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Abstract
The obesity epidemic is continuously on the rise especially amongst young children in the U.S. Obesity can lead to many underlying health risks such as diabetes, heart failure and cancer. This research was done to gain perspectives from current high school students and teachers within the state of Georgia, on why they feel the obesity epidemic is continuing to rise. A basic qualitative study was used by interviewing 10 high school students and 5 teachers within a specific school district in the state of Georgia. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and finally placed into common themes based on the responses. It was found that the students and teachers alike feel that obesity is a pressing health issue within their school district. Advancements in technology, unhealthy eating habits, and sedentary lifestyles are the major contributors to the epidemic.
