Con: Rather Than Having Schools Regulate Nutrition, Parents Should Take Control

Over the past 20 years, childhood obesity has doubled. Weight problems can be genetic although it’s rare. Weight problems are mostly influenced by the child’s environment including their home. Children are consuming too many calories and they are not burning them off. Too much time is spent inside the house watching TV and playing video games. Children should play outside every day with friends to help burn off excess calories and to have a social life. Many children are being diagnosed with obesity related diseases that are only common in adults such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems. It is very crucial that parents instill good nutritional values in children at a young age. While mothers are pregnant, they should avoid alcohol, smoking, and drugs and they should also eat properly to ensure a healthy baby. As children start to bottle feed, parents should know when their child is full and they should stop feeding them. They should not overfeed them because they will be packing them with calories and fats. As children are able to eat solid foods, parents should set good examples by only serving healthy foods and showing their children how to properly snack. By the time children become teenagers, they are more dependent but the values the parents have taught them greatly influence how they eat. Besides teaching their children how to eat properly, parents should also eat properly since they are the main influence in their children’s lives and they will greatly influence their diets. Studies show that families with two working parents sometimes suffer from nutritional meals. Since it is hard to prepare a meal after a long days work, many families just order take out food or get fast food. These types of junk food should not replace regular family meals. Studies also show that children who consume meals in front of the television rather than at the dinner table are more likely to be overweight or obese.