chosocial complications related to their excessive weight. These range from poor self-esteem to discrimination by peers and adults. These complications are exacerbated in a society that places extreme value on thinness.
As if obesity in childhood were not bad enough, there is the tendency for overweight children to develop into overweight adults. Again, genetics plays a role, but lifestyle and eating habits are also strong factors: (The risk for adult overweight is about twice as great for individuals who were overweight as children compared with those who were of normal weight.( Studies have shown that there are links between childhood obesity and adult morbidity and mortality. A study of adults who had not been obese in childhood and those who had been obese found an association between relative weight change from childhood to adulthood and the development of certain disorders in maturity: (This finding suggests that obesity in adulthood that became established in childhood may be more harmful than obesity that has in adulthood.(
In general, obesity occurs because there is an imbalance between a person(s food intake and expenditure of calories. Persons of normal weight are able to burn off sufficient calories to prevent the buildup of excess fat. Burning off low calorie foods such as lean meats and vegetables is easier than burning off high calorie foods such as hamburgers and french fries. The problem in the United States is the widespread availability of high calorie foods. America is a society on the go. Not only adults but also children have more responsibilities than ever before. Besides the academic demands, children are faced with a wide array of extracurricular activities. The temptation to have a quick, unhealthy snack as opposed to a balanced meal is becoming increasingly harder to resist. Nutritionists predict that the (home meal replacement or meal solutions market . . . will represent about 60% of t...