Childhood Obesity And The United States

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States in the past three decades. In 2012, roughly 17% or 12.5 million children and adolescents are overweight or obese” (“Childhood Obesity Facts,” 2014). According to the Centers of Disease Control and

Obesity has been a problem for many Americans. People miss out on most of life because of obesity. They can’t move, they can hardly breathe, and some people even die early because of obesity. Obesity in adults is difficult enough. But, what could be worse than adult obesity? Well, childhood obesity definitely earns the top spot.

Definition of Childhood Obesity: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), a child with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex are considered overweight. If a child or teen has a BMI over the 95th percentile they are considered obese (CDC, 2015).

Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. (“Data & Statistics.” Childhood Obesity in America, childhoodobesityinusa.weebly.com/data--statistics.html). The reasons why the numbers are increasing are because children are eating more empty calories than ever before. Instead of healthy fruits, veggies and nutritious snacks and lunches, parents are packing and serving processed snacks that contains high fructose corn syrup. If this problem is not solved, one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some time in their lives. (National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/learn-facts/epidemic-childhood-obesity). Childhood obesity should be prevented because it is a risk to kids' health, low self-esteem, and they can be bullied because of it.

Improving the health of children today is an important area of concern for health professionals. One of the largest epidemics facing children is the increase in childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries; this includes twenty five percent of children in the United States who are overweight and 11% who are obese (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh & Merchant, 2005, p. 1). Not only have these numbers increased in past decades they are plaguing all aspects of our country. In order to impact this epidemic many changes are needed to meet the needs of these children, especially the children who live in large cities. In Virginia the childhood obesity rate

Cookie Monster sang about cookies and sweets for over 30 years and some say that was a

If you knew your hamburger was made of ammonia-treated “pink slime” would you still eat it? Probably not, right? Sadly, that’s still a problem many kids around America have to deal with almost every afternoon in their school’s cafeteria. This is just one of many reasons that schools should invest in better tasting and healthier food for kids. This change could reduce obesity rates in young kids and lead them to better eating habits in their futures. Better food will also give schools better profits and better reputations that make more people want to go to the improved schools. It is also scientifically proven that good food at school can help improve test scores. This change would allow kids to stay more alert, take less sick days, and stay

In the recent decades, obesity has grown into a major health issue in the United States. Obesity in the United States has become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world. Obesity seems not to be only found in adults anymore, appears to be found among children and it’s a serious life threatening. Childhood obesity turned into a medical situation that children are destined to suffer from psychological, health problems and health care cost that affect children’s.

Childhood obesity is a serious health issue currently affecting America’s population. School lunches have gained a spotlight in the search for prevention of child obesity because the majority of America’s youth eat two school meals a day during most of the year. Although the nutritional standards of school meals have been changed over the years, there is still room for improvement. With additions such as a la cart and vending machines, school meals quickly fall from the federal nutrition standards. As children grow they spend an average of 7 hours a day at school over half of the year. With almost 95% of America’s children attending school, it is one of the most stable and influential aspects of their life. With so much of a child’s time spent

Another study in 2013 found that the ‘severely obese’ was the “fastest growing subcategory of obesity” (Kelly et al, 2013).

When I was kid, I had some run-ins at school with bullies. It was hard at the time, and I went home each evening for some time, griping to my mother about it. Fortunate for me, it didn't keep going long, and I didn't grow up at once where children could be tormented in such a large number of various ways at school, on Facebook or through other online networking outlets.

In the recent years, the issue of childhood obesity has gained major attention in the United States especially in the 21st century. The percentage of obesity has raised tremendously within the last decade. In a recent news article, American Obesity Rates Are on the Rise, Maggie Fox states “about 28 percent of the people in America admits that they are obese.” The United States has become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world. Besides adults who are obese, obesity is also a common issue to children and teenagers. Childhood is an important period when parents help their child avoid being obese. Eating habits during childhood can have an impact on a person as they age. Children in the U.S who are obese, will most likely develop a higher risk of having medical issue. According to the website, letsmove.gov, children who are obese, could cause to wide range of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, high glucose levels, and more. Also, children who are obese at a young age, are likely to remain obese in adulthood. The establishment of the bill, H.R. 2627 Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act, could reduce the percentage of obese children by providing salad bars during lunch times. This exposure to healthy eating habits can help children to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to avoid future health issues.

In February, 2010 “President Obama established a Task Force on Childhood Obesity clearly stating his goal to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation” (Eschmeyer). Therefore, he launched the Let’s Move campaign where Michelle Obama was the leading spokesperson for. Furthermore, she played an important role in helping to improve the food nutrition policy. As nearly everyone knows the issue of childhood obesity has been on the rise in the United States. In fact, children ages 6-19 have a one out of five chance of being obese as a result, putting our children at risk of having health issues and various other problems to have to deal with in life including, being bullied. Hence, the launch of the campaign that would in later

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last thirty years, it has recently become one of the major health issues in children. Children who are obese have a greater chance of getting heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Not only that, but these children have a greater chance of getting bullied because they are overweight, which will lead to a lower self-esteem and may even lead to depression. According to the article “What is Childhood Obesity?”, “Children who are considered affected by

The past several decades have seen an escalating trend in the rate of childhood obesity not only in the United States where 25%-30% of children are affected, but also in many of the industrialized nations. Childhood obesity has continued to be a major issue in the public health care system. The economic cost of the medical expenses as well as the lost income resulting from the complications of obesity both in children and adults has been estimated at almost $100 billion (Barnes, 2011). Overweight children are more exposed to the danger of becoming overweight in their adulthood unless they ensure healthier eating habits and exercise. It is worth noting that the current lifestyle in which many children spend a lot of time watching