Childhood

Final Research Paper

Tesha Davis

ENG122

Peter Kun

25 June 2012

Childhood Obesity

The United States has a problem with childhood obesity and it is growing increasingly severe with each passing year. Obesity is when the amount of fat on a body is greater than the healthy average for age and size. The high amount of fat then begins to negatively impact health and the individual then is considered obese. Over the past thirty years the number of children that was diagnosed with obesity has more than tripled. Among these children, the most common age range for the spike in weight is between the ages of six to eleven years of age.

There are some people who believe that the root of childhood obesity in America is fast-food chains because their menus are filled with fried and fatty foods. Some however do not agree with this because they feel that there are other factors at the root of this problem. Some of these factors include genetics, but one of the greatest ones is that American children are living increasingly sedentary life-styles which are life-styles with little physical exercise. While obesity is easily diagnosed in every age, race, and ethic group it is also considered quite difficult to control and cure but if awareness is raised people may start taking an initiate in their health to prevent obesity.

“At present, approximately nine million children over 6 years of age are considered obese”(History of Childhood History, Para 1). “The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.”(Division of Adolescent and School Health). This is definitely a great tragedy because each and every one of those innocent children who become obese are also at an increased risk for a large number of health problems linked to or caused by obesity. These health problems have...