Local Relevance

 The well-known expression “children are our future” is the underlying reason we should become more aware of childhood obesity. If we don't take care of our kids now, it will create a ripple effect and our nation's health will slowly decrease. As children grow it is extremely important that they are healthy and receiving the nutrition their bodies need. If they do not receive proper nutrition and regular exercise, there is a greater chance of them being diagnosed with illnesses such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease as adults (“Childhood Obesity”). The likelihood of someone you know or a loved one suffering from one or more of these diseases increases as the childhood obesity epidemic grows. We need to look further into this issue to determine the causes and help take the burden off future generations.



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   Childhood obesity is a very real issue that many believed was a dramatization of a childhood phase. Now, society is starting to steer away from the viewpoint of obesity being a phase, as kids are no longer growing out of it. Parents and teachers are starting to notice the change. For example, Windsor Middle School physical education teacher Gary Mauch states, “I have seen a growing trend of obesity in the past 15 years or so.” Our youth's weight is starting to become a worry of local health officials and parents. Many are finding out the importance of teaching their children about healthy lifestyles. As a community we need to uncover the causes of of the increase in children's weight, and learn how to eliminate them to better the health of our youth.