Deviance
...English 101
As adult obesity continues to increase, so does childhood obesity. With bad eating habits, fatty diets and some hereditary influence, some kids are doomed to battle childhood obesity late into their twenties. Childhood obesity has become a widespread phenomenon and the risks involved with childhood obesity are becoming clearer with time. Obesity in kids is now epidemic in the United States. The number of children who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades; currently one child in five is overweight. Between 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are obese (Dietz, 1983). As with adults, the prevalence of obesity in the young varies by ethnic group. It is estimated that 5-7 percent of White and Black children are obese, while 12 percent of Hispanic boys and 19 percent of Hispanic girls are obese (Office of Maternal and Child Health, 1989). Obesity is a risk factor for four of the 19 leading causes of death in this country, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. At least half of obese children over six and 79 to 80 percent of obese adolescents become obese adults. Fast food's televised advertising is a significant contributor to obesity in today's minority youth. By promoting unhealthy tendencies and high-calorie foods as well as an attitude that promotes tolerance of diseases such as obesity, these companies are influencing people to such a degree that it is negatively affecting their health (Torgan, 2002).
Genetic predispositions towards obesity may be triggered or exacerbated by poor eating habits and dysfunctional attitudes about food and eating within the family. Parents are less at home these days, leaving kids to fend for themselves for snacks and meals. Only 50% of American families eat dinners together anymore (Torgan,...
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