If I turn left I see fast food restaurants, if I turn right I see signs advertising fast food restaurants, if I look behind me I see someone gobbling down a burger, if I look in front of me I see obese children.

What exactly does it mean to be obese? Obesity means that someone weights 10 percent more than the average weight for their height and body type.

In recent years obesity amongst children and teenagers has inclined drastically. It has doubled for children and tripled for adolescents. Approximately 16 to 33 percent children and teenagers are obese in the United States.

Can we blame these children and teenagers for being obese? I can’t. There are so many things that make them obese which makes blaming them hard.  For starters there are a lot of fast food restaurants that make their food very hard to avoid. From McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, and numerous other fast food restaurants that attract children and teenagers into eating their food.

Fast food restaurants go through so much to get people to eat their foods. They advertise on television, billboards, radios, and any other place they can find.  This makes children and teens helpless because they fall for all of the tasty, but very unhealthy food. Fast food is so high in fat and calories, that it can cause many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and having a higher risk for heart disease. 

Not only do children and adolescences experience physical health problems, but they also experience emotional and social problems. They become unpopular amongst their friends and have low self-esteem. Obese children and teenagers are more likely to be made fun of and be the center of jokes. This will have a negative effect on their emotional and psychological health. If a psychiatrist is needed, then a child or adolescent should see one, who will be able to provide guidelines for improving the child’s mental health during this difficult time.

Obesity is a very serious problem, but it can be changed. Obese children and adolescents can lose weight if they put the effort into it. Parents should enroll their obese children in programs that will help the child’s eating habits, encourage them to become more active, and discourage sedentary behavior. Children’s effort and improvement should be rewarded, so that they can be encouraged to keep going. The center of attention shouldn’t be the weight loss though; it should be the effort and positive attitude that is put in by the obese child or adolescent. Parents should try their best to show their kids that they are doing great and are on their way to a healthy life.

When obese children and adolescents try to lose weight, they will need a lot of self motivation and encouragement. So the entire family is going to have to get involved in order for the obese person to meet his/her goal. The head of the house hold has to plan better meals and avoid fast food restaurants. They should also help the person trying to loss weight by avoiding any meals that include excess fat. 

When a child or adolescence losses the weight they have to stay motivated enough to keep the weight off. It’s not a very easy task, but with emotional support and encouragement, the child or adolescent will be able to keep it the weight off.  

http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Obesity+In+Children+And+Teens&section=Facts+for+Families

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