The United Nations health and nutrition experts consider childhood obesity as a critical medical issue that should be resolved. This subject is as bad as starvation and malnutrition. Kids under the age of nineteen have become obese over the last 30 years. Critser states that the effects of obesity have become a serious health issue. Some of the consequences are diabetes, heart disease, crippling of the bone, and even stunted growth. Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, authors of Fit for Life, state that kids eat because it releases stress; nevertheless, when kids eat too much, they will experience loss of self-esteem.
Critser states that parents think they know when their kids are full; yet, new research infer that kids don’t know when they are full, in other words, kids don’t know when to stop eating. Barbara Roll, a scholar from Pennsylvania State University, observed the eating habits of two groups of children: a three-year old group and a five-year old group. The survey was started by serving the kids with three plates of macaroni and cheese. The first plate was served a normal serving; the second was served somewhat larger; the third plate was served with a larger portion. In conclusion, the research showed that the five-year old children ate whatever the amount the of food was served on their plates; if given an oversized portion, the five-year old kids will eat it, therefore causing exaggerated eating.
To fix the problem of obesity, Crtiser informs that a study was made for obese adolescents from the age of six to twelve year-olds. The study showed that children who were given behavioral advice became less overweight ten years later than those who were not given any