The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity

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There is an obvious reason why children cannot drive when they feel like it, or go out and play wherever they choose. Children cannot have a cigarette or a beer either because if children did these things, they would certainly suffer the consequences, maybe with their lives. It sounds crazy to think of allowing kids to do anything dangerous, yet each day millions of American children slowly kill themselves with unhealthy dangerous foods. Of the 33.8 percent of Americans diagnosed with obesity in 2010, 17 percent of those were children between the ages of two and nineteen years old. In other words, obese children make up almost half of the total obese people in America, and this is a startling fact. (CDC, n.d.). These children are not overweight, but obese. It is clear that finding a solution is significant to the future health of this country; yet solving this serious problem involves the cooperation of all Americans. Education and conversation about the dangers of obesity will help society to unite and form a comprehensive plan for living. Working together in the school system, the community, and especially in the home can reduce childhood obesity significantly. To understand childhood obesity in America, it is important to understand what causes childhood obesity, how it affects children and families, and what people can do to help in the fight against childhood obesity.

One of the ways to understand how children become obese involves learning about how the environment affects their daily lives. The neighborhoods that children live in usually depend on the income level of the parent or guardian. If a child lives in a safe neighborhood with parks, sidewalks and a low crime rate, they are more likely to go outside and play. Som...

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