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Updated 26 October 2004, 14.54 
One in every 25 children are now obese, which means they're so fat it's bad for their health.
But why do you think it's such a big problem?
Do you think it's because of celebs advertising fast food?
Or do you reckon it's because children spend too much time watching TV and gaming?
Could it be because you just don't know what's good for you and what's bad?
Let us know now!
Unfortunately this topic is now closed but there are Comments pages on other subjects on the main Chat index.
 I am overweight and I didn't notice it until I started to get picked on. I exercise at times but my problems are school dinners that are really unhealthy and my childminder who only has chocolate and sweets for me to eat. It would be great if I like had my own personal trainer who told me what to eat and helped me to exercise more. Sarah, 12, Belfast
I think obese children can not help it - it is either their parents or they eat out of boredom. Sophie, 10, Wrexham
I think that healthy foods should be made more appealing to kids and really unhealthy foods should be made more expensive so that people don't want to waste their money on it. Adam, 13, Bournemouth
They should make healthy food look and taste better, then more people will want to eat it. Sophie, 12, Swansea
Obesity is a big problem around the country. My dad has diabetes because of an unhealthy diet. I think celebrities should stop advertising junk food to children. Thomas, 10, Yeovil
I think I would rather pay less for unhealthy food because it's so much more fun than healthy food. They should make healthier food taste better then more people would eat it. Vickie, 12, Bristol
I think it's a bit rich everyone telling you to eat healthy when they don't provide any healthy food. At my local leisure centre, they only sell chocolate, cakes and doughnuts- we have to eat it or go hungry! Helen, 13, London
I think that celebrities should start advertising healthier food because lots of children copy what they do. I also think that schools should do more P.E as lots of children don't exercise when they're outside of school. Jennifer, 11, Liverpool
Ok, I do think that there are too many fast food places to eat at, but at the end of the day can we really blame the fast food companies for making us overweight. After all we have free will and it is our own decision whether to eat it or not! Harriet, 13, Suffolk
I think that it's partly because as kids get older, they seem do less PE. Also because celebs are advertising it, so the kids think it's cool to eat loads of fast food. Charmaine, 13, Bristol
I think it is partly because unhealthy food is usually much cheaper than healthy food. If the government puts a tax on healthy food but makes things like salad cheaper, if you have little money on you instead of buying a chocolate bar you will buy an apple or something healthy. Rachel, 10, Billericay
I don't think it's got anything to do with celebs advertising fast food or children watching too much TV that child obesity numbers are high. I mean, they are not going to make you eat the food are they? The people who eat the junk food choose to do so. So it's really nobody else's fault but the people who choose to eat it! Alex, 13, Derby
The food at my school is really healthy. The only problem with this is that it is quite expensive and there is no other menu. Eating only vegetables is not particularly healthy, you have to have a balance. I think we should be taught younger to which foods are better for us, this way it might be able to stop the next generation of people having the same problems. Sophie-Jayne,14,hampshire
Well, it's the job of a company to make convincing ads and it's probably ok if you go to a fast food about twice a month or something. but usually it's the fault of the person who's doing the eating. Jenny, 11, Aberdeen
Stop blaming adverts and start facing the facts! At the end of the day the person you have got to blame is yourself. Jenni, 10, Huntington
I think the reason why children are obese is because of ads. Companies are always putting on new ads for Pepsi, crisps etc. They make the ads good and put SLIM people in the ad, that is why they think it is not bad for them. Naomi, 12, Motherwell
I think that too many fast food and sweet companies will do anything to make a profit even if it means causing children of this generation to drastically shorten their lives due to obesity. Amber, 12, Brierfield
We have to eat fruit at school now because too many people bring crisps or 'junk food' as the teachers call it. Callum, 11, Blackburn
The reason why the younger generation are so large is because we are lazy! Instead of getting up and doing good old fashioned exercise, we sit and watch DVD's! I don't think we should blame celebrities for advertising fast food - we all know that no celebrity would touch the stuff - think of the calories! Also, you can't make someone loose weight! They have to want to loose the weight for themselves! Kerry, 12, Liverpool
In my own eyes the reason for youngsters being too overweight I think is due to parents either working late and not having time to cook healthy food...or parents being too lazy to take the time and energy to make a healthier eating lifestyle for their children. And when they put weight on it's blamed on the children for eating too much...can't win. Danni, 13, Midlands
I think that it is unfair because some people eat chocolate and fatty foods all the time and stay skinny and overweight people have a good diet. It is all to do with your genetic make-up whether you are more or less likely to become fat. Hazel, 12, Aberdeenshire
No one is forced to eat food from McDonalds or from vending machines. People should just stop eating as much junk as they do and EXCERCISE more. Michelle, 14, USA
Celebs being stick thin all the time doesn't help us! It makes us think that we have to be thin but it's hard with all the chocolate advertisements and rubbish being thrown at us! Natalie, 15, Sheffield
