Obesity in America is not new and in many cases, obesity tends to strike younger aged children. Obesity among young children often starts from unhealthy eating habits. What parents put on their children’s plate is significant and essential to their health. It is important to develop healthy eating habits when a child is young so that those skills can stick with them throughout their lifetime. Unfortunately, obesity in America is out of hand and the problem is only getting worse. There are health issues associated with obesity such as cancer, heart disease, and even diabetes. It is important to stop the problem while people are young so that these health risks are limited and not life threatening. For many years, schools have been trying to…
United States faces the risk that the percentage of obesity among children will increase. The percentage of children and adolescents who suffer from this epidemic is 17% (CDC). One generation ago, the rate was three times less than now. The number of obese children is continuously growing, which may cause a danger to children and the future of the country. The risk of obesity does not only mean the risk of diseases and health problems, but also the risks associated with psychological and social impact. There is no doubt that one of the biggest causes of obesity is the unhealthy dietary choices that many children make nowadays (IOM). The larger the increase in the percentage of obese children and thereby the increase in the risks surrounding them, the greater the need to confront this problem. Companies, institutions, parents, and individuals should play a role in fighting obesity, but the role of government is most important. The government can enact laws regulating the process of junk food advertisement aimed at children that contribute to the problem significantly. Although some jurists and businessmen oppose such regulation by government, there is some evidence that regulating junk foods advertisement aimed at children yield positive results.…
In David Zinczenko’s Don’t Blame the Eater article, he blames the fast-food industry for starting the rising obesity problem because of the failure of providing the facts and warnings labels about their high calorie junk food to the consumers. Zinczenko argues that kids are drawn by the cheap, high-calorie junk food that the fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Pizza Hut are happy to supply because with lots of parents working all day, they do not have time to check what their children are eating. For Example, the author David Zinczenko states that when he was a little boy, his mother would always be away at work, so he would eat Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and at other places every day, and he ended up obese.…
The United States is facing a growing epidemic of obesity. Obesity affects individuals of any age, gender, or nationality. Diseases increased by obesity are increasing at alarming rates in children and adults. It is thought that children suffering from obesity will not live as long as their parents. Along with health risks in children they have to endure ridicule and teasing from other children at school resulting in psychological problems that can follow them into adulthood (Neighmond, 2010). Americans have a fascination with fast food and consuming too much food in one meal…
The childhood obesity crisis is an epidemic that not only touches the lives of people in the United States, but it affects the lives of those all around the world. In a society where childhood obesity is a major health care concern, many do not understand the complexity of this issue whereas others just seem to ignore it. Publically it seems to fall at the wayside when it is discussed in conjunction with many of the world’s other problems. So many young children struggle with this problem as the rates of childhood obesity have increased. Childhood obesity can be defined as any child between the ages of 2 through 19 that have exceeded the 95th percentile of the Body Mass Index (BMI) in comparison of those in their peer group. BMI measures height, weight, waist circumference and skinfold to determine the amount of fat a person is storing. Today, nearly one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese and face major health concerns in the future (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010). Contributors to the obesity problem are unhealthy eating, derived from a poor diet or eating too much, not enough physical activity, and lack of information on this subject. There is not enough being done to combat this complex issue and measures have not been taken to prevent this from happening in the future. If parents are educated about what childhood obesity is, what causes it, how it causes low self-esteem, why it is such an important topic, what they can do to decrease the risk of this issue, and how this affects their children as they grow into adults, then the number of obese children will decrease in time.…
Child Obesity Everywhere you look there is a fast food joint. In America it’s all about convenience, but convenience has become hazard to our health. When we as adults have unhealthy eating habit, we hurt ourselves and our children. As a parent it’s important to set good eating habits and be active. There are plenty of statistics available that prove child obesity in America is at epidemic levels. One third of the nation’s children carry to much weight. There are lots of reasons why child obesity in America is on the rise. Doctors say there are two causes in creating obese children. First the children and teens are not eating the right kind of foods. Second, America’s children are getting less and less exercise. These two things are creating…
Childhood obesity is a huge health problem in United States that affects about 12.5 million children and teens in this country alone. Since 1960 scientist have been monitoring obesity problem in United States and between 1980’s and 1990’s they have seen a drastic increase in childhood obesity from about 5% to sky high 15% which is a concerning number for young people. There are many different reasons why young people develop obesity in this country. The major reason why children become overweight is a bad food diet, eating fast food and not exercising enough throughout the day. Today’s lifestyle and technology allows people to buy food quickly at local fast food places, it is quick, convenient and cheap. Most people do not have time to come home after all day at work and cook a fresh and healthy dinner for the family. It is easier to stop at “Kentucky Fried Chicken” for example and buy dinner for entire family for under $25 which is almost impossible to do at home. Access for children to fast food places is easier than ever before, and most beverages that young people drink contain High Fructose Corn Syrup that replaced sugar in the 1970’s but causes young people to gain weight as fast as sugar does. Biggest problem in childhood obesity is definitely the food choices that we make for us and our children but also we cannot forget about the lack of exercise, most people do not get enough exercise so they stay healthy and become over weight. Also school nutrition’s should be friendlier to healthy diets and fruits instead of vending machines. Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America and it seems that it is not going away but in fact it might get bigger in near future if we do not do anything about it. With better food choices, more exercise and help from the government we can overcome this growing epidemic in USA.…
