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Childhood Obesity
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Below is one of our free research papers on Childhood Obesity. If the term paper below is not exactly what you're looking for, you can search our essay database for other topics.
Childhood Obesity in America
The prevalence of child obesity is on the rise in America. “One out of every five children in the U.S. is overweight, and this number is continuing to grow”(Weight). There are numerous reasons for this epidemic. Some blame obesity on lack of nutrition and inactivity, but many other factors such as heredity, family income, and medical conditions may contribute. However, no matter what the contributor, childhood obesity is a serious problem that needs to be better understood and prevented. While it is obvious that childhood obesity is an increasing and serious problem associated with numerous health risks, what is causing this obesity outbreak? One major factor contributing to childhood obesity is the lack of nutrition in children’s diets. In other words, kids are not eating healthy foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80% of young people do not eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables. Kids are eating less fruits and vegetables and more sugars and fats. The CDC also states that “less than 40% of children and adolescents in the United States meet the U.S. dietary guidelines for saturated fat.” Reasons for poor nutrition among children may be partly attributed to what types of foods schools are making available to their students. Many of the daily choices for school lunches include pizza, French fries, hamburgers, milk, juice, and nachos. Salads, apples, peaches, and carrots are availabl...
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