Rethinking How America’s Children Packed on the Pounds In the essay by Jeffrey Kluger “How America’s Children Packed on the Pounds” he focused on America’s problem with food and over the year how it has gotten worse. In just a short period of time how obesity has increased. This problem has more than just weight problems it has health problems. He also states that over the years that the calories count that people are consuming has increase but the exercise rate has decrease. He argues that people have tried to make people aware of this problem and it works for a few years. By the statics information that Kluger has provided, Kluger correctly assumes that food this day in age is a huge problem for everybody not just children and it needs awareness. Kluger used different statics thought his essay to show in a short period of time how obesity had increased over the years. That it is a problem and people needs to know. Kluger admits that “in 1971 only 4% of 6-11 year old kids were obese” and by “2004, the figure had leaped to 18.8%.” He also stated other age groups like “in the same time frame, the number rose from 6.1% to 17.4% in the 12 to 19 age group, and from 5% to 13.9% among kids ages just 2 to 5.” This statics show that over a 33 year time the numbers double for children 19 years of age and younger. Just living in today world and thinking about all the all changes that has happened over the years to make food and drinks bigger because that is what American’s want in this “era”. Kluger acknowledges that “64 oz soda, the 1,200 calorie burger and 700 calorie frappuccino, food companies now produce enough each day for every American to consume a blet-popping 3,800 calories per day.” That is a lot of calories for one person to consume in only one day. He states that “an adult only need 2,350 to survive.” That number is just for adults and children need a smaller amount. With these statics adults and children in this “era” are consuming more calories than they need In this day adults and children are consuming more and more calories and they are not burning them off. Kluger address that these days “the transformation of American homes into high-def, web-enabled, TiVo- equipped entertainment centers mean that children who came home after a largely sedentary day at a school desk spend an average of three or more hours in front of some kind of screen.” In this day and age people in general are relighting on computers and other technology to get things done. If children come home from school and see there partent sitting on the couch then that is showing the child that there is nothing wrong with it and that they can do it to. Having this as a normal thing for a child is putting them in a routine of not exercising. Schools these days are losing money from budget cuts and they are cutting the physical education for kids in school. He also acknowledges that the government has extablish programs to help with child obesity and it hasn’t work. It is not the programs it is all about the person or child. The person or child has to be ready to changed because if they are not then after they lose the weight then the weight will go right back on. Kluger is right in American’s children over the years having packed on the pounds but forgot about that it is not just a children problem it is an adult problem to. He forgot to acknowledges there is program out there for children even adults to do to change, but it is about the person when they are ready. Work Citied
Kluger, Jeffery. “How America’s Children Packed on the Pounds.” Envision in Depth second edition. Ed. Christine L. Alfano – Alyssa J. O’Brien. Boston: pearson education inc. 2011. 226-228. Print