In modern American society obesity has become an unreasonably “acceptable” trait of citizens affected by it. However, within the past decades, obesity has continually increased in the U.S.

According to studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of obese children, aged 6-11 years, rose from 7% in 1980 to almost 18% in 2012. During this same time period, adolescents experiencing obesity, aged 12-19 years, skyrocketed from 5% to almost 21%.

Who is to blame for this?

Some might blame unhealthy school lunches, but I have another theory: Parents and guardians.

The NYT article titled ‘When School Is Out, Getting Good Food In’ by Jane E. Brody from 2007 explains who should truly own up to this epidemic.

The article tells about a study form April 2007 in The American Journal of Public Health, which found that children’s biggest BMI spurts occurred during the summer, when school was out of session and when parents and guardians were responsible for maintaining their kids’ food consumption and regular exercise.

Parents/guardians initiate these behaviors at home and continue to encourage them throughout their entire kids’ life at home.

If you give your child unhealthy choices for dinner each night, these habits will continue over into their choices for breakfast and lunch at school. Schools cannot be blamed for this.

Schools now practice healthier meal plans that are required to meet USDA regulations. Due to this, breakfasts and lunches served are beginning to include smaller portion sizes, lower sodium content, and low-fat or fat-free milk.

Parental/guardian persuasion, or the lack of, is responsible for today’s increasing childhood obesity. Healthy diets are not being maintained, and daily exercise is not being practiced.

Why should we continue to feed our future generations sugary drinks and soft carbs? They cause major health issues if not controlled properly. They can and will lead to obesity later in their life, if not earlier as an adolescent. And, contrary to popular belief, these health issues are not administered through lunch ladies’ hands. They’re given through the palms of our own families.

So the next time your child reaches for a candy bar or puts off physical exercise until “tomorrow,” remember the potential consequences of these actions.

Do you really want that for your own child?