Overweight Children - Essay Example

Overweight Children Affiliation: Introduction Overweight in children is brought about by several reasons and this therefore means that the parties to blame are many and not just one. This essay will prove that both the parents and the presence of many fast food outlets are to blame for the overweight in children in the developed countries. Parents are to blame for their overweight children. This is the so because the parents are supposed to be the monitors of their children including eating behavior and exercising.

Most parents are too busy with their careers and social engagements to pay attention to their children or even cook healthy food. Most cases children are left for the nannies to take care of them who in turn do not bother much with diet. The children whose parents do not monitor their food intake tend to take more junk food as snacks at all times of the day even after meals. The other causal reason to blame parents is the lack of exercise for their children. There are numerous playing grounds in neighborhood where children can play after school or on weekends to burn the fat and be healthy.

However, parents buy them video games and they spend unlimited time on them hence not getting enough exercise.The other blame party is the influx of fast food outlets around the neighborhoods. Fast food attracts not only children but adults and they are convenient for most people with the busy life of work. Children are left money to order meals and they order fast food such as pizza and burgers which are full of starch and not enough vegetables. The end result is the children increasing in weight.

The fast food owners should not sell the fast food to children without supervision of an adult. They should also include healthy food such as vegetables and fruit salads in their menu to encourage healthy eating. Majority of the blame however even though both parties have participated is towards the parents. They should try to be more careful about the health of their children. It is understandable that they are busy but they should find time to ensure that their children eat healthy food. As children grow, they understand what they are taught and will practice.

Parents should talk to their children about the negative effects of eating a lot of unhealthy food and do this with numerous examples. The parents should also practice what they are saying and ensure themselves are not eating unhealthy food and especially in front of the children. Lastly, the parents should make it a point of making regular visits to the doctor to have their children weight and growth checked as well as get advice on nutrition and exercise which they should put into practice at all times.

ConclusionIt has been established that both the parents and the numerous fast food outlets are to blame for the increase in overweight children. As majority of the blame however lies with the parents, they should be on the forefront to fight and eliminate the overweight which has health complications to the children.