THE EPIDEMIC
Childhood obesity is a rising problem in modern American society. Obesity rates in children have more than tripled since 1980. Childhood obesity is a major issue in our society because obese children are more at risk for developing serious and life threatening medical conditions, as well as developing moderate to severe psychological problems. If the rate of obesity in children and young adults continues to increase then this may be the first generation that not only will be living less healthy lives than their parents, but will also live shorter lives than their parents. There are a variety of factors that ultimately lead to childhood obesity, but it is the individual responsibility of the parent to ensure that their children have a healthy lifestyle to prevent childhood obesity.