Obesity in children Essay

Introduction Childhood obesity is a major problem not only nationally but locally as well. Childhood obesity is a doorway to other major issues children suffer from in today’s society such as bullying, and is the major contributor to health related issues not only as a child but issues that will haunt their health in their future endeavors. Let’s Move is a fantastic campaign that brings awareness to the epidemic that is childhood obesity. Attention Getter As Americans we strive to create and maintain a family it’s in our DNA. The whole idea behind having children is to strive to make their lives as fulfilled and as joyous as possible, so how can we possibly look the other way when our children are choosing Xbox and chips over a nice home cooked meal and a game of neighborhood tag. Thesis Statement Over the past three decades the American rate for Childhood Obesity has astoundingly tripled. Today one in three children are deemed overweight or obese. The first step to solving this problem is recognizing it as an epidemic that is hitting OUR children. If we don’t solve this problem nearly one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. Presenter Credibility I am by no means a pediatrician or an expert in child rearing. I have no children of my own yet, but I absolutely cannot wait to one day be a mom. All I know is what it’s like to chubby kid growing up and what it’s like to live life unhealthy and unhappy. Now that I’m older I can see ways that my healthy lifestyle is directly related to my mood. Statement of Motivation We are a country that undoubtedly love our children but somehow love has turned into overindulging and over caudling an issue that some just push under the rug to keep children happy; When in turn happiness through cookies will turn to bullying, health issues, and low self-esteem. It’s time to reevaluate how we make our children happy. Preview Thirty years ago, kids ate just one snack a day, whereas now they are trending toward three snacks, resulting in an additional 200 calories a  day. Portion sizes have also exploded. In total, we are now eating 31 percent more calories than we were forty years ago–including 56 percent more fats and oils and 14 percent more sugars and sweeteners. The average American now eats fifteen more pounds of sugar a year than in 1970. Eight to 18-year old adolescents spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, including, TV, computers, video games, cell phones and movies, and only one-third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity needed to burn half of these calories. This is terrible news for our kids, we should wake up and fix things before the somehow get worse than what they already are.