The greatest health crisis in our nation is obesity (Carmona, 2003). It affects everyone everywhere. In today's society, one in three children is considered obese ("overweight and obesity", 2009). Childhood obesity has become a violent conflict and it is necessary to present solutions to reduce it. You might think that the reason so many children are obese is because they eat too much food, but in reality there are many more variables. The chance of being obese increases by 41% if a child has a TV in the bedroom and watches it for more than two hours a day (Adams, 2010). Some other factors include: being in a single-parent household, living in an area without opportunities for physical activity, genetics, and lifestyle habits (“Overweight and Obesity,” 2009; Adams, 2010). The surgeon general, Richard H. Carmona, said: “We have an epidemic of childhood obesity.” In the 1960s just over 4% of children were overweight, but by 2003 this percentage had risen to 15% (Carmona, 2003). Fewer and fewer children regularly play outdoors, choosing instead to stay at home in front of the computer or television. and play video games. Many children do not get enough physical activity in their daily routine. Many schools' physical education programs reduce the amount of time actually spent doing vigorous activity. “One study showed that gym class provided third graders with only twenty-five minutes of vigorous activity each week” (“Overweight and Obesity,” 2009). The guidelines show that children over the age of two should engage in at least sixty minutes of vigorous activity per day (“Overweight and Obesity,” 2009). The average family is busier than ever today, leading parents to rush meals and not take the time to plan their nutritious eating habits; and improved health literacy. Many suffer from this disease and the simple act of living becomes a task. The writer hopes that if an individual was okay with being obese before reading this essay, they would have opened their eyes and been motivated to make a change. Once these goals are achieved, many deaths and illnesses can be prevented in America. References Adams, J. (2010, March 08). Fat American children: Many causes, a lifetime of effects. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/print/2010/mar/08/health/la-he-0308-closer-20100308.Carmona, R. (2003, July 16). The obesity crisis in America. Retrieved from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/testimony/obesity07162003.htm Overweight and obesity. (2009, February). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=107&cat_id=189 &article_set=30265.