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.

The

weight

gain

and obesity rate among children in Western countries have grown by approximately twenty per cent in the

last

decade. Gaining

weight

and obesity causes can be divided into two main categories ; intentional and unintentional. Intentional

weight

gain

occurs when children increase their consumption of food or liquid

,

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and have a sedentary lifestyle by decreasing their activities. Unintentional overweight occurs when youngsters not trying to

gain

weight

, it is often due to metabolic disorders, hormonal disturbance and pregnancy. The unintentional type might be periodic, continuous or rapid. One example of the periodic unintentional overweight is happening during a women’s menstrual cycle, which takes only short days of each month. Another example of unintentional

weight

gain

is related to medication side effects, which are considered as a rapid increase in

weight

. Excess pounds, not only increase

weight

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but increases the risk of major health issues. Children who are overweight and obese are more likely to have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer and depression. As it is known, much medical research has been made on these effects, providing many statistics, confirming that overweight and obesity have a strong bond with above mentioned medical problems. Fortunately, losing

weight

can reduce the risk of developing some of these problems. In conclusion, either intentional or unintentional overweight can dramatically lead to serious health issues,

such

as cardiac arrest, diabetes mellitus, tumours and psychological decline