Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my name is Farhan Siraj, soon to be graduate of Philip. O. Berry. I did my graduation project on “Childhood Obesity” which is the number one health concern in the United States surpassing drugs, alcohol abuse and smoking cigarettes.  About one in three children and teens in the United States is overweight or obese. Today fast food has become a big part of American Culture but what seems out of the ordinary is children eating french fries and chicken nuggets seem more usual than fruits and vegetables. Fast food is cheap and convenient for parents who are busy with work or those who do not know how to cook in general.
Childhood obesity can affect adolescents by causing health problems, mental and social complications and have a negative impact on academics, therefore parents should encourage teens to exercise and eat healthier. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
It is important for a child to develop good eating habits from a young age, so they could maintain a healthy weight and normal growth for optimal health. With fast food, kids intake higher caloric and poorer diet quality, rather than eating healthy lean meats and fresh vegetables.
 	Obesity in children has a huge impact in their future, and that is because children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are at more risk for health problems. It can affect a child's health mentally and physically but we can change the trend of obesity and decrease our obesity rate by making kids eat healthier and making them active for example making them do vigorous activities , building a healthier America.
Childhood obesity can have a harmful effect on your body in various ways, including physical and mental complications. Some of the physical complications includes them being more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, these are the risk factors for cardiovascular disease . Study shows that seventy percent of obese children had at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor, while the rest, thirty nine percent had two or more. They are more likely to have sleeping problems, for example sleep apnea and other difficulties like asthma.
Obese children also have a greater risk of social and mental problems, such as discrimination and poor self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood meaning obese children are more likely to become obese adults. This can follow people into adulthood unless you do something about it.  According to the Department of Health and Human Services, children age six and older need at least an hour of physical activity a day, while eating health. Adolescents as young as five years old to eighteen years old should do moderate exercises everyday for at least sixty minutes which consists of skate boarding, roller blading, walking the dog, or even just playing in a playground.
 Overall, childhood obesity causes mental and social complications , health problems and a negative impact on a kids academics, that is why parents should encourage teens to eat healthier and exercise often. Obesity is something that is rising increasingly today which will continue to rise unless we do something about it, for example informing people of how bad it really is and encouraging people to live a better, healthier life style.
This is my website on Childhood obesity.