Obesity is an ongoing concern not only among adults but is also unfortunately, among children. In order to appropriately find solutions to this epidemic of sorts, it is vital for us to understand the root cause of this problem.
In the 1900s, children in most cases were expected to either walk or cycle to school due to the lack of other modes of transport. Consequentially, children back then were much stronger, fitter, and healthier. In today’s day and age, most children either take the bus to school or use private vehicals for their commute, thus eradicating the average thirty to forty minute walk out of their schedule. Moreover, children now spend more time studying at a desk than experiencing the world beyond the four walls of their classroom or house. The fault does not lie with the child, but at educational institutions bombarding children with too much work. Besides a child’s routine, the main constituent to their unhealthy weight is the excessive unhealthy food readily available in the market. Fast food companies persuade young minds into craving mouth-watering junk food.
With that being said, it is crucial to mitigate this problem effectively. Firstly, schools must integrate sports as a part of their curriculum thus allowing students to balance studying with some form of physical exercise. Secondly, parents can ensure their child is eating nutritious food by encouraging them to eat home-cooked meals, with the exception of fast food on rare occations. Lastly, as adults we must understand that a child learns best when one leads by example. It is considered rather hypocritical if adults do not practice what they preach.
In conclusion, the rising cases of obesity in children poses as a detrimental threat to their long term well-being. The simple mantra to keep the youth of the world healthy is to practice ourselves, and teach them moderation as well as self-discipline.