Causes And Prevention Of Childhood Obesity

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In today’s society, the issue of obesity has plagued our nation’s youth and has encouraged serious discussion about the plan required to solve this epidemic. Childhood obesity kills about thirty-four children per hour around the world, and causes about three hundred and sixty-five deaths a year in the United States alone (Nemet 48). According to the researcher Dan Nemet, “today about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese” (49). Childhood obesity arises as a result of inactivity and poor eating habits and can worsen if not dealt with initially. Also, the United States has become so reliant on efficiency that children have become a victim of their parents electing to sacrifice health for convenience in terms of food. Children …show more content…
For example, Childhood obesity can lead to ailments such as type II diabetes and asthma. Children often get type II diabetes from eating excess amounts of sugar, also, diabetes is a major factor in the development of obesity. Type II diabetes can most definitely arise from obesity if not properly treated; therefore, the importance to prevent obesity is critical so one does not have to deal with the lifestyle of those with type II diabetes. Children who are overweight are more likely to have asthma making breathing extremely difficult. If children become dangerously overweight, these kids could develop serious obstructive sleep apnea causing a potentially harmful disorder where their breathing repeatedly stops and starts when they sleep (Trier et al.). Sleep apnea can lead to issues regarding lack of sleep or possibly death. Sleep apnea and type II diabetes are just two of the many long-term effects that result from a lack of treatment for childhood obesity, and children can easily avoid these disorders through proper dieting and …show more content…
Typically eating heathy is more expensive compared to cheap junk food. Getting a fresh healthy sub sandwich from Subway is more expensive for parents than just getting the easier option at McDonald’s for their kids. Meanwhile, parents also say buying fruits and vegetables can be expensive when feeding a family. For people in poverty, affording fruits and vegetables is extremely difficult. Studies show that parents who live in poverty are more likely to have obese or overweight kids (Trier et al.). Poor families struggle with eating a healthy diet because cheap junk food is cheaper than healthier food options. The advertisement of unhealthy fast food places cause parents to want to spend money on these foods for them and their kids. Parents having to work almost every day makes cooking healthy meals for their children time-consuming, so in alternative parents will go for the quick and easy unhealthy option of eating

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