Rough Draft of First Two Pages

Obesity
Go to a mall and look around. You should see an overweight or obese teen or child effortlessly. If a person has a BMI higher than 30 they are considered obese. (cdc) “In the last 30 years the number of children who are overweight has tripled to 15%. When you add the overweight and obese statistics together, the problem becomes crystal clear. One-third of the nation's children are carrying too much weight.”(hcco) But what caused these huge numbers of obese children and teens in our population in the richest and most successful nation on earth? Doctors claim that the main reasons for it are poor diets and lack of exercise (hcco). Our mothers and fathers have the most influence on our lives. And one of the best ways to teach is by example. Parents should act as a role model for their children in the things they eat and the ways they exercise.

With peer pressures all around, teens and children are always worried about their image. They make choices with what the crowd does. Sometimes these pressures lead to anorexia or on the opposite spectrum obesity. But, the best diet a child or teen can be on is the non-fad diet. “The no-fad diet is one that relies on good food choices that provide the nutrients needed to accommodate changing bodies”(hcco) Diet doesn’t necessarily mean not eating, it means eating the healthy food, in correct proportions.

If parents teach their children to have a well-balanced diet, all these pressures will subside. With healthy bodies, children and teens won’t be sent in the direction of not eating of overeating. Avoiding fatty, high sugared, greasy food is simple. The parents, by not buying these unhealthy products, can teach their children to eat healthy food like fruits and vegetables instead. Always having grapes or nuts or jello available to snack on in the pantry is very important.

Fast food restaurants have begun to offer healthy alternatives on their menus. Their advertisements target young children and teens to come to their restaurants. Those thousands of dollars and millions of man hours put into commercials and advertisements are no match for children. Parents should make it clear that it is okay to go to them sometimes though. When they do go out to eat get a small drink and fries and not the biggest size. Or even better, milk should be suggested instead of pop, and apples or carrots instead of fries. These simple choices can have a huge impact. Parents, order the salad and take out the mayo dressing to set an example too.

Technology has taken over today’s world. ”People don’t have to walk a mile to see their closest neighbor. They can just sit on their couch and text them burning about 10 calories.”(nick) TV, computers and video games make for much more sedentary lifestyles in most children’s lives now a day.

Schools have also contributed to increased childhood obesity. ” Daily participation in school physical education among adolescents dropped 14 percentage points over the last 13 years, from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003.” Sitting in school for seven hours a day is not teaching children healthy habits.