Childhood obesity has become a global problem
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Obesity has recently become a global problem and it’s even more concerning when it comes to kids as there are too many obese children in the world.
It was thought that obesity is a problem occurring mostly in developed country. The U.S. has been for many years now the center of obesity for both adults and children as we are the ones eating the most fast food and drinking the most sugary drinks.
However, it appears that obesity has slowly become a problem in developing countries as well and things are starting to get serious. In Africa, the continent on which people are known to be starving, between 1990 and 2014 the number of obese children has doubled from 5.4 million to 10.3 million.
And we are talking only about children under five. Globally, it is estimated that there are 41 million overweight children, also who are under five. The data on older children and adolescents hasn’t been gathered yet but by the looks of it, the numbers won’t be encouraging either. Moreover, there are also many children who are on the course of becoming obese, but have not reached yet the limit, so this is definitely a big problem.
The number of overweight and obese children has also risen in low and middle income countries in Asia. This significant increase is threatening life expectancy by leading to disease, death and reduced quality of life.
With all the new medical and scientific research conducted we have learnt that eating junk food and being couch potatoes are not the only things that lead to obesity. Genetics also have to be taken into consideration.
But still the main problem is that unhealthy foods have become globalized and people have started to lead more sedentary lives. According to the World Health Organization this is no longer a problem that requires individual treatment but rather a problem at national and international level that must be solved by authorities and governments.
They must implement solutions, raising awareness about the problem. Health programs should be introduced in schools to educate children about leading a healthy lifestyle as well as giving them access to physical activity and healthy food.
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Matthew Slotkin
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