Childhood Obesity Facts

Childhood Obesity is Rising in Epidemic Proportions
“Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). If our society doesn't make a change, our children will be at a greater risk for becoming obese as an adult. They will then be at a higher risk of developing health problems such as; heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and cancer (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). Not only does being obese as a child affect your physical health, but your mental health. Children who are obese or overweight are more likely to become bullied, have trouble learning, and even progress into depression (“Childhood Obesity” par. 9-11). Some people may say that it's not …show more content…
There has been many lifestyle changes in the last decade that have resulted in lack of physical exercise. Children are now using cars and other automated transportation, such as elevators and escalators, rather than walking or climbing stairs. The amount of time that children spend playing outside has been reduced measurably in the last decade. Many children are deciding to watch television or play video games, instead of playing outside. Not only are children missing their exercise at home, but also at school. Many physical education programs have been cut out of a child's day at school, to save money short term, but many schools aren't thinking long term. Decreased physical education in school leads to more sedentary lifestyles, which leads to weight related issues such as obesity. Not only does lack of physical activity have a physical effect, but a mental one too. Attending physical education classes has been directly related to better academic performance and attitude toward school (The Effect of Budget Cuts on Physical Education).Because children are not getting their needed exercise at home, or at school, many children are left with no other way to exercise. Therefore they are playing more video games and spending more time inside. Not exercising, combined with eating unhealthy, is leading more children into the deep hole of childhood …show more content…
Of these commercials, many of them are targeted toward children. America's environment is also adding to the number of children who are obese. This is due to many factors, but here are a few that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) thinks are important: advertising of junk food, child care centers, few number of places that children can be safe and play, limited access to healthy and affordable foods, increasing portion sizes, lack of breastfeeding, and easy access to unhealthy foods. “Over the past few decades, portion sizes of everything from muffins to sandwiches have grown considerably. Unfortunately, America’s waistbands have reacted accordingly.” Greater portion sizes are not only in restaurants, but they surround us every day. From plate sizes increasing from ten inches to twelve inches, to a single soda bottle increasing from eight ounces to twenty ounces, they influence our moves that we make. (Monte par.1) Each of these factors contribute to the rise of childhood obesity, and explain why a child's environment can have lasting effects on their

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