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Child Obesity From Fast Food Consumption
by Jim Bruce
Every day, one in three children (from age 4 to 19) eats fast food and junk foods. As a result, children are gaining extra pounds daily thus increasing their risk of obesity. Child obesity from fast food consumption is fast becoming an alarming issue among parents, researchers, doctors, and fast food companies because of the health risks associated with obesity.
While child obesity from fast food consumption is not the major cause of this over weight epidemic, it is becoming the most alarming problem because fast food products contain higher fats, carbohydrates, sugars and calories than any other food products children can consume. As a result, children of all ages worldwide are accumulating excess weight and becoming unhealthily because of unbalanced nutrients found in these products.
According to several studies, child obesity from fast food consumption is a major problem because children who ate fast food products consume over 150 extra calories daily. This number can easily add up to five or more excess pounds yearly. Unfortunately, the more calories a child consumes, the more weight he or she gains. This leads to more health problems he or she will be facing later in life.
Many parents and health professionals are claiming that child obesity from fast food has increased significantly throughout the last 20 years because of the increased number of fast food chains. This is coupled with the considerable marketing efforts of these foods that focus primarily on children. Because of lawsuits and claims regarding child obesity from fast food, many restaurants and fast food chains are now offering, and focusing their advertising campaigns, on healthier food options.
Fast-food Prevention: The Cure To Child Obesity
Child obesity from fast food research has shown that children who eat fast food meals two to three times a week consume higher calorie intakes, more fat and saturated fat, excess sugar consumption, more sweet beverages, higher total carbohydrates intake and less consumption of vegetables, fiber and milk. Not the healthy diet many of us think of.
This means, children who eat fast food regularly do not receive the recommended nutritional intake needed for proper growth and development. Because of a high-calorie diet usually coupled with low levels of physical activity, children increase their body fat and this results in an excessive buildup of weight.
To reduce the occurrence of child obesity from fast food, parents should be aware of the negative effects of the regular consumption of fast foods. They should educate their children to these negative effects of their diet. If you are not sure of which foods are healthy for optional child development, you should ask your child's pediatrician or other health care providers about the nutrition information of the different menus available in fast food chains.
Be a responsible parent by prioritizing the food nutrition requirements for your family. If you're a parent with a busy schedule, plan your meals ahead of time that include fruits, vegetables, grains and other healthy options. You can also prepare main dishes that are fast and easy to cook for you children to eat later in the week.
In addition to proper diet, you should also consider engaging in physical activities that you and your children can participate in. This way, you can prevent child obesity from fast food and maintain a healthy diet plan and lifestyle for you and your family.
| Disclaimer: |
The information in this Child Obesity section has been taken from a number of sources. It is meant to give you information about certain medicines, but it does not cover all of the possible uses, warnings, side effects, or interactions with other medicines and vitamin or herbal supplements.
This information should not be used as medical advice for individual medical problems. Please talk to your doctor, health professional, and/or your pharmacist for prescription or treatment instructions. |
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