Childhood obesity is a dangerous epidemic in today’s world. Estimates indicate that at least 15% of all children are overweight. This is a staggering number, especially when you consider that this number is rising each and every year. Chances are you know an overweight child or overweight teen that would fit into this category. What is to blame for childhood obesity? Is it the fact that most of today’s children live sedentary lifestyles? Or is the diet to blame for their childhood obesity? What about the role of parents in the overweight child’s life? All of these factors result in an unhealthy, overweight child. First, let’s look at children’s diet choices. Most children eat a large quantity of prepackaged snack foods. These foods are high in simple carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium. They carry very little nutrition and are definitely not healthy food for kids. So why do so many children eat these foods? Because they are convenient for the parent to give the child! Children’s activities also play a part in childhood obesity. Most children spend hours upon hours sitting in front of the television or computer, either watching programs or playing videogames. Ten years ago, most children played outside in active games during their free time. Because many parents do not feel safe letting their children run and play outside unsupervised, children turn to the TV and become overweight. Lawsuits have been filed against snack food and fast food companies stating that they do not provide healthy food for kids. While this may or may not be true in all cases, the snack food industry is not entirely to blame when you see an overweight child. After all, parents are the ones who buy those foods for their children to eat. If no one bought prepackaged cookies, for example, they would no longer be in the stores. In many ways, parents are the ones who can and should teach their children how to eat properly and how to get enough exercise. An overweight teen who was not overweight as a child may have problems other than a poor diet and lack of exercise. Sometimes a sudden change in weight in a teenager indicates a deeper emotional problem. However, an overweight child is likely to grow up to be an overweight teen, so keep that in mind the next time you reach for the cookies to feed your school-ager as an after school snack. So why is childhood obesity such a big deal? Is it dangerous for a child to be overweight? Yes! An overweight child is much more likely to have heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, and even diabetes than a child who is a normal weight. As a parent, it is important to remember that controlling a child’s weight is not about making him or her look their best, but it is about giving them a healthy future!