Growing up I was an
active kid, I was always outside playing, involved in sports and it was rare
that I would be watching TV. I feel that
because of all the new technological accessories, such as smart phones, IPads,
and video games, you find kids hook on these accessories instead of being
active. In addition, everyone is always in a rush to be somewhere and many
people have little time to actually cook, so when they are hungry and or their
kids are hungry they turn to fast food. On the subject, thirty years ago, kids
just ate one snack a day, whereas now they are trending toward three snacks,
resulting in additional 200 calories a day ("Learn the facts," 2010).
Things have changed and it is not a good change as you can see. It is not hard
to see why so many kids are obese in America. It is important that parents
start taking action.
According to Centers for Disease Control childhoodObesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the
past 30 years. Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on
health and well-being. One immediate effect is that obese youth are more likely
to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease and are more likely to have prediabetes,
which can later develop into diabetes. ("Childhood obesity facts,"
2013). Now diabetes is only one major health problem, but other Obesity related
health problems are heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and asthma.
Kids should not be
worrying about these diseases, which is why parents need to take action. Kids
will eat what their parents eat. If the parents are eating unhealthy it is
likely that the child is eating unhealthy. First Lady, Michele Obama started a
campaign called “Let’s Move,” which is dedicated to solving the problem of
obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier
and able to pursue their dreams ("Let’s Move," 2010). This idea is just what parents need. It
focuses on health and being active. This website provides tips and how to get
started. According to Blaze.com, Michele Obama said “childhood obesity is just
a public health issue, it’s not just an economic threat, it’s a national
security threat as well.” Michele Obama getting involved shows that it is a
huge problem and it is something that needs to be solved.
Small changes can make a big difference. Forcing kids to
play outside instead of watching T.V. can make a huge difference or staying
away from fast food and making healthier choices. Implementing portion control
by allowing the child to eat a certain amount instead of the whole bag of chips
or candy. Taking kids to the park or even on hike at least three times a week.
There are many ways to control obesity; you just have to implement these ideas.
References
Learn
the facts. (2010, February 9). Retrieved from
http://www.letsmove.gov/learn-facts/epidemic-childhood-obesity
Childhood
obesity facts. (2013, July 10). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm
