Kristina Waltmire
ENG122: English Composition II
Instructor: Marsha Beckwith-Howard
February 21, 2011
The topic that I have chosen for my paper is addressing the issue of childhood obesity. According to Merriam-Webster (2010) obesity is a condition where there is excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. I think that childhood obesity is an epidemic that the United States of America is facing as a major issue for children health. Childhood obesity is one of the fastest growing health concerns in the United States. The definition of an epidemic according to Encyclopedia Britannica (2011) is the occurrence of disease that is temporarily of high prevalence. …show more content…
Some of the health concerns are type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, lower life expectancy, stress, depression, and low self-esteem. According to the Center of Disease Control (2010) children that suffer from childhood obesity are more likely to get the above health problems when they get older to have these diseases as adults. If some kids are left to manage their own health then they will be unhealthy as an adult because their lifestyle will not change. This is a very important health concern for our children because they are the future leaders of this country and this is causing them to die earlier than their life …show more content…
Life expectancy is referring to the age that a person lives to base on sex, ethnicity, and other factors. There are many factors that contribute to this. One factor is suicide. Children that have a low self-image or ones that have given up could resort to suicide. Another factor is the health issues that the obese child has. As the child gets older and if they already have heart disease, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes are likely to have the complications with those diseases earlier in their adult life. One way that Americans are trying to prevent childhood obesity is having schools offer more gym class time. Another way that Americans are trying to incorporate exercise is that the TV network Nickelodeon has a day that they turn off the cartoons and encourage children and their parents to go outside and play, they call it the national day of play. There are many health programs also ran by the government trying to help low income families with providing their children with a balanced