Obesity is a condition in which a person's excess body fat causes a negative effect on his health. People are considered to be fat or obese if their body mass index (BMI) is more than the measurement done by dividing a person's weight with that of his/her height. It has to be uniform with the height otherwise a person is said to be obese. Obesity is found in all genders, age group etc. Obesity and overweight has been increasing drastically over the past 4 decades. It is mainly affected by people who consume large amounts of foods, do not practice any physical activity or it can also be formed genetically. According to American Medical Association obesity is classified as a disease. Overweight causes problems for children as well as adults. It also impacts some people emotionally. It affects relationships with families, peers etc and decreases self image. The percentage of overweight students show that they have a great chance of not attending college than adolescents who are not overweight. With the rise in obesity rates, children and adolescents have been affected socially and economically with many problems associated with women. It is associated with several immediate health and social problems in young people including sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease and blood pressure (Welch, Gregory L).  Experts believe that if one is able to change family behaviors' approach to certain foods like practicing to eat green vegetables and avoid eating junk and fast foods can be an effective way to combat obesity. Adequate physical exercise is also required to burn the energy we get from food in the form of calories. There is a big concern to reduce obesity rates for which we need a lot of support from the parents who play an important role in guiding their children's taste towards food.

Parents play a huge role in changing or influencing a child's approach towards certain food and drinks. Obesity is a condition that forms from one's lifestyle and demographic factors. Consumption of soda and energy drinks also lead to obesity. It is from the home where most things taught can be adapted practically in life. Parents should try to avoid having fast foods which is the main diet for a lot of people and this is a main cause of obesity among children and youth. It is also advisable to take a walk with your children everyday which will boost them physically and mentally. A case study has been done of a 12-year-old girl from Boston named Alexa Andrews who is different from other girls of her age group. She loves to listen to rap music, watch movies and have snacks. She was taken to a doctor recently for a checkup and it was found that she has diabetes. The doctor had prescribed medicines for diabetes that she would have to take for the rest of her life. Eating snacks, a lot while watching a movie, television and videogames can destroy your calorie count. It is advisable not to eat while watching something as it is difficult to keep a track of what you are eating. We tend to eat more while engaging in this process which may lead to various diseases. This is what Alexa had to go through.

She was five feet four inches weighing nearly 200 pounds. She was one of the few young African Americans who had to deal with obesity and the complications after it such as diabetes, blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Her mom was concerned about her weight when she was just 5. She did notice a dark rash on the neck of Alexa and later took her to the doctor who said that Alexa had to avoid eating juice and potato chips. It was difficult for Alexa to follow as she was a child at that time and she would cry when she was not offered juice and potato chips. After a few years she was determined to change her diet with the advice her mom gave which caused a huge change in her. She started to exercise, spend less time on television and computer and took her medications on time. Her mom says that she lost more than 20 pounds which made her confident to go shopping and to go to school (Beal, Anne C). This example clearly shows that parents do have an upper hand in understanding things better than us. It is always advisable to follow the instructions of our parents. They will always tell us things that are good for us and which we should practically apply in our life as well.

Another main cause of obesity is the consumption of energy drinks. The companies advertise their products in such a way to get children's attention and interest in items that has high sugar, less calories etc. A big example for that would be the Sun Top juice which claims to be source of Vitamin C and no artificial colors used. These products might confuse one another as they prescribe nutritional choices such Vitamin C or other claims which one believes that are good for health. No one takes the initiative to find out the truth about the product by filing a case against the product. The law prohibits deceptive products that mislead people by providing such information (Rutkow, Lainie). One should not blindly believe the markings on the outside of the products such as good source of vitamin D, no artificial colors used etc.

Study shows that obese youth who suffered an injury would take a longer time to recover than healthy people. Obesity and injury are prevalent more among adolescents. For any person to recover from an injury needs certain factors such as family support, nutrition and body mechanics. Family support plays a major role in a person to get cured and get back to their school. In a study conducted among 316 youth participants to find out the time taken to get cured from an injury, it was found that there was an increased risk, more time taken and the trauma being witnessed among obese participants than the normal ones (Warsh. Joel, Ian Janssen, and William Pickett). Situations are not pleasing even in the Middle East related to obesity and overweight. Obesity among children and adolescents in the Middle East is becoming a global epidemic and it is important to find a solution as soon as possible to cure this. The rise in the obesity rates is creating a huge burden on the public health system. In Saudi Arabia a country that has developed in the field of marketing nutrition's changes and urbanization estimated that almost 26.6% adolescents aged 13- 18 are under the obesity category.  The trend has increased since the past 2 decades. Consumption of soda, fast foods, spending hours in front of the television and computers were found to be the main reasons behind the obesity factor. Evidence proves that obesity is a condition affected by many sources such as demographic, lifestyle and genetic factors. A study was conducted to ask participants how often they would consume sugary items such as donuts, chocolates and beverages. A huge number of participants was found consuming sugary products more than 5 days in a week. One needs to cut down on sugary items because they help to build fat more than any other product (Al Hazzaa, Hazzaa M.).

Reduced intake of vegetables and skipping breakfast increases abdominal obesity. It has been found that excessive screen viewing may lead to cardiovascular disease. Due to the excessive use factor adolescents show less interest in performing vigorous exercises in order to stay fit such as going to the gym, playing soccer or basketball. It has been found that the intake of fruits and vegetables helps one to cut down abdominal fat more in adults than children. Study also shows that male adolescents have a higher percentage of obesity rates compared to that of a female. This is the same case for males and females in Saudi Arabia (Al Hazzaa, Hazzaa M). Study shows the main way to prevent obesity is by practicing a healthy diet, performing regular exercises and cutting down on sugary items and beverages. Ways to combat obesity should be promoted more in schools and hospitals so that people are aware of the consequences and effects they will face later due to this.

Family based interventions are the most effective way in solving this problem. Families should concentrate more on a healthy diet such as vegetables, fruit and perform exercises subsequently. The family provides the right environment in order to promote healthy food habits and decrease the consumption of high calorie foods. Parents are the most influential people in our lives and it is the best to follow their instructions in order to lead a happy and healthy life.

Keeping a regular check on your body weight can help you determine what foods should be avoided in order to maintain shape. It is advisable to avoid sugary items, energy drinks, fast foods etc. Having a healthy diet helps us to live longer and be flexible in activities we pursue in.

