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 disturbing trend.

In

this

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age of technology and convenience foods, there is an increase in the number / percent of overweight children. It is estimated that there was a 20% increase in the percentage of overweight children in the western societies in the

last

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ten years. There are several reasons for the increasing obesity rate among children. The most important among them is the excessive consumption of fast

food

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. In most families now both parents are working and due to their busy schedules, they rarely get

time

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to cook.

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, they subsist on easily available processed foods. Since children coming from

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families consume fast

food

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on a regular basis, their weight increases. Fast

food

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ads targeting children are another reason that contributes to childhood obesity. Companies promote junk

food

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as healthy and their attractive presentation lures kids into eating them.

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, children today spend a lot of

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watching TV and playing video games unlike in the past when children used to play outside under the sun. A survey conducted by the University of Guelph, Canada, reports that on average 75% of the children spend

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inside the house watching videos after their school. All these factors eventually lead to weight gain among children. Childhood obesity is a major health problem for two reasons.

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, overweight children are more likely to develop health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac trouble.

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, obese kids have a considerably higher risk of becoming obese adults. There are several ways to overcome

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problem.

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, parents should find some

time

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to cook at home

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of eating outside foods.

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, teachers should encourage the consumption of natural home cooked

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.

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, the school syllabus should make sports and games mandatory for children. Studies have shown that physically active kids and adults are less likely to gain weight. To conclude, it is a matter of fact that overweight children are a major public health concern in the western society.

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, if parents, teachers and the government make a concerted effort

this

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problem can be tackled effectively.