All children are at risk of becoming obese; it is one of the easiest diseases to contract. Unlike other activities that can result in illness – smoking which can cause lung cancer, drinking alcohol which can cause liver disease – eating is necessary to survive. It is unavoidable to eat, which is why obesity rates are so high, but there are the right and wrongs ways to do so. While unhealthy eating can lead to numerous health concerns, a nutritious diet can keep the body healthy and lively. Childhood obesity is the leading cause of adult obesity, which can lead to much more severe health risks and problems in the future. If childhood obesity can be prevented early on, it would eliminate the high rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, liver disease, type II diabetes, asthma, sleep disorders, just to name a few, that we see increasing as the years roll by. These health issues are some of the leading causes for death in the United States, and should be relevant to anyone who resides within. Aside from the skyrocketing death rates associated with obesity, it also causes economic issues. The costs of treating obesity in children are increasing year by year and are even higher for treating obesity in adults.
 

Kumanyika, S. K. (2008). Environmental influences on childhood obesity: Ethnic and cultural            

influences in context. Physiology & behavior, 94(1), 61-70.