates as high as 25-30% (“Obesity Prevalence Maps”). As a nation, the goal set by Healthy People 2020 is to reduce the rate of obesity to less than 15% and as the data and statistics clearly show Florida is nowhere

Obesity is a very serious health issue in the United States. It is a factor in heart

Obesity is a major issue in the U.S.A. It is among the highest health problems in the U.S.A. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancers, and can also lead to death .Two out of three Americans are considered to be obese. For a better future of the country obesity must be stopped.