Introduction
Childhood obesity is a major cause of disease and health risks, including death, in America. Obesity in the United States has reached an epidemic proportion, which creates the first generation of children in history who are predicted to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Over the past thirty years, childhood obesity has doubled in young children and adolescents in the United States (National Institute of Health, 2014). Fast food restaurants can be to blame for this among other reasons. Obesity, which should be identified before any problems can occur, has many causes which has lead it to become an epidemic in the United States, however there are several preventions and treatments that parents can enforce to help their …show more content…
A child has a greater risk of becoming obese if he or she has obese or overweight parents. Unhealthy eating habits and lack of regular physical activity are changeable factors. For example, over - consumption of high-calorie foods, eating when one is not hungry, and eating while watching television or doing homework, which can also contribute to sedentary behavior. A child may spend too much time watching TV or using the computer, time that could be used to exercise or play (American Obesity Association, 2014). Almost half of children aged 8-16 watch 3-5 hours of television a day. According to the NIH, Kids who watch the most hours have the highest incidence of obesity. Low family incomes and non-working parents could contribute to their child becoming overweight (American Obesity Association, …show more content…
Children are not consuming enough servings of fruits and vegetables. According the U.S. Department of Agriculture or USDA, children drink 16 percent less milk now than in the late 1970’s, and 16 percent more carbonated soft drinks. The National School Lunch Program has provided students with nutritious meals, however students must choose to eat these meals. Efforts to encourage healthy eating could also be increased. Students may need more exposure to nutrition education to effect positive changes, and most kids have access to foods of little or no nutritious value such as soda and candy (United States Accounting Offices, 2013).
Conclusion
There are always ways to help a child become healthy again. As long as the parent is firm with their child and uses techniques such as eating low-calorie meals and encouraging them to participate in daily exercise. If more and more people would educate themselves on obesity, then the epidemic would soon decline. However, a lot of parents have full time jobs and don’t have time to have home-cooked meals or join in on activities with their children, which is another reason why America has some of the most overweight people in the
Childhood obesity is a major cause of disease and health risks, including death, in America. Obesity in the United States has reached an epidemic proportion, which creates the first generation of children in history who are predicted to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Over the past thirty years, childhood obesity has doubled in young children and adolescents in the United States (National Institute of Health, 2014). Fast food restaurants can be to blame for this among other reasons. Obesity, which should be identified before any problems can occur, has many causes which has lead it to become an epidemic in the United States, however there are several preventions and treatments that parents can enforce to help their …show more content…
A child has a greater risk of becoming obese if he or she has obese or overweight parents. Unhealthy eating habits and lack of regular physical activity are changeable factors. For example, over - consumption of high-calorie foods, eating when one is not hungry, and eating while watching television or doing homework, which can also contribute to sedentary behavior. A child may spend too much time watching TV or using the computer, time that could be used to exercise or play (American Obesity Association, 2014). Almost half of children aged 8-16 watch 3-5 hours of television a day. According to the NIH, Kids who watch the most hours have the highest incidence of obesity. Low family incomes and non-working parents could contribute to their child becoming overweight (American Obesity Association, …show more content…
Children are not consuming enough servings of fruits and vegetables. According the U.S. Department of Agriculture or USDA, children drink 16 percent less milk now than in the late 1970’s, and 16 percent more carbonated soft drinks. The National School Lunch Program has provided students with nutritious meals, however students must choose to eat these meals. Efforts to encourage healthy eating could also be increased. Students may need more exposure to nutrition education to effect positive changes, and most kids have access to foods of little or no nutritious value such as soda and candy (United States Accounting Offices, 2013).
Conclusion
There are always ways to help a child become healthy again. As long as the parent is firm with their child and uses techniques such as eating low-calorie meals and encouraging them to participate in daily exercise. If more and more people would educate themselves on obesity, then the epidemic would soon decline. However, a lot of parents have full time jobs and don’t have time to have home-cooked meals or join in on activities with their children, which is another reason why America has some of the most overweight people in the