Obesity

Child Obesity: A Growing Epidemic

It is no secret that obesity is becoming more and more of a problem in today’s society. The rates of childhood obesity have increased dramatically from 4.2% in 1990 to 6.7% in 2010 (Broffitt 1). Obesity, defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. There is a shocking rise in childhood obesity that one out of three children throughout the United States is considered to be overweight or obese, making it an epidemic in our country (Gavin 1). Childhood obesity is at an all-time high due to increasing fast food popularity, lack of exercise, and time spent in front of the TV and computer. As obesity rates in America continue to increase, childhood obesity becomes more of a concern for the public. The blame for child obesity increasing is on the parents, schools, and food that the fast-food restaurants are selling.

As fast food companies grow, so does America's rise in obesity. Fast-food restaurants are everywhere. By just driving down a street, there could be at least five fast-food restaurants within two blocks of each other. Because parents do not want to cook a home cooked meal they decide to stop by and order fast-food because it is convenient, quick, and cheap without putting effort in making a home-made meal. No matter how healthy the food is at these fast-food chains, Americans continue to eat their food because it is easy and the food is good (Chong 3). It is so simple for parents to pick up food on the go and not deal with the hassle of cooking and cleaning up afterwards. Instead of fast food restaurants selling unhealthy food on the dollar menu, they need to start pricing the salads at a cheap affordable price and making the unhealthier foods more expensive. Americans believe they are saving money when they finish their meals, but in reality they are causing medical problems to themselves (Chong 4). Children who are obese are likely to be obese...