In our world today, especially the United States, there is a huge problem with children and teenagers being overweight, obese, and even morbidly obese. It is shown that on average 20% of all children aged 2-19 years of age are obese. This is very sad to see, because when a child is as young as 2 years of age, they have virtually no control over their weight, because they are not old enough to play any sports or do any activities that can help reduce their weight or control it. When they are that young, it is on the parents to keep their children healthy, and if their child is overweight, especially obese, that is the parents' fault and it is very important that they change their lifestyles in order to keep their children in shape. Sometimes, the children of poorer families tend to be the ones that are overweight. This happens mostly because healthy food is typically more expensive than junk food is. A 12 pack of Root Beer is on average costs between $6-$12 whereas a 12 pack of water can cost anywhere between $15-$20. This range in price shows that healthy food and beverages cost more, because is takes more to prepare the healthy foods and beverages and therefore making it more expensive to buy. This is why lower income families will tend to be overweight, because healthier foods and beverages tend to cost more. Another factor into the obesity in children is that when the child becomes a teenager, it starts to be their choice on what they do to keep themselves healthy. Teenagers that are overweight usually tend to be lazier and as their bodies are growing they also eat a lot more in order to keep their body strong so as to keep up with the growing that they are going through. Young children and teens who are overweight sometimes do not know what they are doing to their bodies when they are overweight. When a person is overweight it puts them at a greater risk of having a heart attack or developing type 2 diabetes. This is also critical when a child is overweight, because if a child is overweight as a kid, they are most likely to stay overweight into their adulthood and have a harder time losing that excess weight. All of this can be prevented through a few changes in the child or teen's diet and exercising habits. It has been shown that when a family eats together at HOME, they tend to eat healthier, because home-made meals have more effort into them, and more thought put into them that they will end up having less fat and calories in them. It is also shown that if a child exercises for at least 60 minutes a day, it will help them to burn calories and fat, and help the child to remain healthy. Cutting out fast food takes a load of fat, cholesterol, and calories out of a person's diet. An average meal at a fast food restaurant tends to be within 1000-1500 calories, while an average teen should be taking in only about 1500-2500 calories a DAY, so eating ONE meal at a fast food restaurant covers the TOTAL calorie intake of the whole day, so when a child eats over 2 meals at a fast food place, they are already overeating what they should and if they do not then exercise after, the calories will then add up, which will then add weight to the child or teen's body. In conclusion, childhood and teenage obesity continues to rise as the years go on, and there are many health problems that come along with it such as a heart attack or type 2 diabetes, etc. There are many ways to fix this problem. Simply by eating home-cooked meals and staying away from fast food restaurants, and exercising daily in order to keep in shape. If a child or teen keeps to this healthier lifestyle, there will be no problem keeping a healthy weight.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
http://www.overweightteen.com/statistics.html
http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/8534/145207/childhood-obesity?ic=506048
http://www.livestrong.com/article/256927-how-many-calories-should-a-child-be-eating/
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