Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in America.
Medical professionals have designated obesity as a disease in itself.
The causes of childhood obesity are no secret, although many of us do not understand them.
A few factors are easy to identify but are simply overlooked.
Other causes are more difficult for most of us to understand.
Overall, our changing society has contributed largely to the childhood obesity epidemic.
The obvious causes of childhood obesity are overfeeding and a sedentary lifestyle.
Parents have become less careful about what they are feeding their children and how much, and those pounds can really add on.
These days, children spend a great portion of their time doing sedentary activities, as opposed to the more active lifestyles of previous generations.
While children used to spend time outdoors playing or working, these days they often sit in front of television sets, computers or video games.
Not only does this directly cause obesity in children, but it teaches children not to place as much value on exercise as they should, which contributes to future weight gain as well.
Along with eating too much food, children are eating different types of foods than are meant for their bodies.
Our lifestyles have caused us to do what is convenient, which leads to eating a lot of processed food and fast food.
Societal changes have caused differences that impact our health in so many more ways than we realize.
Rather than growing our own food or taking the time to prepare balanced meals for the family, we have resorted to buying convenience foods.
Often, we do not pay attention to what these foods contain, and these options are usually prepared in oversized portions.
Manufacturers are including all sorts of new preservatives and artificial sweeteners and unnatural chemicals in foods that we are unaware of.
What may simply look like a TV dinner of corn, potatoes and chicken may be packed full of fat and artificial chemicals that are causing obesity in our children.
Feeding processed food is entirely different for our bodies than feeding fresh food.
Lifestyles are really large contributors to the causes of childhood obesity.
Also, it is unfortunate today that processed or fast food is often the cheapest.
Not only does this food contain harmful ingredients, but portions are often much too large for children.
Another fact is that outside influences greatly affect our children.
Children see commercials that glorify fast food and unhealthy eating habits and do not know the difference.
Regardless of the types of food that we allow at home, these days children are involved in so many activities outside the home that we often lose control over what goes into their mouths.
At school, children may swap lunch items and be exposed to food we would rather they didn't know about.
When children are away from home during meal hours, they are either fed by someone else or we are forced to feed them unhealthy convenience foods for the sake of time.
Some schools have also reduced the length of recess time allowed in place of what they believe to be educational activities.
In past generations, children were not in school for as many hours of the day as they are now.
In addition, children were taught valuable life skills that required physical activity.
These days, some schools are even reducing physical education hours in favor of educational programs.
As a society, we need to place more of an importance on health and take more responsibility for the health of our children.