The rate of obese juveniles in the western world has escalated by one-fifth over the past decade. Causes like sedentary lifestyle as well as imbalanced diet have contributed to the increasing numbers, while the phenomenon leads to a multitude of consequences such as health issues and higher medical expenses. This essay will address the factors and aftermaths of the worrying pattern in a detailed manner.
As starters, the main cause of the trend is a sedentary lifestyle that is worshipped by the majority of teenagers. Thanks to the development of cutting-edge digital gadgets, they tend to stay at home for their convenience and are reluctant to force themselves out from their cocoon to see the outside world. For instance, students in this era opt to be couch potatoes and binge-watch dramas and soap operas rather than exercising. Consequently, the calories that have been consumed by them cannot be burned and will be converted to fat instead. In addition, the imbalanced diet of adolescents also contributes to the increasing numbers. On account of more and more fast food franchises available to their convenience, they reckon that fast food will be an alternative for a healthy meal. For instance, there are more than 20,000 McDonald’s outlets throughout the UK, hence getting fast food is right at their fingertips. As a result, the excessive fat and sugar intake will then lead to an unhealthy weight among children.
As for the effects of possessing excessive weight, the most notable aftermath will be deteriorating health. It is because the extra weight will cause the internal organs to not have the capability to function optimally. Thus, there are a plethora of health issues that are heavily linked to obesity. For example, the increasing rate of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and hypertension in the past few years has a significant connection with the escalating rate of obesity among young adults. Moreover, the haunting trend will also lead to higher expenses for the family. It is due to the fact that the most effective method to reduce weight for a patient is a surgical process known as gastric bypass, where a small part of the patient’s stomach is removed in an attempt to reduce weight as well as appetite so that food intake can be controlled. However, this surgery does not come cheap and is not covered by any insurance plan throughout the world. In other words, the expenses have to be borne by the family and will definitely burn a hole in their wallet.
To recapitulate, aspects of improper lifestyle and diet have led to the escalating percentage of overweight teenagers, and the aftermath in terms of health and expenses will come haunting towards adolescents as well as their parents. Hence, aggressive measures need to be taken by society for the sake of the country’s future.