The obesity epidemic is a controversial one and continues to affect families and many children in the United States, and also in other countries of the world. The causal behind childhood obesity has not been completely exhausted. Blames are shifted to the parents, the media, the health care personnel, and even the government. The media is being blamed for inciting children into eating poor diets, and eating excessively. Parents are being blamed for failing to take responsibility, and allowing the children to eat junk food and imbalanced diet. On the other hand, the health sector is being blamed for failing to find the solution to child obesity. Further, the government receives the blame of failing to initiate regulation that will protect children from parental practices that will make them obese. At the same time, other blame has been shifted to genetics. After a critical analysis of this epidemic, this paper is going to argue that parents are to blame because of the problem of obesity in children.

The concept of children that this paper looks at is children of five years and below. The period of between zero to five years is a period of rapid growth, and a period in which a child is very vulnerable. This is the period when many children are subjected to killer disease, if they are not taken god care of. This is to say that this is a period that requires sensitive care to the child. A child who is above five years has some knowledge about life, and can even learn some concepts of living from school, if they are not informed about them at home. In regard to childhood obesity, this is the period when majority of the children are fed by the parents. The parents are the in control of what the children will eat. If the parents are to make bad choices, no doubt the child is going to be malnourished.

Parents are entitled with the decision of making a decision on what children will eat. Poor decisions by the parents affect the eating habits of the children. However, lack of education or even lack of money can lead to such decisions being made by parents. For example, considering the cost of food in America, one would agree that it can be a hurdle for many parents to afford. To give an example, many raw foods in the nation are a bit expensive compared to frozen food. This means that many people turn to frozen foods and feed their children with them. For this reason, many parents make poor decisions and influence the eating habits and behavior of their children. As a result, these children become malnourished, and obesity is the resulting symptom.

People say that ignorance is no blame. It has been put forward that parents feed their children with junk food because of lack of information. Parents have been witnessed even buying their children potato chips for supper. Inadequacy of knowledge and information triggers parents to buy their children the food they buy them. Even if they do this out of ignorance, there is still a point in blaming the parents. This is because the parent is vested with the responsibility of caring for the children. They go to the health personnel and get information on how they should care for their children. If parents fail to implement what they are advised by the health-care personnel, they are likely to mislead the children. The result is corruption on the side of the children.

When a child gains some days, the parents make a decision to take the child to school. Again, this is another poor decision that parents make. By taking a child who is very young to school, parents makes a decision of trusting strangers in feeding their children. they food that is usually offered in these day-care centres is not up to standard. Because of this, parents contribute to poor feeding of their children.

However, it may appear unfair to blame parents alone on this issue of child obesity. A consideration on genetics reveals that a child can become obese due to their genetic make-up. In this case, parents may not help much, though they still have a role to care for the child. Further, the daycare center owners have a responsibility of feeding children with a balanced diet. Further, the government has a responsibility of putting regulations in place to protect children. For example, it is possible to institute good feeding habits to the children. On the same note, health personnel should be aggressive on their role on feeding people about good feeding habits.

The problems that parents have with feeding their children can be solved. On the issue of lack of information, there are many information articles available free of charge to people about feeding. The parents should take it upon them to read such information, and also other information availed by health care personnel. Further, parents should supplement the bad food children consume in the daycare by providing balanced food for them while they are with them at home.

In conclusion, parents play a very crucial role in making decisions concerning what children are to eat. Ignorance, high cost of foods and irresponsibility are among the contributing factors. In order to reduce this problem, parents must take a proactive role to familiarize with good eating habits, and also develop the will to protect their children from obesity.