The Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity - 2517 Words

When people observe children who are overweight, they think they are cute, but in reality the obese children are setting themselves up for numerous health risks. The problem of obesity in children is on the rise in America. One in three children in America is obese (Kelly). Anyone can recognize there is a problem with the growing numbers of children overweight, however, no one has come up with a way to stop the obesity epidemic. This epidemic in children has been caused by numerous factors now numerous solutions can stop this if they are put in use. Children are weighing more than they ever have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, â€Å"Obesity has tripled in the past 30 years from seven percent to twenty percent†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Even with that there is no distinct way to to predict if a child will be obese or not (Perry). The advances in technology are other reasons why children are becoming obese. Technology advances are encouraging a sedentary lifestyle for children. A study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation done in 2012, showed that children ages seven to eighteen spend seven and a half hours daily their phones or on social media (Kelly). They found that children spend four and a half hours watching TV, two and a half hours listening to music, one hour on the computer, and thirteen minutes playing video games a day (Kelly).When children are watching TV or playing video games, they are mindlessly eating, not knowing how many calories they are taking in. The key to stay healthy is to maintain a balance between energy intake and outtake (Perry). Playing video games and sitting on the couch watching TV is not a way to burn energy. Technology and emotion distress can be rooted back to a child’s weight. Being depressed or emotionally unstable can cause children to put on extra weight. Being obese affects a person emotionally and psychosocially (Perry). Children understand that they are not the same size as everyone else, which causes them to distance themselves. Instead of going to play tag, exercising, they will stay inside being sad about being overweight and not being