I think that parents should stop blaming TV and magazines because it's their children's own fault for believing what their saying on TV and going out to buy it. Yasaman, 10, Ilford
I don't think it's right to blame TV and magazines for obesity. It's your own fault if you are overweight and instead of blaming other people for it, you could just try to lose some weight. Emily, 13, Derbyshire
It's up to us what we want to eat and no one can change that. But food companies should put warnings on their products. Karla, 14, Bedfordshire
I am short and overweight and in a wheel chair so I can't do as many things as other people but I still go swimming when I can. Thomas, 14, Hartlepool
I don't think it's just down to advertising, I think it's also what people cook for their kids, parents come home and they're tired so they just cook chips and chicken nuggets or something which are high in fat! Rosie, 14, Oxford
I think we need to discover why children are turning to food for comfort and why they need comfort. Yes, they do need to stay healthy but they should not be pressured into losing weight to 'look good'. What are the problems behind the eating? Hollie, 15, Durham
I think it's due to celebs that are muscular and handsome advertising fizzy drinks and sweets. Also it's probably due to people's metabolism. John, 13, Manchester
Obesity is a major problem because I think that children get mixed messages - we are added with numerous fast-food adverts, chocolates, etc, but on the other hand there are celebs who are horribly thin. It's really confusing at times. Lucy, 12, Pinner
I am fat and I don't feel concerned but people pick on me and make me feel as if I have a problem. Amna, 12, New Mills
Obesity is mainly a problem now as celebrities are promoting junk food, such as fizzy drinks and McDonalds which makes people think that as they are advertising this it must be OK to eat/drink. Marie, 13, Leyland
In my school, people think it is cool to be overweight. I think that all children should think that it is cool to be a healthy weight which will encourage the overweight children to get thin. Jack, 10, Tokyo
When I go out shopping with my friends, we usually visit a fast food place such as McDonalds because it is cheap and quick. If there were healthy fast-food places then we would go there, but there aren't. Charlotte, 14, Sevenoaks
I'm fed up with hearing how fat we are. The day after the obesity report came out, we got a new vending machine at school that only vends crisps and chocolate. I think they should sell fruit at the tuck shop, not just chocolate, and have fruit vending machines too. I would use them. Jade, 13, Norwich
I think that we should have some fat foods and some healthy food in a day. Sophie, 10, Middlesbrough
I think so many people are obese because there is not enough food available with a healthy content. There should be more activities for young people to get involved in to help keep their weight down. Katie, 15, Salisbury
I think it's because junk food advertisements have popular celebrities so kids think it's ok to eat the food. With TV, video games and the internet kids don't go outside much any more. Courtney, 15, Canada
I think kids lost interest in keeping themselves fit; they don't try to eat or exercise. If they cared more or had something to keep them away from the urge to eat, I'm sure they'd lose weight. Kristen, 11, St Joe
To excise more and to eat healthy food are very essential for all children. Lucy, 12, Leeds
I think there are too many junk food adverts on TV and in magazines, also there are a lot of Macdonald's that some people go in everyday. Hannah, 11, Hailsham
Obesity is a major problem for me. I am tall (the second tallest girl I know) but I weigh 18 stone. I REALLY don't know what happened. Kids today have so much to worry about, gaining weight isn't one of them. They only realise when things get out of hand. Mandy, 14, Birmingham
Some people have a slow metabolism causing the food they eat to take longer to digest meaning they eat they can get obese just because of their metabolism. Felicity, 12, Livingston
For a while our school did a fruit stand at playtime and then they stopped it and I see loads of kids go down to the local sweet shop every morning. I really think it is disgusting that they stuff their mouths full of sweets. Rury, 11, Helensburgh
I go to a virtual school (I go to school on the computer and over the internet), so there are quite a few people at my school who have weight issues because we aren't forced to exercise. Emma, 13, Calgary
I think it's true that adverts on TV don't help to battle obesity, but what I find strange is that on all these adverts the people eating the burgers etc are models, so the consumers are just eating into the image that is given to them, saying 'you are like this person when you eat our food', which encourages people to eat more of the unhealthy food! Sophie, 15, Norwich
I think obesity is a problem for two reasons. 1, it's really bad for your health so you should try to watch what you eat and 2, people in school who are obese usually get picked on in school which is really bad because kids then get upset and don't come to school as often. Hina, 13, Wrexham
Obesity is such a problem 'cos there is so much good food out there to eat and that food is the junk food and since it tastes so yummy, we want to eat it! And then we get too tired to exercise so then the fat from the junk food builds up and makes us obese. I think they should make the junk food a lot better for you with less calories, fat and bad things. Then we wouldn't be as obese! Shauna, 14, Wrexham
Obesity is a regular thing in 2000. Obesity is also mass marketed, what with McDonalds and Burger King. Schools are not helping by their food. David, 13, Cambridge
I think obesity is a problem because in schools today they don't provide the right food - they give us chips, burgers etc and even the sandwiches are filled with cheap mayo. The government complains about us being obese but they should look at what they are providing us! Alina, 15, Walthamstow
