According to the American Heart Association, childhood obesity is fast becoming one of the most pressing issues that the children of today are facing. Studies have shown that obese children have a greater tendency to carry this condition into with their adolescent and adult stages. In fact, childhood obesity is now believed to increase the child's risk of developing cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases that are manifested as a number of health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even cancer.
Questions as to why there is a significant increase in cases of childhood obesity have been addressed by experts at the Obesity Society, citing unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle as the main culprits. They explain that the proliferation of unhealthy food and empty calories, mostly from the vast selection of fast food and an alarming exposure to junk food, have greatly influenced the way that children eat nowadays. In previous years, school children have normally been allowed to have one snack in a day, while a similar set of children today consumes up to six times of that amount.
In addition to their eating habits, more and more children seem to be displaying a noticeable lack of interest in physical activities. Where children used to be physically active and interactive before, most of today's kids would be happier sitting inside the house in front of a game console or catching up with friends by going on social media. These examples make it clear that the lifestyle changes that are occurring in the society today may be improving lives technology wise, but are simultaneously creating a negative impact on the health of our children.
Despite the fact that childhood obesity has taken an alarming turn over the past several years, most parents are not taking the condition seriously enough and often do not acknowledge the fact that their children are obese until after their weight starts to affect their daily lives. According to a recent survey, children from 6 to 11 years old have shown an 18% increase in obesity between 1980 and 2012, while adolescents between 12 and 19 years old have a 21% increase in obesity during the same period.