Ever since I was a child, I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn't know what kind of doctor I wanted to become. Did I want to become a doctor to earn a lot of money, live a prosperous life, be respected in society, or simply to be able to help others? The answer came to me not long ago while volunteering at Methodist Richardson Hospital. During my time in the pediatric ward, reading books with these children or even simply talking to them, I felt a sense of fulfillment. Seeing these children suffering from life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, smiling happily as if nothing was wrong, living their lives as if they were not stuck in hospital beds, made me love them and their positive attitudes. Working with these children helped me understand that whatever I did in life I would focus on children like them. The volunteer work I did in this hospital helped me realize the professional field I wanted to enter and also taught me how important it is to keep new future generations healthy and a huge risk factor that would jeopardize the health of children is childhood obesity. Even though parents don't pay much attention to their children's excessive weight gain, it is a serious issue because it leads to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and other health risks. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States today, and it is on the rise due to lack of awareness and the absence of a health plan for children that interests them and allows them to have fun while staying healthy. Childhood obesity has become such a big problem due to parents' lack of awareness and lack of influence on children to eat healthily. Childhood obesity i...... middle of document ......ss, 2011. In question. Rpt. from "Kudos on the First Lady's Anti-Obesity Campaign." San Francisco Chronicle April 4, 2010. Opposing Views in Context. Network. March 4, 2014. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Health Effects of Childhood Obesity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 27, 2014. “Report: Childhood obesity rates declined in 18 states.” CBS Dallas Fort Worth. CBS, November 2, 2011. Web. March 4, 2014. “Childhood Obesity.” Childhood obesity on the rise. Mayo Clinic, April 24, 2012. Web. March 2, 2014. Thrasher, Chalres. "Obesity in children and adolescents". Obesity in children and adolescents. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, September 16, 2013. Web. March 02, 2014.Martin, Steve. "Preventing Obesity in Children, Causes of Childhood Obesity, and More." WebMD. WebMD, July 14, 2013. Web. March 3. 2014.