Fast Food Effects On Childhood Obesity

As the number of obese children in America grows, so do the health problems that are a direct result of the fast food effects on childhood obesity. Statistics show that between 10% and 15% of today's children are already obese, and this does not include the children that are at risk for quickly becoming obese.

There are a number of factors that are related to the rise of obesity in children in the United States, including television, video games, advertising, and the foods children eat.

One of the biggest culprits is the high consumption of fast food among children, and while an occasional stop at McDonald's probably will not lead to obesity, it is the children who are consuming fast food on a regular basis that are at such a high risk.

With the hectic lives of many parents and their children, many times instead of a healthy well balanced meal, people are turning to fast food for a quick fix at mealtime.

This quickly becomes a habit in the lives of many people and some children end up eating fast food meals almost every day.

Uninformed parents may wonder why fast food is such a bad choice for children, but once people realize that the consumption of fast food leads to consuming more calories, more fat, more sugars, and more carbohydrates, the fast food effects on childhood obesity becomes clear.

One average, if your child eats fast food only 2-3 times each week, this can result in an extra six pounds gained every year, which can quickly add up. If your child eats fast food every day, then he or she is likely to gain even more weight.

For parents to understand completely how fast food is causing their child to become obese, they need to take a closer look at the nutritional facts surrounding the food their children eat.

For example, if your child wants one double cheeseburger, a large order of fries, and a large coke, your child will end up consuming 1340 calories and 53 grams of fat in one meal.

In general adults only are to consume about 2000 calories a day, and children less than that, so in one meal a child has consumed almost an entire day's worth of calories and fat. Add a small vanilla shake to that meal and you get a whopping total of 1760 calories and 63 grams of fat.

When you take the time to actually see what children are eating, it becomes very apparent why so many children are dealing with obesity. See our page on the obesity cure.

Saying you'll never let your child eat fast food again may be a bit extreme, but in their best interest you should try to cut down fast food consumption to only a couple times each month. By cutting the amount of fast food your child consumes you will help them eliminate a number of the fast food effects on childhood obesity.

Parents need to remember that obesity is serious and can lead to a variety of health problems, both as a child and as an adult. If you want to protect your child from serious health problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, and liver disease, then it is time to take control and start limiting the amount of fast food in their diet.