Major Causes of Obesity Among American Children - Research Paper Example

There are diverse factors that are contributing to children becoming obese. According to recent research, the percentage of obese children has increased gradually from the year 1963 to 2002. A Comparison of the number of obese minors in 1980 to the number of obese children currently, statistics show that the number of obese children has tripled. The steadily growing rate shows that obesity is a disaster among American children.

Most Americans have adopted a culture of taking fast/convenient foods instead of cooking food at home. This behavior is particularly extravagant among children. Children prefer taking sweetened drinks and snacks for lunch instead of taking full meals. Sweetened drinks and snacks contain a high content of calories. Routine taking of high calories foods leads to the accumulation of fats in the body and thus children become obese. Due to the addictiveness of convenient foods, children end up taking more fast foods and lesser healthy foods.

The lifestyles that most American families have adopted contribute to obesity. Children are not involved in physical activities. Children have little or no playtime. Physical exercise activities have been proven to reduce effectively accumulated calories in the body. The same children who take a high intake of junk food do not participate in any form of physical exercise. The children thus end up being obese.

USA’s economic status has improved. The rates of unemployment have reduced and thus a large percentage of the population is in a ‘good’ socio-economic status. Therefore, most American children can afford to buy fast food. Moreover, most junk foods are associated with people of a certain higher social class, and, therefore, most children want to take them. Purchasing and taking a lot of junk food leads to children being obese.

The business of selling fast food is doing very well in the USA. The kind of advertisements being used is very appealing. Most of the advertisements make the impression that the foods are very sweet and healthy. The health risk of these foods is not included in the advertisements. Most people fall into the advertisements trap and end up purchasing them and, in the long run, suffer from obesity. There is little education among the children and the parents on the dangers of taking junk food and the need for physical exercise. This has led to the current imbalance in the quantity of energy intake and energy expenditure. This imbalance is the major cause of obesity among American children. All obesity causes interconnect. They root in a lack of education on the dangers of taking junk food and failure to understand the need for physical exercise.