Essay topic: Childhood Obesity
Obesity can be defined as having excess body fat, but how much of it do we have to let people - especially children - gain before something is done about it? Obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic among children all over; that fact needs to change before it has the chance to get any further out of hand than it already is.
Poor health is becoming a great problem in society. Lately, children have been the condition’s most targeted victims. Because the youth of today will soon be in charge of the future, it is crucial that obesity is resolved now, in order to maintain a healthy population in the years to come. In the past, most children lead very healthy lives. Thirty-five years ago, it was common that they walked to school everyday, ran around at recess, played outside in their free time, ate home cooked meals with reasonable portion sizes, and more. (“Let’s Move”). Ask anyone who lived out their childhood during that time, and they’d have countless stories to tell regarding that then typical way of life. However, according to The State of Obesity, though, “Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980.” (“Obesity Rates & Trends Overview").
The prevalence of obesity today is outrageous. The amount of children who can be labeled as obese in the present is greater than ever before. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that, “The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012,” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”) and that kids 12 - 18 who were obese, “increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.” (“Childhood Obesity Facts”). This means that by 2012, more than one third of the population’s minors had become overweight or obese. It is very alarming to find just how drastically the health of the youth has deteriorated over time. If this does not scream the severity of the growing obesity predicament in children, I do not know what does.
Seeing how so many of today’s children are now affected by obesity, it becomes clear how in need of a solution society really is. When in search of such a solution, one might ask, “What has changed?” Thirty-five years ago, the majority of children were healthy. (“Let’s Move”). Today, that is obviously not the case. Lifestyle. That is what has changed. In the 1980’s, kids led active lifestyles. Today, those lifestyles have been altered. Kids take cars and buses to school, instead of walking there. Kids stay home and watch TV, instead of going outside to hang out with their friends. Kids sit and play video games, instead of participating in something more active. Kids stop to eat greasy Happy Meals, instead of eating a nice home cooked meal with their families. Politician Bob Filner says, “Obesity is best tackled at home through improved parental involvement, increased physical exercise, better diet, and restraint from eating.” (Cong. Rec. 19 Oct. 2005. 23090). The every-day lifestyle of 21st century children needs to rewind to a time where the factors mentioned by Filner applied in order to reclaim healthy living. If the epidemic of obesity is ever to be solved, the unhealthy lifestyles of today’s youth must be changed.
If these poor lifestyles composed of a lack of physical activity and awful eating patterns can truly be to blame for society’s current childhood obesity situation, something must be done. Parents of overweight children might just be that “something” in this instance. To an extent, adults are responsible for the unhealthy actions of their obese children in this generation, and it is ultimately up to them to kickstart a healthy adjustment to the lives of their young. An article, “Obesity in Children,” states that, “. . . overweight children are at high risk of of becoming overweight adolescents and adults, placing them at risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes later in life. They are also more prone to develop stress, sadness, and low self-esteem.” ("Preventing Obesity in Children, Causes of Child Obesity, and More.") If guardians wish to see a change in the well being of their children, they need to make changes for themselves. For example, instead of deciding to just settle for fattening fast foods, parents can put aside some time to prepare a healthy meal for their struggling kids. In today’s society, many families live busy lives and parents may be obligated to work grueling hours or have multiple jobs, making it nearly impossible for them to make time for home cooking. However, if they spend less money on fast food, they may not need that second or third job, and in return, will have more time to prepare meals. Parents not only assist their children in creating unhealthy eating habits, but they also enable them to make poor choices in terms of exercise. Children today resort to television or video games to entertain themselves, and with their parents funding this type of couch-potato lifestyle, it becomes their responsibility to change it. They can easily cut their children off from their TV or Xbox and ask them to get outside and do something active! Making a healthy change to a lifestyle can be extremely simple, and the results can be monumental… or even life-saving.
The growth of obesity in children is occurring more rapidly than ever and needs to be put to an end. Unhealthy lifestyles are the cruel instigators of the detrimental epidemic and need to be turned around for the better. If the average lifestyle of a person can change from healthy to unhealthy in the short amount time that it did in the past, there is no reason that they cannot be changed back just as quickly. If the world is to ever experience a healthy society once again, it is crucial that today’s youth adjust their lives, and is just as crucial that their parents help them do so. Not a single person on this earth wants to see their children or grandchildren struggling to beat chronic diseases triggered by obesity, and that is why the change must be made today. Because today’s youth set the stage for the future.
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