Nutrition and Children Essay Example

Nutrition and Children Essay Example Nutrition and Children Paper Nutrition and Children Paper Child obesity has spread like a wildfire throughout the last few decades, making nearly one in three children in America overweight. Who is at fault for the innocent children facing obesity? One may point her or her finger at fast food restaurants for being at fault for the innocent children facing obesity. However, another person may point their finger at the childs home believing that childhood obesity starts in the home of these young innocent children. In Daniel Weintraub’s article, â€Å"The Battle Against Fast Food Begins in the Home† he argues that the parents of the children are at fault for the increasing epidemic of child obesity in America. It is the parents responsibility to teach their children healthy eating and exercise habits at a young age in their home. Parents are at fault for their childrens unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical exercise and obesity. Healthy eating habits for young children have to start in their home. Children are greatly influenced by what their parents teach them at a young age in their home. The morals that parents teach their children are just as important as the eating habits they demonstrate to their children. Children feed off of their parents decisions, which influences the decisions they make in life today. It is the parents responsibility to demonstrate the wrongs and rights of eating healthily by getting rid of all junk food items and replacing them with nutritional food items instead. If parents dont demonstrate a healthy eating life style to their child starting at a young age, the child has a higher chance of having an unhealthy eating life style due to the parents lack of responsibility. The parents lack of responsibility is to blame for the increase of obese children in America. Starting in their home, parents need to teach and demonstrate the importance of healthy eating habits to their children at a young age. The lack of physical exercise greatly affects the increasing epidemic of child obesity in America. Some schools provide physical exercise and education to the young students, although not all students chose to participate. Weintraub states, â€Å" Statewide, the center said, 26 percent of schoolchildren are overweight. † (Weintraub, 7) Who is to blame for the children who chose not to participate in the physical exercise, and the 26 percent of obese schoolchildren? The parents. The childrens parents are responsible for teaching and demonstrating the importances of being physically active by participating in any physical activities or exercises. Parents can influence their children to participate in physical exercise by doing any regular outdoor physical activities such as biking or walking together as a family. Encouraging their children to eat healthily is just as important as encouraging their children to participate in physical exercise and activities. If parents fulfill their responsibility of encouraging their children to be physically active, then the children have less of a chance of being obese in their future. It is the parents responsibility to demonstrate the rights and wrongs of eating food and the importances of being physically active and fit. I am a victim of child obesity. When I was young from ages four to seven, I faced the epidemic of child obesity. Who is to blame for my child obesity? My parents are to blame because my unhealthy eating habits started in my home. They never took the responsibility of teaching and demonstrating the rights and wrongs of eating healthily. My parents always took the easier way out by buying me a fast food meal instead of cooking me a home made meal that was healthy and nutritional for me. My parents did not encourage me to eat healthy nor did they encourage me to be physically active. I was never taught the importances of being physically active. Instead, I was always lazy and played video games. I blame my parents for my lack of participation in physical activities such as sports. They never took the time to teach me the importances of healthy eating and exercising habits when I was a young innocent child. My child obesity could have been prevented if my parents demonstrated a healthy life-style. I blame my child obesity due to my parents I rresponsible choices and actions. Parents are at fault for their childrens unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and obesity. It is the parents who have to take initiative, responsibility and action for their childrens eating and exercising habits. It is more logical to blame the parents for the increasing epidemic of child obesity rather than blaming the fast food industry because it is a personal issue. If parents continue to blame others for their children gaining weight, then child obesity will continue to rise in America. Not only will the epidemic of child obesity rise, but so will the health cost for Americans. Parents need to step up by teaching their children how to live a healthy life style by eating healthily and being physically active. Child obesity depends on the parental guidance; for instance, the family home is an important place to learn about the proper nutrition and physical activity that is needed in living a healthy life-style.