Causes of Obesity in American Children

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Nowadays, the world faces many problems that are different than what have been faced in the past. Some of these things are of more critical importance than others. One item of critical importance is the obesity epidemic among children. The situation is becoming quite scary for children who are finding themselves overweight, out of breath, and unable to play with their friends. Older people typically know what got them into this situation and how to deal with it, but children don't know what they should do with obesity. Society is ill-informed as to the severity of the consequences of the obesity epidemic in children. While it may be true that society does not realize the weight gain of children, it can be seen in America that there are many causes of obesity in America children from the environment.

It is undeniable that obesity in children is on the rise in America. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), around 18% of children aged 6 – 11 years are obese and nearly 21% of children aged 12 – 19 years. Over one third of all children and adolescents in America are overweight (cdc.gov, 1). The World Health Organization defines obesity as having a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 in adults. Body mass index can be calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. However, no clear definition of obesity in children has been defined. The lowest number BMI that defines obesity in children has not yet been established. In the scheme of things, childhood obesity is a rather new issue in the medical community. Obesity spans much larger than merely cosmetic concerns. Obesity is a very complex disease than can lead to numerous serious health risks. Obesity can lead to cardiovascular dise...

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