The percentage of overweight children in western society has increased by almost 20% in the last ten years. Discuss the causes and effects of this trend. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Remember to write in a formal style, and write at least 250 words.

Childhood

obesity

has increased sharply in Western countries in the

last

decade.

This

trend is largely the result of a tendency towards convenience in society;

however

, its effects can be detrimental to the long-term physical and mental

health

of children. The prime causes of

obesity

are unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. In recent years, there has been an increase in the consumption of convenience foods among modern families. Busy parents with no time to cook

rely

Suggestion

relies

on ready-made meals to feed their families.

Such

foods have little or no nutritional value, which can contribute to

obesity

.

In addition

, many children nowadays spend an excessive amount of time playing video games rather than playing outside with friends, which leads to insufficient daily physical activity.

For example

, studies show that children in France exercise on average about 20 minutes a day, compared to 75 minutes 30 years ago. The possible effects of the increase in childhood

obesity

are a range of

health

issues. With regard to physical

health

, it is known that diseases

such

as type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure are higher in overweight children than

in

Suggestion

with

their peers. These endanger the life of a child and may later affect his mental

health

. When children are overweight, they are

also

more likely to be bullied and ostracized by their classmates because they look different or behave differently.

This

can lead them to avoid friends in

favor

promote over another

favour

of time alone,

thus

leading to low self-esteem and depression. In conclusion, it is my belief that due to poor dietary choices and inactivity,

obesity

is a growing problem that can permanently damage a child's mental and physical development.