Obesity In America

As the end of the school year comes around; seniors are graduating, teachers are retiring, and dreams of summer plans fill the minds of students. Sitting in class, one might not worry about how their body will look in twenty years; but maybe everyone should be, since 35% of Americans are obese and 34% are overweight (Britannica School Encyclopedia, 2016). People say they will eat healthy once high school is finished, but we’ve all heard of the “freshman 15” that never goes away! Still 15 pounds is not that much, so how does 15 pounds turn into 50 or in some cases 100 pounds? As Americans we spend too much time sitting and eating unhealthy food. Sitting is a part of the problem, due to a large portion of jobs require us to sit and we eat unhealthy on behalf of it is that it's easier to

grab McDonalds than it is to prepare a beneficial home cooked meal.
The obesity epidemic became a problem in the 1980’s when the rise of fast food and quick meals took hold of America. The problem is not with adults who know that they are obese or even overweight, but with children who are eating unhealthy and not exercising. Ending the obesity epidemic begins with children not the adults. The WHO or World Health Organization, released this data in 2007, 23% of children ages 4-5 were obese or overweight and 32% of 10-11 year-olds were also obese or overweight. Unfortunately, this is not the scariest statistic the WHO has released, but the fact that in 2013, 42 million children under five were overweight is the horrifying one they released (2014). Since 2007, when the first data about overweight children was released, different companies and people have tried to start campaigns to motivate children to move. Michelle Obama’s, Let’s Move program is one of the better known campaigns; but like a majority of not supported campaigns it did not work as planned. Changing the youth of America is the best way to stop the obesity epidemic in it’s tracks.
An excess of body fat is the definition of the word obese.

According to an article on Britannica School Encyclopedia, a person is classified overweight if the BMI or body mass index was over 20 and they were classified as obese if their BMI was over 30 (2016). A person becomes overweight when they consume more calories from food than they burn from exercise. However, there is other causes of obesity than overeating like: environment, genetics, health problems, and emotional problems. The environment is the largest contributor to obesity, considering it affects a person’s diet the greatest. America’s environment plays a major role in the obesity in America, since it promotes oversized portions and eating unhealthy. Obesity is a problem, as a direct correlation to the countless health problems like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and various other concerning issues. These health problems in severe cases can even cause death, furthermore these health problems are preventable if a person takes care of their body for their whole life. Once again the root of the problem starts as children, considering the majority of children do not pay attention to what they are

eating.
After recognizing that the youth of America is the way to solve the obesity problem, what are ways that the youth of America can help to terminate obesity? The first step is to encourage healthy eating as found on the CDC website. They suggest that if you keep lean meats, low-fat dairy products, plenty of fruits and vegetables in the house, encourage smaller portion sizes, and promote the consumption of water their children will develop healthy eating habits. Accordingly, removing sugary and high calorie foods and beverages from the house this will help children avoid these items later in life. The CDC also recommends that parents constantly look for ways to prepare their meals and snacks in a healthier (Tips for Parenting, 2016). The easiest way to adjust a family’s way of eating is to start modestly. It is also important to remember that it is not an easy task to reprogram a family to eat healthy if it hasn’t happened in the past. This is the first step in preventing obesity in children and furthermore preventing obesity in adults.
The other solution to obesity is to promote a healthy amount of exercise. A healthy amount of exercise depends mainly on age, sex, and size of the person. According to the New York state government website, the average young child should complete a minimum of sixty minutes of activity everyday (2017). Activity can include anything from dancing to taking a walk in the park; however the activity should be age appropriate and if possible to take place outside if weather is permissible. Children also respond better to being active if their parents are active as well. Whether the parent and child exercise together or the child sees the parent exercise, this is helpful in the long run for training children to exercise in adulthood. Another way to motivate kids to exercise is to fabricate it into a game by turning it enjoyable. Like eating healthy, starting small is the best way to incorporate exercise into a family; before jumping right to sixty minutes of activity, start with fifteen or twenty. However, if a child receives their sixty minutes of activity, but afterwards spends their day sitting in front of a screen the exercise will do little benefit. It is important to limit screen time with children to promote a healthy lifestyle. The combination of limited screen time and exercise a child will develop a healthier lifestyle which will help them stay at a healthy weight.
Obesity is a major problem in the America, but also in the world; with more than a quarter of the world’s population being obese, something needs to change. Causing a multitude of health problems, many of which can cause death if not treated correctly. Consequently, obesity needs to be stopped; by starting with the children. According to the EASO, about 2.8 million adults die a year, as a result of obesity (2014). Obesity needs to stop taking the lives of people; and if we start with children, obesity will be prevented. If young children are taught to eat healthy and limit high sugar foods from their diet and they exercise the correct amount for their age, sex, and size the problem of obesity can be put to an end. This solution will take time, since changing how families do something is challenging.