Jillian Evans

Period 2

Despite obesity being known to cause many health issues, including heart disease, high

blood pressure, and cancer; it has increasingly become a problem all around the world. However,

what many people don’t know is that most people who are affected by obesity and its negative

effects are either children, or individuals who suffered from it during their childhood. Recent

data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of children and

teens suffering from obesity in the U.S. has increased by more than thirty percent since the

1970’s (Howard). The same data also shows that around one in five American children today are

considered obese. Childhood obesity in the United States is a growing problem caused by a

number of factors, with many adverse health effects, but there are steps that can be taken to

prevent it.

There are multiple known causes of childhood obesity that have been discovered over the

years, ranging from genetics to medication side effects. However, out of all of these factors,

eating poorly is by far one of the most common. Cheap snacks, fast food, and convenient to

prepare foods often contain large amounts of salt, fat, and sugar that can contribute to excess

weight gain. Many of these poor diet choices are unintentional, though, as Healthline points out;

some children are obese because their parents simply “don’t know how to choose or prepare

healthy foods” or “may not be able to afford fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats” (Roth).

Environments outside of home can also have a large impact on diet choices, with schools in

particular often influencing the diets of their students through the food and beverages they

provide for them. Another common factor is a lack of exercise, which often leads to excess
weight gain when combined with poor eating habits. This is because calories are not being used

by the body at a rate that can keep up with the amount of food being consumed. A lack of

exercise can also lead to muscle atrophy, which is the shrinking of unused muscles, and can

make future exercise more difficult to do effectively.

Childhood obesity can lead to a number of serious negative physical and mental health

risks. Children who are obese are more likely to develop high cholesterol and high blood

pressure than their non-obese peers, both of which are common risk factors for cardiovascular

diseases (Roth). Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, have been found to be

the leading cause of death in the United States as of 2016; causing 647,457 deaths in that year

alone (CDC). Obese children are also at a higher risk for developing insulin resistance, which

has no symptoms, but eventually leads to type 2 diabetes when left untreated or undiagnosed.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness, and can lead to nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney

problems if not managed through dietary changes, medication, and other lifestyle changes. Joint

pain and mobility limitations can also be caused by excess weight gain; and can potentially lead

to even more weight gain by making exercise extremely uncomfortable. Those who are obese

during their childhood are also more likely to be obese as adults, increasing their risk for medical

complications as they grow older. These physical effects of obesity, both in childhood and

adulthood, account for around 21% of that Americans spend on healthcare per year, as of 2012

(Kelley). Childhood obesity has also been linked to several mental health problems, with anxiety,

depression, and low self-esteem all being common among obese children. This is in part due to

society’s definition of beauty often being associated with being thin. The bullying many obese

children face from their peers over their weight can also lead to negative feelings about

themselves.
 Despite how severe these effects are, and how common childhood obesity has become in

American society, there are ways to both prevent and treat it. One common solution is getting

more exercise. While exercise does not always cause large amounts of weight loss, it does help

burn off varying amounts of excess fat and strengthen muscles that support the body’s weight,

leading to a much healthier and more comfortable life. Dietary changes can also help prevent

excess weight gain and lead to weight loss. While the prospect of dieting is often not appealing

to many people, the diet changes in question do not have to be extreme to have a positive effect.

The consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy

products as opposed to primarily eating foods high in fats and sugars often helps many children

lose weight (Roth). However, some children might need a stricter set of lifestyle changes

recommended by a healthcare professional to get down to a healthy weight, such as diets and

exercise quotas to fit their specific needs. Diets can also be used to manage conditions developed

from obesity, like high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

To summarize, childhood obesity is a widespread and serious problem in the United

States, caused by a number of avoidable factors such as poor dietary choices and a lack of

physical activity. The adverse health consequences of it, both physical and mental, can be severe

and extremely expensive to treat, especially if allowed to continue into adulthood. However,

there are a number of ways to prevent and treat childhood obesity, including positive lifestyle

changes such as healthier eating and increased exercise.

"Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences | Overweight & Obesity | CDC." Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 10 Sept.
2019.

"FastStats - Leading Causes of Death." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web.
Howard, Jacqueline. "Study: Childhood Obesity Is Getting Worse." CNN. Cable News Network,
13 Mar. 2018. Web. 09 Sept. 2019.

Kelley, Susan. "Obesity Accounts for 21 Percent of U.S. Health Care Costs." Cornell Chronicle.
N.p., 4 Apr. 2012.

Roth, Erica. "Childhood Obesity: Causes, Risks, and Outlook." Healthline. Healthline Media, 31
Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Sept. 2019.