Miles Monge 17/02/2010
Youth obesity
Game consoles, MacDonald’s, KFC, all companies that provide entertainment and fried foods for kids are the main causers of the growing number of children becoming obese. These companies are so prevalent on today’s youth’s lives that they make a profound impact on their health. With the rate that these companies are expanding worldwide, the rate at which children are becoming obese is bound to become even worse. Every corner you go around especially in America you will find a fast food restaurant. This is the main reason why America has the highest youth obesity rate. During the past 30 years the percentage of obese children between the ages of 6 and 11 has tripled. It is amazing is it not all we have to do to change this is adjust our food intake and watch our daily activities so I ask of you to join me and change for the better of our own lives.
There are three causes of youth obesity that stood out from the rest for me. These are poor nutrition, low self esteem and a less - active - youth. Eating healthy means taking a lot more time to prepare a meal and it costs more than a readymade, extremely fast, unwatched while being cooked and full of oil fast food meal. A lot of parents are not educated with what is right for their children to be eating. So they leave their children to enjoy what they like instead of having a balanced diet. Children’s self esteems lower when they are obese because of society’s influences on being thin. As they get more obese their social interactions with other youths decrease because of this influence. Now the low self esteem that develops leads to children no longer being around others thus making them become less active which helps to make children even more obese. A study performed by Research Triangle Institute International for the Centres of Disease Control in Washington, DC surveyed 986 parents on childhood obesity and prevention. The results were as follows 49.5% did not feel schools had the right to record children’s weights. 72.9% felt that schools needed to provide weight loss and exercise programs. 39.1% thought an increase on the tax of fast food was constructive. 42.31% favoured the standardization of food portions in restaurants.
