Obesity

Obesity

The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity
Pamela Berry
ENG 122 English Compositions II
Megan Pope
March 14, 2011

Childhood obesity was once a shocking and disturbing topic has now become a fact, as childhood obesity has rapidly grown to be an epidemic.
In today's society, Americans are faced with many critical issues: issues on health, career, money, and drugs or alcohol problems.   One of the biggest problems we face as a society is childhood obesity.   Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases and it can lead to more serious problem in the end and can be fatal that can cause even death.
Obesity or excessive fatness is a rising epidemic in the United States and in some parts of the world, at an alarming rate across all ages, race, and gender categories.  No single group is immune to the causes and occurrences of obesity. Obesity affects 31 percent (one-third) of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years old (The George Washington Medical Group, 2005).   Since 1980 childhood obesity has skyrocketed from 6.5 percent to a staggering 17 percent, “leaving the adult obesity rate at 34 percent” (Cynthia, Ph, Margaret & M, 2010).   Making two out of every three Americans overweight or obese.
To get a better understanding as to how this has become such a global epidemic, and see how this has increase to where it is and who is responsible.   There are several major causes of childhood obesity will identify, the contributing factors, the effects and what we can do to help prevent and control this national crisis.
Major Causes of Childhood Obesity
“Obesity is being 20 percent or more overweight is considered a disease because it is associated with so many health problems” (Ellis, 2010, p. 1).   The medical impacts of obesity during childhood are similar to those seen in obese adults.   Children who are obese have a 70 percent chance of being obese as an adult and carry a much higher risk of serious illness than those of normal weight (Brownell & Horgen,...