Why is this important?Childhood obesity is a serious and prevalent epidemic throughout the United States. The rate of obesity has more than doubled in U.S. children aged 2 to 5 since the 1970s. “Meanwhile, the number of obese children has tripled among youth aged 6 to 11 years and doubled among those aged 12 to 16 years.” This cumulates in there being more than 9 million children over the age of 6 in the U.S. who are overweight or obese.
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About childhood obesity in the United States |
These staggering statistics reveal that America must decide who is responsible for childhood obesity. The controversy surrounding childhood obesity has created three major groups of who could be held responsible. These groups are the fast food industry, the government, and parents. Many argue the fast food industry is solely responsible for childhood obesity because they are at fault for the increased availability of energy dense foods and sugar sweetened beverages, which have a positive correlation to childhood obesity. Also, fast food restaurants and grocery stores have increased portion sizes by more than sixty times since the 1990s. Additionally, food marketing from fast food companies is aimed towards children and is psychologically aggressive. Some solely blame fast food companies for food marketing, but others argue that the government is responsible because they should be regulating advertisments. Many also believe that the government is responsible for the increasingly unhealthy lunches and growing number of vending machines that schools are providing for students. However, others believe that parents are to blame for childhood obesity. Parents are responsible for creating a healthy environment for their children. This includes ensuring that they receive balanced meals, including school lunches, and enough physical activity. If parents do not monitor their child’s diet, then their child’s obesity is due to their negligence. Overall, it is clear that determining who is responsible for the epidemic of childhood obesity is extremely complicated and controversial.
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