Childhood Obesity in America

Running Head : CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Childhood Obesity in America

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Childhood Obesity in America

The incidence of childhood obesity is rapidly increasing around the world . This is quite rampant in industrialized nations , like the United States , where many people live inactive lives and eat more convenience or fast foods which are typically low in nutritional value . The annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) found that about one-third of U

.S children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight . Moreover this number of obese children in the U .S . is continuing to grow since lifestyles are becoming more and more `slackened ' The problem of obesity among children is particularly troubling because even at the start , the extra pounds often start kids on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults , such as diabetes . It is common notion that causes of obesity are lack of nutrition and inactivity . But many other factors may contribute to a child being obese . However , no matter what contributes or causes obesity among children , it is undeniable that it is a serious problem that needs to be understood and addressed

Understanding Obesity

But , first and foremost , it is important to know what obesity is all about . Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fats Obesity is present when and more than 32 fat in girls (Lohman , 1987 . There is actually a difference between being overweight and being obese . If a person is overweight , they are 1 to 34 pounds over their healthy weight . A person 35 pounds more than their healthy weight is considered to be obese Overweight is a milder degree of excess fat than obese (Dalton 15

Causes of Obesity

Lohman says that not all obese infants become obese children , and not all obese children become obese adults . However , the prevalence of obesity increases with age among both males and females . And there is greater likelihood that obesity beginning even in early childhood will persist through the person 's life span . Now , what is causing this outbreak ? Lack of nutrition in children 's diets is indeed one major factor . So many kids in America are not eating health foods . According to the CDC , 80 of young people do not eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables . Kids are therefore eating more sugars , fats or calories . Reasons for poor nutrition among children may be attributed to the types of foods homes , schools , and convenience stores are serving them . Similarly , nutrition or health classes are rarely required for school children . This lack of health education leaves children ignorant as to how to keep their body healthy . Another reason is that most excess weight is caused by kids eating too much and exercising too little . They gain weight each time they consume more than what they expend through exercise . An average American child spends several hours being `inactive ' like watching...