The Growing Issue of American Children and Teenagers Both Overweight and Obese
In nearly every city in America, one will find thousands of people who are either obese or overweight. The numbers and rates at which Americans are becoming or are obese or overweight are far greater than they should be. Why is it that in a country with the most useful resources, we as a nation cannot even “watch our weight”? The truth of the matter is, as simply as it can be described, Americans need to change their ways. There are so many steps that can be taken to prevent such an epidemic. Whichever actions are taken to prevent this situation from escalating, the truth still stands that these actions need to be taken soon to preserve the health of our nation as a whole. In total, the growing issue of American children and teenagers both overweight and obese must be halted before it continues to plague the lives of America’s children.
For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the body mass index (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat. An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and an adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. For children and teens, however, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different lables (overweight and obese). Additionally, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body fat at various ages. After the BMI is calculated for a child or teen, the BMI number is plotted on a growth chart in accordance with sex to obtain a percentile ranking. Once it is known where the child or teen stands on the percentile scale, it will become clear if the person is overweight or obese (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry). In all, the BMI number is the measuring used to determine whether a child or...