Obesity is really developing into a nationwide epidemic. America has been cited as the heaviest country in the world because of our national weight average. Children who suffer from obesity usually have parents who suffer from obesity as well. Even though the parents may not have healthy eating habits, they do not try to change. Therefore, these habits are passed on down to the children who, in turn, suffer from obesity themselves.
The problem with obesity is that it can lead to major medical complications, including heart problems and diabetes. Children are also under pressure at school and from media influences, all who say that being overweight is taboo. It is only natural, then, that children will try to find ways to lose that weight and be accepted. Unfortunately, diets and exercise may take too long, so they turn to drastic measures: eating disorders. Not fully understanding the consequences of these disorders, children will start starving themselves or binging and purging as a way to avoid more weight gain and as a way to lose weight now. The problem can be even deadlier if the child is diabetic and discovers that withholding insulin can prompt weight loss. Because a child’s mind is short sighted, the fact never registers that their actions may result in their deaths.
