Kübra Yılmaz - 1

The percentage of overweight children in western society has increased by almost 20% in the last ten years.

Discuss the causes and effects of this disturbing trend.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your

own experience or knowledge.

About 20% rise in the number of children who are overweight in western countries has been indicated over the last ten years. This essay will discuss some reasons why this has come off and evaluate the consequences of this alarming trend.

The first reason to explain why the rate of overweight children is growing is the changes in children’s diet. An increasing number of the kids these days choose food rich in sugar and fat such as chips and fried chicken for their meals, supported by the expansion of fast food chains like KFC and Burger King. This will naturally increase fat in normal-sized kid’s bodies so quickly that they may suffer from obesity at their early ages. The other reason is the decrease in physical exercises of children, especially due to the pandemic, which has led to gain weight in many of the kids. Moreover, children opt for playing computer game or chatting on the internet with their friends rather than playing outdoor sports especially in this time, which can be considered as a serious cause of gaining weight of children.

The possible effects of this problem include physical and mental health problems. First of all, overweight children often lead to obesity. Children with obesity possess incorrect functioning of body, which contributes to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and heart diseases. Secondly, they are often bullied by friends and suffer from social isolation which results in mental health problems and higher levels of stress hormones, of self-esteem and of depression in childhood.

In conclusion, there are several causes of obesity amongst children, and a variety of negative effects are inevitably linked to this fact. Parents and more generally societies should take the necessary precautions if they are to bring up healthy kids and as a result possess a healthy society.