Curbing Childhood Obesity
Encouraging Healthier Lifestyles For Kids

Obesity is a world wide problem across all ethnic groups and ages. In the USA, one in every four children is obese. Aside from the social and psychological problems that being the "fat kid" can cause, it's causing kids to develop type 2 diabetes and other "adult" diseases earlier in life. Children were very rarely diagnosed with this adult form of diabetes, but now doctors report seeing it more and more often.

The link between obesity in kids and diabetes becomes obvious when you see the statistics...80 percent of kids diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight.

Like people in most of the developed nations, Americans tend to eat more calories than they burn. Whether it's a change of eating habits or activity, it's clear that Americans need to be taught healthier habits at an earlier age.

In the USA, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) partnered with the President's Council on Physical Fitness (PCPFS) to spread the word to children and young adults when their bodies were still developing and while their metabolisms were changing. The thinking is that kids can make decisions that make sense...when they understand the reasons. .

If things don't change, the future state of America's health is not promising. The latest figures say that 65 percent of American adults are either obese or overweight. . Estimates predict that as many as 50 percent of the current crop of obese children and adolescents will become obese adults and obesity can kill!. The deaths of 300,000 people each year in the United States are thought to be related to their obesity.

Like most family projects, losing weight and getting fit works best when everyone gets excited about the process. Eating healthy foods does not mean eating awful foods. Sugar substitutes and smaller portions will usually do the job. Adding a bit of regular exercise - like a walk after dinner - can help win the battle of the bulging bodies...

Families should learn about healthy eating and activity habits together. To evaluate your family's diet and find out if they're in a healthy weight zone, go to www.PowerofPrevention.com.

Source: Newstream

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