Fat Kids for Life - Childhood Obesity

            Childhood obesity has become a growing problem in our society although school lunch programs, organizations, and many people have tried to assist to prevent this. Unfortunately, even with their efforts the rate of children who are obese is still growing. While countless efforts have been applied to remedy the situation, not every person can agree what is the main cause of childhood obesity. Although genetics, advertising, and society do play a role in childhood obesity in my opinion the parents are the main cause. I believe parents are the main cause of childhood obesity because the parent should be aware of what their child is eating, teaching their child about portion control, exercise, and eating healthy themselves. It is time for parents to take responsibility for their child's health and well-being. .
             Today with the increase number of duel parent employment it is difficult to be fully aware of what your child is eating. In the article Childhood Obesity by Jennifer Bishop she states "It has been hypothesized that increased rates and hours of parental employment may be correlated with the weight increases in American children." Not only the children in a two-parent family are affected by the hours a parent works but also single parent homes. Single- parent homes are more likely to have overweight or obese children over a two-parent home. .
             In the article, "As kids get fatter, fewer parents can tell their children are obese" by Karen Kaplan, she explains the importance of parent participation "Crucial to parental involvement in weight reduction or maintenance efforts among children is parental recognition of their child's overweight status." How can a parent that is not home, know what their child is eating? Supervising a child is equally important as controlling how much a child eats. Preparing meals for their children such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner would be essential for knowing what your child is eating.