Who is to blame for childhood obesity? Some would possibly say that the cause could be found within the home and personal practices. Others may say heredity, the fast food industry, or even advertisement. However it all comes back to the idea that we must find an answer and a resolution to what must be done to solve this rapidly growing issue. As of July 22, 2001 Greg Crister found in his research that 25% of all Americans under the age of nineteen years of age are considered to be overweight or obese (462). We as Americans should be disappointed by the fact that our country is slowly rotting away and giving in to food, leading our children into lives of gluttony and laziness. Our motivation should be these very same reasons. Take a look at our youth and decide to do something about it. Go to the very root of the problem and find what exactly is causing obesity for the children you know, take it away, and find an active resolution for a happier and healthier youth.
The first obvious resolution that comes to mind when attacking the problem of obesity, especially in children, is that of the intake of food. According to McDonald's, the intake of three of their meals a week is perfectly acceptable for the average child (Crister 463). However if you look at the grams of fat within a kids meal at McDonalds there is fourteen grams of fat in a cheeseburger, ten grams of fat in a four piece chicken nugget, and another ten grams of fat in the small french fries (McDonalds). That excludes ay dipping sauce for the nuggets, and the soft drink or juice that comes along with the meal. Therefore, if an average child were to consume three McDonald's Happy Meals within in one weeks time, that would be an average of sixty-six grams of fat a week, or three thousand four hundred and thirty-two grams of fat a year. Doctors John Malouff,Ph.D, J.D., and Nicola Schutte, Ph. D. recommend that parents avoid taking their children out to dinner on a regular basis and instead buy appealing food that is nutritious.