Childhood Obesity, affecting all of us.

Childhood Obesity, affecting all of us.  

By: Aliya Mahmoud

Junk Food

Childhood obesity is a terrible thing that over 1/3 of kids in the U.S have. The main cause of overweight or obese kids is eating too much unhealthy foods and exercising too little. Obesity is one of the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat. It starts with the kinds of foods you are putting in your body and how you are taking care of yourself. About 300,000 people die each year because of an unhealthy weight.  Obese children will stay obese unless they start to have a healthier diet.

I asked Mr. Vernon a P.E. teacher here at Stoller Middle School, what he thought about childhood obesity and here is what he said "Two things, you have to eat right, limit what you eat and activity. The biggest problem is the lack of exercise." Kelly Schenk a student here said "We have a large obesity rate because we have more access to cheap food that is unhealthy." You have to be aware of what you are putting in your body.

Unhealthy Food

Kids sometimes won't make the healthiest choices when they are hungry. They will choose to eat more junk food than a healthier snack. It depends on what kinds of foods are in your kitchen. Cheeper food is usually more unhealthy. It is more processed and not as fresh. There are healthier and more nutritious choices out there but kids won't always choose them. Some families can't afford to buy healthy foods or pay for a sports activity. And the child can't really help it.

Many Obese children get bullied because of their weight and structure. They will feel timid. Kids are not proud of being obese. Imagine being that little kid. You don't have much money and every time you go to school someone always makes a comment on your size. You don't have very many friends and you feel alone. That is an awful thing.

Also if you are obese you are more likely to have a higher risk for diseases like high cholesterol or high blood pressure. But there are some easy ways to prevent this. Just choose healthier choices. Instead of have fried chips for snack, have some crunchy carrots. Or instead of eating a bowl of ice cream have some frozen yogurt with fresh fruit. Also it is really important to remember to exercise at least everyday. And it is alright to have some junk food once in a while. Just not everyday. By having more nutritious options out there we can help lower childhood obesity! So those kids can be proud of who they are!



Word count: 443


Sources: 
http://www.cdx.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm 
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/obesity_in_children