There is science behind the creation of junk food. Moss researched for over four years and found out that the food industries want “to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive” (Moss pg 477). The most addictive ingredients in America are sugar, salt, and…
In the United States today there is a widespread of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has increased at an alarming rate over the last 20 years. Today, nearly one in five children is battling this condition and if patterns predict the future, almost all of America’s children will be living with diabetes, heart disease, and dying younger due to obesity within the next 20 years. (Alan) Think about this problem, Americans point their fingers at restaurants like McDonalds, saying their unhealthy foods and serving sizes are responsible However, people’s lifestyles are really to blame. They are so busy that they go to fast food restaurants instead of eating healthy meals at home. Parents need to be more observant with their children and what they eat; they need to be better role models for their children as well. (Palmer) The obesity in children has severe health risks. Until Americans stop themselves from going to fast food places the problem of obesity in the US will not go away.…
In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. A study done by theCenters of Disease Control showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has becomeoverweight. America is the richest but also the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein 28). The 1980s were a time whenAmericans suddenly started going crazy over dieting, jumping onto the treadmills, and buying prepackaged non-fat foods. However, while all of that was going on, the number of obeseAmericans began to increase. According to a report in the Journal of the American MedicalAssociation, 58 million people in our country weigh over 20 percent of their body’s ideal weight.The article “Fat Times” states, “If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called an epidemic”(Elmer-Dewit 58). The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and havestarted to produce gluttonous children, over-indulgent adults, and a food industry set too muchon satisfying our appetites.Obesity can begin at a very young age. Many children in our society are overweight,setting themselves up for serious health problems later in life. Type 2 diabetes, high bloodcholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks. Children who areoverweight also tend to feel less secure, less happy, and be stressed more than normal weight…
Childhood obesity is considered to have more than doubled in the past 30 years. There can be many reasons why a child is obese, lack of physical activity and poor nutritional meals are just the first ones that we think of. The lack of exercise and the consumption of unhealthy, fattening and sugary foods, is usually the cause of obesity. In the United States children anywhere from 6 years old to 11 years old has increased form 7% in the 1980s to about 18% in 2012 (Staff). According to the government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. And Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.” But obesity is not only about the way the child looks, it can cause many short and long term health issues. Some of which can be a great threat to their lives, like…
There is controversy over whether or not people should stop eating junk food. In the article “New Study Reveals Junk Food Good for You,” Billy Bunting believe some types of sugary, fatty junk foods “are better for you than so-called healthy foods” (Bunting). Throughout the article, he accounts evidences to verify his argument that eating large doses of junk food is good and a key to a long and healthy life. In “New Study Reveals Junk Food Good for You,” Bunting accounts studies, action points, and seven “tips to enjoy eating junk food so that its benefits can be fully realized” (Bunting).…
When a person from any other country thinks of the stereotypical perquisites of the United States of America, one of three things will come to mind: Freedom, Opportunity, and really big portions of food. While the first two are definitely good perks to have, the third one has started to cause some serious issues at home. America’s access to cheap and fatty foods continues to become an issue as time goes on, and the only big steps to solve this have come very recently. While people may blame these restaurant chains and food companies for this epidemic, there is more to the issue. From research done by the first of January, 2014, 50 million Americans were eating fast food every day. The food cycle of America’s kids is 40% junk food. These examples all fall under different sections of the biopsychosocial model, a model used to describe human functions from different angles. Biological, Social, and Psychological factors are all included in the reasons for America’s obesity.…
Children who’s norms involve sitting in front of the television watching Netflix while eating a McDonalds happy meal, have quickly raised the national average with a percentage of adolescents (age twelve to nineteen) who are obese, being eighteen, (in increase in 1980’s low five percent). Children ages six to eleven years old have increased eleven percent from 1980’s seven percent. And young children age’s two to five have an obesity percentage of twelve percent. Childhood obesity has more than doubled, and quadrupled in adolescents in the past thirty years, leaving one third of both children and adolescents obese by 2012. Childhood obesity is now the number one health concern in American parents, ahead of both drug and alcohol abuse. The question on everyone’s mind is why are American children overweight and unhealthy? What is different about the 21st century that has caused a spike in obesity? There are multiple theories, reasons and answers to those questions, one being, with rapid technological advances in a fast paced society (increasing as each generation passes) values are replaced and lost. Exercise is replaced by video games, and fruit is replaced by cakes and cookies. Along with genetic factors, the truth is obesity is caused by lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating/eating habits and patterns (or a combination of both). Fast food has no longer become a treat, but an everyday eat…
In the articles Is junk food really cheaper by Mark Mittan, and gap in diet between wealth and poorest americans doubles, study finds by Tracie McMillan we see how lack of money is an issue to obtain healthy foods in the poorer communities. Meanwhile in wealthy communities it is not as difficult for a family to access healthy foods.…