Kids today are at risk of dying at a younger age than their parents. Each child that is obese is increasing their risk of a series of health issues. In the United States kids should not be at a risk of dying earlier than their parents. There are many factors that are increasing the nation’s childhood obesity population, but each child has the ability to overcome them. Food from fast food restaurants is not always cheaper it is just the convenience of it that makes it convincing. Even then with the right amount of exercise junk food might not be as big of a problem. It comes down to the influences and the child’s self motivation that really matter. In order to lower the childhood obesity population numbers kids need have the right influences, eat healthy and exercise. With childhood obesity there is no one more responsible for a child’s obesity than their parents. The parents of each child is very influential to what a child does. Parents help affect their children’s weight by restricting the amount and the type of food that the children consume. A child weight problems could decrease, if the parents restricted the fast food and encouraging them to eat healthier home cooked meals. Parents could also monitor the amount of food consumed. A lot of a certain healthy food can still cause a negative affect on child’s weight. Other than that a parent should always influence his or her child by leading by example. A child is bound to eat healthier if the child sees their parent eating healthier. The same works for a child exercising an adequate amount. Len Saunders from US News can be quoted agreeing with this idea. He states, “ Parents are children’s role models”(Saunders). With the right influence a child will develop their own personal motivation to positively affect their weight. With the right influence and parenting a child can easily be able to overcome the obesity epidemic. Eating healthy is not nearly enough to control a child’s weight. A child need to eat healthy and burn calories daily. The unburned calories from food is what causes the obesity in children. Children today have seem to have a lower energy consumption than their parents did when they were younger. Physical activity for the children of today is limited at home and at school. Children in today’s society are spending more and more time playing video games, using the computer and watching television than ever before. Kent Sasse, a bariatric surgeon based in Reno, Nevada thinks this all his to do with why kids are becoming more obese. She states, “ our genes have not changed, the environment in which children are living today most certainly has"( Saunders). The environment where children live in today is different from what it used to be. Kids used to run around outside with their friends but now prefer to stay inside with their friends and play video games. Technology has changed the environment children want to be in. Technology cannot be stopped, but it sure can be monitored and restricted. With an adequate amount of exercise and restriction of technology, obesity in children can decrease. Convenience has become one of the main decisive factor for America's food choices today. Because of the busy schedule that the families of today have, children consume more meals away from home. Parents find it easier after a hard