MORE PEOPLE TODAY ARE OVERWEIGHT THAN EVER BEFORE. WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THIS? WHAT MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN TO OVERCOME THIS EPIDEMIC.

It is widely acknowledged that there has been a drastic increase in the number of overweight people. Although this negative development can be attributed to a number of reasons, both individuals and governments can take steps to remedy the situation. Two main factors are to blame for the rise in obesity. First, people nowadays are experiencing a much more sedentary lifestyle than those in the past. For example, most of us, especially school students and office workers spend hours a day sitting and working behind a desk, which causes them not only obesity but also other health-related diseases such as diabetes. Second, a lot of people often incline to unhealthy diets due to their tastiness and convenient. This tendency to eat unhealthily, coupled with a lack of exercise, has made a great number of people overweight. There are measures that could be implemented to deal with these root causes of obesity. To begin with, parents are expected to keep track on their children's eating habits as well as to ensure that they follow a healthy diet. By building a healthy eating pattern at an early age, children are more likely to keep it as they mature, which would help them avoid overeating and being overweight. Furthermore, the government could play an integral role in investing, taxes to build up free public fitness parks and run health-awareness campaigns for their citizens. This would not only stimulate people's eagerness to join in free exercise, but also educate them about the consequences and benefits of a sedentary lifestyle and an active one respectively. In conclusion, the surge in obesity rates can be ascribed to a decline in physical activity level and unhealthy diets, and the solution would lie in developing healthy eating habits in children, free fitness facilities and awareness-raising campaigns.