The number of overweight children in developed countries is increasing. Some people think this is due to problems such as the growing number of fast food outlets. Others believe that parents are to blame for not looking after their children’s health.
To what extent do you agree with these views?
In developed countries much more food is available now than ever before. Apart from home-made food many alternative options are available. There are fast food outlets on every corner and restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets can be found in every street making it easy to purchase processed food on a 24 hour basis. It is no wonder that children are tempted to eat continuously leading to the overweight trend we witness today.
In my opinion, parents are to blame to a great extent for not encouraging their children to follow a healthy lifestyle. Parents should take the time to prepare nutritious home-cooked meals for their children and let them participate in the selection of natural ingredients as well as in the preparation of food. In doing so, children will lean to enjoy cooking and not be tempted to eat commercial, industrialized, harmful food. As we know, children follow trends set by their parents and if they feel meals are a shared, family activity then they will stay at home more.
Of course fast food outlets litter the streets and attract children with their games, quickly prepared meals, advertising and special offers that children cannot resist. These outlets are also attractive because the food is cheap, tasty and in fashion. Due to the nature of the food and the way in which it is cooked it does contribute to obesity and health related issues.
To sum up, although fast food outlets are numerous and appealing for children, I firmly believe that parents should be responsible for taking care of what their children eat. If parents are not concerned about their children’s diet, their children will not worry about it either.