I think most of it is down to school dinners. I think the standards of them are appalling. All this obesity starts at this age at school, so fix it Mr. Blair before we are all fat AND old! Sam, 12, Whitley Bay
Because we are expected to sit at a desk all day long, and are not allowed the freedom to do a lot of exercise. Also, we learn from our parents, so if they are not able to do a lot of exercise, because of work, then we follow in their footsteps! Daniella, 13, London
I think people who are fat don't get enough exercise and just spend their whole life in front of the telly and computer. Food like McDonald's and Burger King aim their food at kids to eat and they don't realise it's bad for them. Parent's should help their children to eat the right food. Fruit and veg can beat a burger anytime! Lara, 11, Hertfordshire
I think that junk food advertisements don't help. Matthew, 11, Leeds
I admit I consider myself obese but I don't feel that it is necessarily anyone's fault. In my case I exercise and eat well but it's because of my metabolism so I don't think anyone should have the finger pointed at them the whole time. James, 13, New Ash Green
It's all down to the fact that fast food is bad for you so it tastes good. Healthier food is given a bad image and doesn't taste as great. I for one would prefer a McDonalds any day to a salad!!! Lucy, 15, Swindon
I would love to join a health/fitness club but now kids my age are just surrounded by homework. We just don't have the time. Rebecca, 11, London
If someone invented healthy food that tasted as nice as junk food, I'd eat it instead. Junk food is usually cheaper as well. Healthy foods aren't advertised far as much as junk food, and so it's seen as sad if people buy healthy food to eat at lunch. Maybe if healthy food instead of burgers and chips was made to look more "cool" then people would eat them more without fearing people's comments. Jess, 15, Halesowen
At my school, some students do a second language which means they have to miss one of their PE lessons. This means that they only get one hour of sport a week unless they choose to do more. I think schools should make more time for exercise and maybe award pupils in some way for taking part in extra curricular sports (after school clubs). Alex, 13, Winchester
Obesity is such a problem because of so many different things, whether it is the constant advertisements, the super thin celebrities or pressure from your "friends". James, 13, Durham
I think that obesity is only a problem because society deems it to be. If not so much emphasis was put on weight then maybe no one would be obese and therefore frowned upon. Rachel, 14, Tamworth
There are so many fatty, unhealthy foods being advertised that kids can't help eating so much of it. Megan, 11, Glasgow
A doctor once told me that it was because of the way you're built. Some people get energy and lose it really easily, while others, when they get energy, their bodies cling on to it and won't let it go as easily. Louise, 13, Banstead
I think that in some cases the parents are the ones to blame for their children's obesity. This is because they don't give their children the right amount of fruit and vegetables. It's not very healthy when children are fed pizza and chips every day! Louise, 10, West Sussex
There is so much food that is bad for you that tastes great, and kids just don't have the willpower to stick to eating healthy food! Rachel, 12, Balcombe
Not getting enough exercise and fresh air is a big problem too. People are more interested in computer games and TV than getting healthy. Rachel, 12, West Sussex
It's probably because schools don't serve healthy food - only stuff like pizza, chips and burgers... Jess, 13, London
It's not so much an eating problem, but an exercise problem. The sole reason we eat is to give us energy, and if we don't burn that energy off, it converts to fat, which is why so many of us are obese. Addie, 15, USA
I'm overweight and am very unhappy about it. I think it's unfair to blame parents, TV, magazines or celebrities as it's our own choice on what we eat and if we choose to eat the wrong food we have to deal with the consequences, but try to get the right help from people. Obesity isn't just bad for your health it's bad for your mentality. If you are bullied for being obese it can seriously affect your personal perspective on life and yourself as a person. Ryan, 14, Enniskillen
I guess it's a little but of everything but then you get things that make people comfort eat, like the whole magazine thing. Also, it's like chocolate. If people keep telling us it's bad for us, then it's gonna make us want to have more! Making such a fuss isn't really needed - it's support from parents and peers that's needed. Emily, 12, Norwich
They shouldn't make adverts about things like crisps, because it gives kids the idea that eating crisps and cakes are good for you. Tommy, 13, Aberdeen
I think it's because there is so much fast food and junk food around that people easily get tempted. Also, things like computers and video games hinder children from going out and exercising! Sarah, 15, Bristol
I'm convinced it's because people feel they HAVE to eat at certain times of the day, rather than when they're actually hungry, and because they feel they have to clear their plate. Christopher, 15, London
It is because companies like McDonalds target their adverts at kids. Therefore making them fast food junkies which means in later life they may get obese. 14, Bearsden
Our school decided to go healthy, so they got rid of the sweets but kept the greasy burgers and pasties, and the sandwiches with lots of butter and mayo on them, it's crazy! Kat, 14, Knutsford
I think it's because adverts make you want to eat food you wouldn't have thought about. Tyrone, 14, Motherwell
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