Imagine your little, beautiful, baby girl with shining blue eyes and curly tufts of hair, that you want to give the world to, becomes obese and can’t live her life to the fullest. When she is little, she wants to play on the playground with her friends, but she can’t because she isn’t fit. She has to sit on a nearby bench by herself. Her eyes start to glisten and form tears because she has to watch her friends have fun. You may want to let her eat or do whatever she wants to make her happy, but you have to help her start out her life in a positive, healthy way. Do you want her to blame you for being overweight when she is older? Obesity is defined as having excess body fat, and as many as one in every five children are described as obese. Parents are increasingly unaware about the causes and effects of childhood obesity, and they should start ending this unwanted lifestyle with simple methods of prevention.

Childhood obesity is becoming a huge health threat, overpowering families across the nation. Childhood obesity is very frequent because many social events revolve around eating, and trying out new foods. Parents are always rushing and when schedules get hectic, parents choose fast food over making a home cooked meal. In addition, families who live in poorer areas don’t have convenient access to healthy foods, let alone have a safe environment for physical activities. In bad parts of town parents don’t want their kids outside, because of the high crime rate, so they are constricted to staying inside. Today, children spend an exponential amount of time playing video games and watching television, sometimes over 7 hours of electronics a day. During this time, many are most expected to be consuming junk food. Kids are also persuaded by the media, food, and beverage industries, for what they believe is good eating, but really isn’t. Especially when parents are obese, children are more likely to become obese too. The cause of obesity can easily be changed with a parents help.

When dealing with the effects of childhood obesity, it should steer all people away from eating unhealthy, but it seems to make no difference. People live off no exercise, loads of fast food, and tons of television. Signs of heart disease are now showing up in the arteries of twelve and thirteen year olds. Obese children are more likely to have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Type two diabetes was known as a diabetes for only adults, but now it is found in children and teenagers too. Children who are obese are at greater risk for sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, and poor self esteem.

The key behind stopping childhood obesity is not to fix it after it has already happened, but to stop before it does, or prevent it. Simple changes such as eating healthy and being physically active can lower the risk of becoming obese. Obesity is like the spread of a cold. When everyone around them has a cold, they are more likely to catch it, or in this case become obese. When the whole family participates in weight loss and behavioral change it is a better base of support, and will help drastically. Children learn from what their parents do. So, set a good example for your child by eating healthier, or taking a jog after work.

If your little girl grew up to be everything she wanted to be without the challenge of obesity, it can make you and your family entirely a lot happier. Instead of watching her friends have fun, she can join in. “I like that we taught my daughter to be in control of her weight now, and in the future. We no longer feel helpless and unable to stop her weight gain” as an informed parent said. If everyone can get in control of childhood obesity it will lead to even happier generations to come. Parents that know the causes and effects of obesity and know how to prevent it will be much better off, now and in the future.