“The rate of obesity in children has nearly tripled since 1963. This frightening statistic is a serious problem for the American population. Not only are children becoming sicker and sicker, but they are growing up to be sicker adults” (Blank 3). This quote talks about childhood obesity and how it has tripled over the years. Childhood obesity is a serious issue in America today and should be taken very seriously. Who should be responsible for childhood obesity? Many people, including parents and children, point the finger at fast food, genetics, technology, their parents, and even the children themselves. All these accusations, however, are incorrect. Rather than blaming children for being obese, we should blame the obesogenic environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Before analyzing childhood obesity in America, some understanding of the obesogenic environment is necessary. Obesogenic environment refers to “an environment that promotes weight gain and is not conducive to weight loss” (Swinburn 1999). In other words, the obesogenic environment encourages children to eat unhealthy and discourages them from physical activity. This obesogenic environment is harmful to the health of children in our society and must be stopped. Portion sizes play an important role in the obesogenic environment. Over 50 years ago, food portions were much smaller. According to the essay “Supersize Me: It's Time to Stop Blaming Fat People for Their Size” in Models for Writers, “the original 1960s McDonald's meal consisted of a hamburger, fries, and a twelve-ounce Coke it contained approximately 590 calories. But today, a Quarter Pounder with cheese, French fries, and Coke, a meal that kids themselves consider an after-school snack, racks up a whopping 1,550 calories” (Motluk 563). An individual is supposed to consume only about 2,000 calories per day, which means that one McDonald's meal is almost equivalent to a person's entire daily calorie intake. As a result, restaurants end up competing with each other for the largest portion. The philosophy of every fast food restaurant is "bigger is better". Their menu screams: "king size burgers, fries and drinks!" In promoting that bigger is always better, children constantly crave king-sized meals and will fight with their parents until they get one. By having fast food restaurants everywhere, kids will want to eat every day. Another factor that contributes to the obesogenic environment is the lack of physical activity at school. Alison Motluk, stated, “one-third of U.S. secondary school students don't get enough physical activity, and more than one-tenth don't get any at all…” (563). This quote, from Motluck's essay, is important because without recess, kids can't get the exercise needed to burn calories or lose body fat. When children simply sit at their desks and listen to teachers all day, they don't have time to socialize with their friends outside of class, exercise, or take a break from school work. Lack of physical activity at school is a serious issue for children, especially if they are obese. Staying active not only helps kids lose weight, but it can also reduce their risk of heart disease, improve their mood, reduce stress, and so much more. Despite the many benefits, several schools across America are canceling the break to focus more on academics. While academics are extremely important, so is practicing properly.