Obesity has been a constant struggle for years, however recently it has become one of the fastest growing epidemics in America, affecting the entire age spectrum. According to the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, Richard H. Carmona, “today's children could become the first generation in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents” (Hub pages). In essence, obesity has become a growing problem for younger people. As troubling as this is to accept, there is still hope for them if we act now. Although children are direct targets of obesity, they should also be the primary focus in preventing the spread of obesity. If we limit advertising aimed at children, establish standards for child care programs, and educate parents and children about healthy, active lifestyles, then obesity could be prevented in future generations. Living in a world of technology, media and advertising can be seen everywhere, so they are very influential on children and teenagers. Today, on average, children and adolescents are exposed to approximately twelve to twenty-one food and drink advertisements per day, with very little emphasis on fitness and nutrition (57). Considering the amount of hours spent watching TV, listening to music, and time spent on the Internet, this is a little concerning. Furthermore, research conducted by Victoria Rideout reveals that “over the course of a year, adolescents viewed an average of 25 minutes of public health messages about fitness and nutrition and 40 hours of food and drink advertisements” (63). Letting the evidence speak for itself, children are led to live sedentary lifestyles consuming large amounts of highly processed foods and drinks. If we prevent advertisers from directing their ads to... middle of paper... life will be for those who come after us and will put an end to the terrible diseases that kill many people due to obesity. Works Cited Nihiser, Allison, Caitlin Merlo and Sarah Lee. "Preventing obesity through schools." The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 41.S2 (2013): 27-34. Press."Obesity epidemic in America: who is to blame?" HubPages. HubPages and Web. February 22, 2014. Reynolds, Meredith A., Caree Jackson Cotwright, Barbara Polhamus, Allison Gertel-Rosenberg, and Debbie Chang. “Obesity prevention in the education and early care context: successful initiatives across a spectrum of opportunities.” The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 41.S2 (2013): 8-18. Print.Rideout, Victoria. “Evaluating the impact of marketing and industry.” Measuring progress in obesity prevention: Workshop report. Washington, DC: National Academies, 2012. 57-71. Press.