Tammie is sitting in her fourth grade classroom looking around at all the other kids, and suddenly she becomes depressed. Why one may ask? Because as Tammie surveyed the class she realized that she was overweight. Some of the other kids in Tammie's class are overweight too, but Tammie was still heavier than everyone else. Sadly, at the age of nine, Tammie is already about 55 to 60 pounds over weight, and if she continues on the road that she is currently on; then she will have type II diabetes by the age of 12. One of the most dangerous forms of obesity is childhood obesity (Winick 1). Unfortunately, this condition which in the pass has been associated with American adults, are now affecting American kids. Millions of children have the same condition as Tammie, and this number is increasing everyday. In her article, O'Beirne cites a Chicago study that concludes, "[M]ore Americans are obese than smoke, use illegal drugs, or suffer from aliments unrelated to obesity- (2). "Obesity is an abnormal increase in the proportion of fat cells, mainly in the viscera and subcutaneous tissues of the body-, and it is spreading throughout America like a wildfire (1092). In her article Loecher states that "[a]n estimated 13% of American children, ages 6 to 11, and 14% of adolescents, ages 12 to 19, are overweight or obese- (1). The United States is one of the most obese countries in the world, and problem is only getting worse because now this dangerous disease if affecting many kids.
Obesity is caused by many different factors, but the number one factor is diet. Many obese children do not eat proper diets. In the pass, many children's diets consisted of mainly home cooked meals, healthy snacks, and a happy meal from McDonalds, or kids' meals form Burger King (but only every now and then). Now children diets consist of hamburgers, French fries, and snacks almost everyday. Children no longer eat carrots, apples, and bananas for snacks, but instead they constantly chump on candy, cookies, and potato chips.