English B1A CLASS PACK - Bakersfield College

Apart 1Mystery ApartProfessor WillisEnglish B1A21 Nov. 2011Childhood Obesity Causes Great ConcernSociety has changed over the past three decades. There have been numeroustechnological advances that have increased the ability to get tasks done a lot quicker and withless physical exertion, than in the past. The family unit has changed with mothers now workingoutside of the home and children are spending more time at home alone. The home cooked mealhas been replaced with eating out or take out from fast food restaurants. As a result, children areconsuming more fatty, sugary, and salty foods, increasing their caloric intake. There is a price topay for technological advances and modern conveniences. Unfortunately, it’s the rise ofoverweight and obese children at alarming rates. It will take caregivers, health care providers,schools and the government’s involvement if childhood obesity is going to be eradicated. Due tothe health and emotional consequences associated with childhood obesity, early interventionincluding promoting healthy eating and physical activity requires parental involvement.In the past three decades, the number of overweight and obese children has risen bydisturbing rates. Currently, the most common way to measure obesity in children is a body massindex (BMI) measurement. BMI is calculated as a ratio of height to weight. According to thearticle, “Increasing Obesity in Children and Adolescents; an Alarming Epidemic,” to determineoverweight status for children in the United States, the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) “ageandsex-specific” criteria for BMI are utilized (Wilkinson). For children with a BMI in the 85 th21