BAND 7+ / OVERWEIGHT

Childhood obesity has become a serious problem in recent years.

What are the primary causes of this?
What measures should be taken to reduce childhood obesity?

Nowadays, obesity rates among children have been concerningly rising. Sedentary lifestyles, in my opinion, are the main causes of this phenomenon and can best be solved by the combined effort of parents and schools. 

Inactive daily habits could be seen as the major contributor to children's being overweight. In other words, most children these days tend to immerse themselves in front of various screens, interacting online rather than taking part in outdoor activities. For example, for many youngsters, sitting at home watching e-sports is often more exciting and stimulating than actually going outside and physically engaging in them. As a result, children become more passive, which leads to uncontrolled weight gain. In contrast, if they could spend more time on active diversions such as swimming, jogging, or learning various outdoor skills, the risk of childhood obesity would be significantly reduced, as well as impart positive health benefits. 

To properly counter this issue, parents and schools should work in tandem to instill life-affirming practices in children. They can restrict children's access to mobile devices to prevent bad habits. One good illustration of this would be schools in France, where smartphones are prohibited for students who are younger than 15 years old in order to promote healthier modes of living. Additionally, parents could also implement strict guidelines concerning their children's electronic device usage at home, as well as take time to encourage them to exercise more regularly.

In conclusion, the rise in childhood overweight is due to how passive they live today, and this trend could be addressed properly by both parents and schools. Assistance from the authorities would also be beneficial if possible. (272 words)

IELTS Khang Tran.