Childhood Obesity: A Growing Problem in Our Society

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Overweight and obese children significantly affect the United States today, becoming a further pronounced issue. The amount of overweight adolescents and younger children sky rocketed in the past few years, and more than tripled since the 1970s. Developing overweight habits while young inhibits an individual’s chances of a healthy lifestyle later in life. In order to prevent the obesity epidemic in our country, the major causes and root problems of obesity must be explored and abolished. Obviously, overeating and a lacking of physical activity both contribute immensely to obesity. The one most unaware to the public eye is the overwhelming availability of cheap food and how that affects social classes. Childhood obesity, an issue slowly swallowing the United States, becomes more pronounced every day due to overeating, little to no exercise, and product availability and easy access.
To begin with, children today consume food in outrageous quantities, creating one of the biggest yet most obvious reasons for obesity: overeating. Although children do require extra calories to grow, they continuously take in way more than they burn off, creating unnecessary weight gain. (Brand, 1). Calorie consumption has increased dramatically among kids in the past few years. The largest increase of calorie intake per day was found in children ages 2-6, an average of 181 calories a day, and in extreme cases up to 586 calories. 121 are from snacking alone on calorie dense, energy lacking snacks. (Bishop, 2). Meredith Brand states, “Snacking is another major [weight gain] culprit and children are snacking more than ever before…accounting for up to 27% of daily calorie intake.” Also, as meal portions grow larger, children become more accustom to eating...

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...ar 2014. http://www.parenting.com/health-guide/childhood-obesity/causes.
Price, Deon. “Is technology to blame for childhood obesity?” Daily Republic. (2011):1-2. Print. http://www.dailyrepublic.com/opinion/localopopinioncolumnist/is-technology-to-blame-for-childhood-obesity.
Roizman, Tracy. “Reasons Eating Junk food is Not Good.” Healthy Eating: Demand Media. (2014):1-2. Print. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/reasons-eating-junk-food-is-not-good-3364.html
Snyder, TD. “Obesity and Overweight for Professionals.” Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. CDC, 17 April 2013. Web. 3 Apr 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html
Titone, James. “Childhood Obesity.” NYU. (2012):1-7. Web. http://www.nyu.edu/classeskeeper/EvergreenEnergy/titone.pdf.
Zinczenko, David. Eat This Not That: Restaurant Survival Guide. 1.1. New York: Roddle Inc., 2010. 3-20. Print.

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