Essay About Weight Of Their Children And Playing Of Physical Activity Games

The Debate Of Childhood Obesity
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A few decades ago, the debate of childhood obesity was not a matter to be discussed. Our
parents and grandparents never questioned the weight of their children, their friends’ children or
any other child they came into contact with. Their children ate healthy foods from the table and
played outside all day. The subject of childhood weight has changed quit a bit since those days.
With the introduction of fast foods, Playstation and Xbox games, our kids live sedentary lives
and therefore, have become very overweight. The epidemic of childhood obesity is rapidly
rising throughout America. In just two decades, the commonness of overweight U.S.
children ages 6 to 11 have doubled. The annual National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about one-third of U.S.
children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Overall, approximately 25 million
U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or nearly overweight. This finding is very
disturbing to many Americans and has caused many debates on how to handle the growing sizes
of our youth.
Most Americans agree childhood obesity is more prevalent today than ever before. If you take
a look into any American youth’s bedroom today, you will find video games, a computer and
other electronic gadgets of all kinds. In this day and time, American kids have access to
anything they could every want; just by asking mom or dad to buy it. If you looked into that
same room fifty years ago you would have found baby dolls, Tonka trucks and books to read.
The playing of physical activity games outdoors has been taken over by the inactive high tech
toys of today. Physical activity for kids at school has been replaced with more sitting behind a
desk and learning. The kickball, dodge ball and volleyball games of fifty years ago have been
replaced with class time learning about how they should exercise for health. But not all of the
blame can be put on the school systems; parents need to lead by example. Kids of today learn
about the right things to do at school but come home to mom and dad sitting on the couch
watching television. One-third of today’s parents are overweight or on the verge of becoming
overweight.
If you took another look into the house of fifty years ago, you would also find mom at home
and dad off at work to provide for the family. With the rising cost of day to day living in
America, most homes consist of both mom and dad working to make the ends meet. This new
way of life has caused American families to eat whatever is convenient for mom or dad to
prepare for that meal. Usually those meals come in greasy bags from fast food establishments or
either in plastic wrappers that need to be taken off before microwaving the food to doneness. In
most homes the stove never gets warmed from preparing a meal more than once a week. This
has caused our youth’s weight to escalate. The obesity epidemic is especially a problem in areas
where many people eat more convenience foods, which are typically high in calories and low in
nutritional value. You can find that type of area just about anywhere in America.
Based on intake and physical activity data, the increase in the number of obese children is
likely the result of a combination of children and youth eating more calories than they are using
though daily physical activity. Weight gain results when energy expenditure is consistently
exceeded by energy intake over time. Achieving energy balance is important for children to win
the battle against obesity. Over decades, social and environmental issues have collectively
created an adverse environment for maintaining a healthy weight. There are decreased
opportunities for physical activity at school and after school and the competition for leisure time
that was once spent playing outdoors is replaced with sedentary screen time including watching
television or playing computer and video games.
Now, let’s take a look at a few facts that show how the American youth stands on obesity.
Over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool
children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for
children aged 6-11 years. Take note that, the trends in childhood obesity parallel that of U.S.
adults. The obesity epidemic affects people of all age, race and ethnic backgrounds. An Asian
child will gain weight the same as a Japanese child but there is evidence that the increase in
weight is especially evident among African-American, Hispanic and American Indian children.
Approximately 30.3 percent of children, ages 6-11, are overweight and 15.3 percent are obese.
Overweight prevalence is higher in boys; 32.7 percent, than girls; 27.8 percent. With those
kinds