The Rise in Obesity Among Children

Question: More children in developed countries are becoming overweight. This is a serious problem for wealthy countries.Discuss some causes and effects of this problem. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

The rise in obesity among young people is especially troubling in many of the wealthiest countries as it would definitely cause the states to face severe health effects in the near future. Improper dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle are the primary drivers for this issue and, ultimately, this may invite more and more non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cancers.

First and foremost, recent dietary changes to consume more preprocessed food have been a leading factor for childhood obesity. It is highly visible that many children are craving junk food and beverages which are non-starchy and rich in calories. Thus, their addiction towards unhealthy food is making excess weight gain inevitable. 

Secondly, children’s lifestyle have become increasingly inactive due to the competitive education system and advancements in technology. For instance, parents would be interested to see their children spending more time of the day for studies because they believe that it is the only key for a better future. In addition, addiction to smart devices and computers is very common among youth and this leads to limit their free time to engage in a physical activity. Final outcome of these recent lifestyle trends would be less physical activities which is a major factor causing unmanageable excess weight. 

Undoubtedly, childhood obesity can have complications for the physical, social and emotional well-being of the children. Lifelong obesity of children is now a global health threat which causes, for many, downstream health effects including heart diseases, diabetes and many cancers. Furthermore, governments have to spend a majority of their GDP for healthcare and, thereby, this expenditure has been a heavy burden for the development of those nations.

 In conclusion, since children are the seeds of the future of our world, it is the prime responsibility of every government to take prompt actions to solve childhood obesity.