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Over the last ten years, western societies have seen close
to a 20% rise in the number of children who are overweight. This essay will
discuss some reasons why this has occurred and examine the consequences of this
worrying trend.
The main cause of this problem is poor
diet. Over the last decade there has been a prolific increase in the number of
fast food restaurants. For example, on nearly every high street there is a
MacDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. The food in these places has
been proven to be very unhealthy, and much of the advertising is targeted at
children, thus ensuring that they constitute the bulk of the customers of these
establishments. However, it is not only due to eating out, but also the type of
diet many children have at home. A lot of food consumed is processed food,
especially with regards to ready-made meals which are a quick and easy option
for parents who are working hard.
The effects of this have been and will
continue to be very serious. Firstly, there has been a large increase in health
related diseases amongst children, especially diabetes. This debilitating
illness means a child has to be injected with insulin for the rest of their
life. Not only this, very overweight children often experience bullying from
other children, which may affect their mental health. The negative stigma of
being overweight may also affect self-esteem.
To sum up, it is evident that there are
several causes of obesity amongst children, and a variety of negative effects.
Society must ensure steps are taken to prevent this problem from deteriorating
further.
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