Childhood Obesity Research Paper

Three years ago Tiger Greene weighed 250 pounds. The weight was taking its toll on his body. He was taking six pills every day for pre-diabetes and thyroid problems. Tiger’s knees hurt; he was constantly out of breath, and he was only twelve years old. His father, Brian Greene, was also obese and was in need of a second heart surgery to treat coronary artery disease. Tiger didn’t want to be next. By avoiding the cultural norms, Tiger took action and transformed himself completely. According to the Disease Control Center, children are at a higher risk to engage in bad habits when eating due to the exposure in their everyday schedules such as home life, children care centers, or even at school. One out of three children in the are obese or considered overweight; this means nearly thirteen million youth are overweight in the U.S. alone. Childhood obesity is rapidly increasing due to the shift in cultural norms. Not only is weight affected by surroundings, but exposure to technology deeply creates roots sunk deep into the issue of Obesity. AAP, the American

Fast food industries are filled with high cholesterol and fattening treats. When in a hurry, drive thru windows are easy stops that harm people’s body types more than they may realize. The average fast food meal averages over 1,000 calories. Along with unhealthiness, portion sizes are increasing in meals. Research shows that children eat more without realizing when they are served larger amounts. Vegetable and fruit intake is dwindling down in youth diets. French fries are the most common “vegetable” that children eat making up twenty-five percent of their intake. Fruit juices are 40% of the fruit intake for children. Because of the shift in cultural norms, there are more unhealthy foods at convenience versus the healthy food that used to be found in many