Childhood Obesity In America Essay

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The first reason why children in America are prone to becoming obese, is because they are more likely to have bad eating habits here in the U.S. According to US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, “The numbers of overweight and obese children have doubled and tripled, respectively, over the past 3 decades. Poor eating habits, including inadequate intake of vegetables, fruit, and milk, and eating too many high-calorie snacks, play a role in childhood obesity.” These days America is being bombarded with the increase of junk food, fast food, and processed food. At every grocery store, convenience store there is plenty of junk food to choose from and has become a staple in many American households because of its “convenience.” Not …show more content…

Cup and bowl sizes have also increased, now you can find anything from mini, to supersize, or king size now. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that when people were given larger bowls and spoons they served themselves larger portions of ice cream and tended to eat the whole portion. This is because when given a bigger size, and it fits more food, you tend to eat it faster; thus being unconscious to how much you actually ate. So if for example you give a child a bagel for breakfast, you are giving them too much excessive calories if they eat it all, as for it is intended to serve an adult, not a kid. Another common factor that Americans have that leads to childhood obesity, is the neglection of healthy food. A misconception that many Americans have, is that good for you, nutritious, and wholesome food costs more, or is not efficient; so they just pass by it at the supermarket and don't even think twice to get it. Contrary to popular belief, according to USA Today a government analysis was done, and shows that many healthy foods are no more expensive than junk food, according to a large new government

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