Growing American Children

American children are growing each year, not only in height but also in weight.   National statistics show that 10% to 15% of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight (Lemonick).   Although 15% may seem like a small number, that represents about nine million obese children.   This is a major problem because overweight children will often battle weight issues for their entire life.   A child is considered to be at risk to be overweight if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) above the 85th percentile and they are considered to be overweight if they are classified above the 95th percentile.   In most cases childhood obesity turns into adult obesity because the child is never able to loose the extra pounds gained in their youth.   The extra weight the person is forced to carry can have serious effects on that person’s health, such as heart and circulatory problems, bone and joint issues, gall bladder problems and even some forms of cancer (Kluger).   Overcoming obesity can be a simple task if the person educates themselves on living a healthy life style.   One cause of the obesity epidemic is that the overweight youth are not educated in important health topics, such as nutrition and physical education.   Due to this lack of education they are not able to make informed choices about their health.   Another cause of this problem is lack of activity.   Before youth obesity became a problem, children played out doors on a daily basis, now most children play indoors, in front of computer or television screens.   The youth obesity epidemic in America is caused by the lack of activity and poor nutrition.   To overcome this problem, there should be mandatory health, nutrition and physical education classes in schools.
            Some may say that people come in many different shapes and sizes.   Although, it is natural for humans to have different builds, there is a difference between being comfortable with your body type and being overweight or obese.   An obese person...