Topic > The National Epidemic of Childhood Obesity and Its Prevention

An epidemic is spreading across the developed world, threatening millions of people with disability and death. Is it the dreaded Ebola virus? No, it's obesity. According to the World Health Organization “'Epidemic' may seem exaggerated, but the facts speak for themselves: 154 million people worldwide are obese – meaning more than 20% are above ideal body weight – including more than 50% of all Americans." The EMBO reports provide even more disturbing facts about the prevalence of childhood obesity, which has seen a dramatic increase over the past 20 years and now represents a doubling of the incidence of diabetes, a 5-fold increase in sleep apnea, and an increase 3 times of sleep apnea. gallbladder disease and the U.S. Surgeon General have already warned that obesity is a serious and life-threatening disease. Obesity is also known as an accumulation of excessive amounts of body fat, actually noted as one of the serious factors of medical problems prevalent in the public health landscape and affecting the world's population. Due to obesity, unfortunate consequences such as reduced quality of life and premature death are possible. Obesity could be a very interesting and important topic to explore. There are many problems that children face due to the increase in obesity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe time-honored saying “Your health depends on the type of food you eat” still seems to hold true today. Kids today don't have a clue how to practice good eating habits. For the first time ever, children of this age may have a lesser future than their parents. An important celebration that young people generally skip is breakfast. They need a decent breakfast so they don't overeat for the impending dinner time. Furthermore, the decrease in cheap food culture (organized eating outside the home) is a significant factor in reducing obesity in children. Cheap food, such as cheeseburgers and French fries, is consumed more often than homemade food. These cases of less-than-stellar eating routines result in youthful heaviness and physical and mental damage. According to Kostovski, "Genetics is one of the major factors examined as a cause of obesity." Dietary factors have been extensively studied for their possible contribution to increasing obesity rates. Sugary drinks, portion sizes, and amount of fast food consumption influence daily dietary factors. Not only sugary drinks and soft drinks, but also juices and other drinks are an important factor considered the reason for the increase in obesity in children. Many studies have looked at the link between sugary drink consumption and weight and this has been found to be a contributing factor to overweight. Another factor that contributes to obesity is reduced physical activity in both adults and children. According to Dietz “physical activity remains below the national health target of 50%” because many children are more focused on television and computer games, they can influence weight in several ways, this can exclude physical activity. Parents now take their children to school; this deprives their children of physical activity. Many children now travel in a vehicle or travel by bus. Additionally, physical activity is slowly being phased out of school systems. According to Oliver, “since 1989, about 40 percent of elementary schools plan to reduce or eliminate breaks.” Physical activities in children continue to decline; since the late 1970s i.