Childhood Obesity Epidemic

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Obesity among children and adolescents has reached astronomical proportions. It has become an American epidemic, a national health crisis, but who is to blame? Parents? Society? The media? Research statistics prove that today’s children and adolescents are, in fact, “fatter” and less healthy than previous generations. Obesity is measured by body mass index (BMI). A child with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile is considered to be obese. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (2014), nearly 17% of children aged 2-19 were obese in 2012, a 12% increase over the course of forty years. Physicians, parents, and educators alike are equally concerned about this frightening rise in childhood obesity.

Consequences of obesity can