What is the Percentage of Overweight Kids in the United States

The percentage of overweight kids in the United States has increased three fold in the last two decades. This is attributable to the shortage of programs for healthy dieting and proper exercise for overweight kids. Over time, the problem has been exacerbated because overweight children become obese adults with greater risk for preventable diseases when they mature.

Where Did It All Start?

The most basic building blocks for good health are often overlooked by many Americans nowadays. These are healthy diet and proper exercise. In this advance technological times, it is much harder to keep weight down due to the prevalence of Internet access, video gaming and television shows. This contributes to a sedentary lifestyle instead of being active outdoors to promote muscles and motor coordination. With the developments in home entertainment systems, the over-all number of overweight kids has increased exponentially in the last twenty years.

This absence of physical activity married with poor eating regimens have resulted in an increasing percentage of overweight kids worldwide. The American food staple has become French fries, hamburgers, potato chips and other polysaturated fatty foods. Fewer and fewer Americans have eating regimens based on vegetables and fruits, whole grains and non fatty meat cuts.

The percentage of overweight kids have increased due mainly to consumer advertisements that bombard them and thus convince them that the right food to eat are the unhealthy ones. Much research has been done correlating advertisements and food choices in children. And, this is exacerbated by the free toys that come with the meals that these restaurants carry in their menus.

Getting Back on the Healthy side

How then can we assist the children in getting proper nutrition and becoming more active at home to decrease the percentage of overweight kids? First off, you need to be a good role model for your own children. What you eat would be seen as the right things to eat and if you are seen lounging around the living room and eating unhealthy food; they would mimic those habits. But if you encourage an activity where one can play outdoors, like rollerblading, going on long walks, and eating a healthy diet, these would just become natural to your children.

Now is the time to do all of these. Make your child be the rule rather than the exception. It is your duty as a parent to help decrease the percentage of overweight kids by making your own kids eat the right food and exercising daily. In making eating healthy and having an active lifestyle, you would be leading your family to become healthy and active and avoid being overweight and becoming obese. What you do with your child would affect his future health and well-being.