Childhood Obesity

These days, more and more children are overweight. A name for being extremely overweight is obese. Why is this happening? Doctors, teachers, and other adults believe that children are not getting the right amount of exercise and are not eating the right kinds of food.

In the past, children used to be more active. In early America, there was a lot of work to be done. Children helped on the farms and in the factories. Children didn’t have much time to sit around. Today children go to school and come home to watch the television or play video games. Too many of their activities involve sitting and not being active enough. Children are not getting enough exercise, such as running, walking, or riding a bike.

Another main reason for children being overweight is the types of food they eat. More and more families are eating at restaurants or fixing quick foods that are loaded with calories. These types of food begin to add up day after day. Children are eating too many of the wrong foods and not enough of the right foods.

Some of the foods that children should be eating include fruits and vegetables, dairy, grains and cereals, and meat and poultry. These types of foods can help children maintain their weight and help the body fight disease.