Running head: Childhood Obesity in The U.S.

Childhood Obesity in the U.S.

Andrew C. Berman

Central Ohio Technical College

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Abstract

Childhood obesity has become a very prevalent problem in today's society due to the popularity of video games, the internet, fast food and over eating in general. While today's school lunches are smaller in size and they tend to give the nutrients the students need; this paper will show how our children still need proper nutrition for their growing bodies.

Childhood Obesity in the U.S.

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic of national importance. Study after study has shown with alarming evidence the growing health risks facing America's children. This problem cannot be solved without considerable action. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is a piece of legislation, signed by President Barack Obama, which aims to combat the overwhelming epidemic that is concerning the entire nation. However, there are many conservatives that oppose this act and would like to see this legislation repealed, claiming that it is not the proper way to go about managing the problem at hand.

This essay will show that we should keep the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act while at the same time reauthorizing the childhood nutrition programs and free lunch programs that are supported by the bill.

My argument, will first define the problem. This begins with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention report that childhood obesity is now the number one health concern among parents in the United States (Kind, 2012). The rate of obesity in American children has almost tripled in the past thirty years. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, "in 1983, 18.6 percent of preschool children in the United States were defined as overweight, and 8.5 percent were defined as obese; by 2000, 22.0 percent...