Children of America today have recently been over their weight limit for their bodies causing them to be considered obese. Childhood obesity causes many difficulties for that child, whether it be physically or mentally. Many people are not fully aware of all the problems the come along for a child that is over their weight, this problem goes a long way for a child and they should not have to go through that feeling of despair.
In the article (Childhood Obesity Is an Urgent Health Problem), a military leader had stated ,’We have an obesity crisis in the country. There is no question about it. These are the same young people we depend on to serve in times of need and ultimately protect this nation.’ Childhood Obesity is caused by many different reasons, too many to count and this issue needs be resolved before we face any more consequences for this nation for the kids of America.
The United States is ranked 20th out of 92 nations for childhood obesity, it has become a major health problem all around the country. Childhood obesity has been around for decades, and rates since then have gone up drastically. Childhood obesity is defined as “ a condition in which a child is significantly overweight for his or her height and age.” (Childhood Obesity) which means that every child of a certain age has a health chart for them depending on their height, weight,age, and gender that tells them if they are overweight or underweight.
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This simple way of figuring out whether your child is obese or not is to measure their body mass index , “obesity is often measured by body mass index (BMI), a common scientific way to screen for whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.” (‘ Childhood Obesity Is an Urgent Health Problem’). Many Americans including doctors are witnessing childhood obesity rates going up, “ Health officials say childhood obesity has now reached an epidemic proportion and is the biggest threat to children’s health since polio in the 1950s.” ( Introduction to Childhood Obesity: At Issue).
There are many reasons as to why childhood obesity is at its highest peak right now. One of the many reasons why obesity in children is an issue is because of genetics, “ however, a genetic disposition to obesity can be exacerbated by behavior choices, such as a high calorie intake and lack of exercise.” . Other than genetics being a reason for childhood obesity, it can also be caused by poor nutrition, irregular sleep routines, and even technology. In today’s society children seem to have an advantage in what they choose to consume, most children would rather eat unhealthy foods with bad carbs then a nice meal with all the health essentials their growing bodies need.
In the article (Childhood Obesity) they stated that those foods with bad carbs “are digested quickly, meaning that people feel hungry again sooner and need to consume more calories in order to feel full” making children consume more than what the serving size claims to be which leads to gaining unnecessary weight. Children are also now more engaged into technology, most of their time is taken up by screen time which means children are being less active outside and more active online. Every growing child needs to maintain a healthy diet and to partake in a physical activity in order to keep a healthy balanced body growing a normal pace for them.
Today’s obese children of America face many consequences that could put their lives at risk. Not only can obesity cause the most commonly known dietary problem known as diabetes, but it can also cause depression, anxiety, and loss of self-esteem. In the article (Childhood Obesity) it states to have more side effects than what’s already been listed, “Obesity can also contribute to other health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, sleep disorders, eating disorders, some forms of cancer, and early-onset puberty”.
Children that face these challenges will go through a lot because they are not like most kids who can do the “normal”things that kids do. Because of their health issue, most of those kids will have difficulties in learning and social development. Childhood obesity rates will continue to grow, in the article (Introduction to Childhood Obesity: At Issue) The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has made an estimated statement about obesity, “ if the child obesity trend continues, by 2022 obesity rates for adults could reach or exceed 44 percent nationwide and 60 percent in more than a dozen states; type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related ailments could increase tenfold between 2010 and 2020 and then double again by 2030”. This proves that childhood obesity will continue to grow if there is no change made.
There have been study cases about childhood obesity and what has been taken away from them and America because of obesity. “A 2010 CDC report found that 77 percent of children ages nine to thirteen participated in at least sixty minutes of free-time physical activity daily in an average week. A 2015 study conducted by the agency found that only 49 percent of high school students engaged in sixty minutes of physical activity five or more times a week.”(Childhood Obesity). Not only will obesity rates go up but so will the death rates, because obesity causes so many health issues some will lose their lives.
In the article (introduction to Childhood Obesity: At Issue) it states that “ Obesity is currently estimated to cause 112,000 deaths each year in the United States, a figure that will continue to grow as today’s obese children become tomorrow’s obese adults, as 80 percent are expected to do.” America has come to an endless cycle of childhood obesity, and at the rate that is going, there is going to be more children in the next few generations that will continue to be obese.
There however is a way that could prevent childhood obesity rates to go up, but it will take a lot of dedication and reminders that the world can change. Today, more than twelve million children and teens are obese and more than twenty-three million are either obese or overweight, “Health experts and advocates have also recommended similar strategies for children’s diet and weight management at home. In addition to ensuring that children participate in adequate physical activity outside of school”(Childhood Obesity).
By keeping nutritional diets and maintaining a physical activity for young children is really important in order for them not to go through the trauma that could physically and mentally harm them. There are been some helpful fundraisers that have been going towards obesity and to get their life back in track to a healthy lifestyle, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included $1 billion in funding for prevention and wellness investments, more than half of which was directed to prevention strategies to reduce tobacco use and obesity rates.”(Childhood Obesity).
