The concern about the rising proportion of overweight young kids’ population has never been more imminent in many rich nations. While it is plausible to blame processed foods and their sellers, parents’ negligence should also be reckoned as another major factor in the issue.
On one hand, fast food is remarkably attractive for its delicately manufactured flavours, cheapness, and convenience, which pose as an irresistible lure for many, younger ones in particular. Yet these ultra-processed products are highly unhealthy and can cause multiple harmful effects on individuals if consumed frequently; diabetes and obesity are among the most common diseases that overconsumption can incur. The exponential increase of giant food retailers, such as McDonald’s, Subway, and Burger King, has only compounded the existing problem, rendering children more vulnerable to the “junk food” attack. A study found that seven in ten American adolescents got their daily calories from those food outlets in the year 2020. Thus, it could be said that, if potato chips, canned sardines, or hot dogs had been less accessible and prevalent, the total consumption would have been much lower, as would the obesity rate among children.
On the other hand, parents should give injunctions about the insalubrious effects of eating unwisely to their easily influenced sons and daughters. However, reality has proven otherwise, as more than 90% of adults in the US take in junk food every day, which could somehow invalidate their well-intended instructions. To further demonstrate the point, another study conducted in the UK discovered that of all teenage students who have a higher fast-food intake, the majority lack enough parental care or education.
In summary, it is possible to conclude that there are two major reasons for the surge in the percentage of outweighed children in developed countries: the ever-more-omnipresent ultra-processed food retailers and the inattentiveness of their parents.