Childhood obesity has become a national epidemic. Millions of American children have succumbed to habits that lead to permanent side effects which cannot be effectively cured later in life. Complications such as early onset diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease have become commonplace in the American home. Many blame fast food, bad parenting or inactivity as the primary cause of childhood obesity, but which is really responsible?
The rise of overweight children has tripled in the last 30 years alone. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 16 percent of kids ages 6 to 19 in America are overweight, compared to in 1963, where only 4 percent of children were at risk of being overweight. Obese children are much more likely to develop high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type-2 diabetes at a young age.
Even though the government has made TV ads children to go outside and “get active” obesity remains a problem. Michelle Obama has come out on many occasions pushing kids to eat right and get into sports, but she remains largely unheard over the blaring noise of video games and action movies.
“Not understanding you can’t starve yourself, many kids try to just cut everything out of their diet or cut all the fat out of their diet,” said Certified Athletic Trainer Paul Rupp. “We need fats in our diet. It helps regulate our systems. We need protein [and] we need carbohydrates, but [we need] the right kind of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.” A lack of knowledge in how to diet properly is evident in society.
The causes of rising obesity in kids are debated. Some blame the inactiveness of the new generation while others say it is the grossly unhealthy diet or lack of education, but the problem is on the rise, and major, dramatic steps need to be taken soon.
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