Childhood Obesity Plan Of Attack!

Over the past 30 years, Childhood Obesity has more than tripled in numbers. This is a serious issue with a truly frightening outlook. It’s easy to see the statistics and feel helpless or point fingers of blame, but we all need to share in the responsibility for this growing epidemic. Our inaction has only contributed to the progression of this crisis. We need to get out of the passenger seat and take control of where the health of our nation's youth is headed.

Just to remind you, obesity related health risks include type 2 diabetes, and heart disease -- two of the biggest killers in this county! Although normally associated with middle aged adults and early elders, these health issues are being more and more common among children. Hypertension, orthopedic problems, sleep apnea, and menstrual abnormalities are other detrimental affects of obesity. There are psychological risks associated with overweight and obese children including low self-esteem, depression and social discrimination. I don’t have any children of my own yet, but I will someday and I know that I want to raise them in a world that gives them a fighting chance to live a long and happy life.

Two major contributors to childhood obesity are schools and the media. In many parts of the world, administrators have allowed all types of junk food into their school, which kids find irresistible. After studying how these junk foods have affected their youth, some countries have taken steps to ban them from school vending machines. America needs to get on this.

Our country has drastically cut back on many physical education programs, perpetuating the already inactive lifestyle we see in much of our youth. Kids sit in class all day, come home and spend the rest of their night watching television and video games rather than playing outside or enjoying sports. The decline of physical activity paired with the increased consumption of terribly unhealthy foods makes a deadly combination (literally) that is taking our youth by storm.

A great deal of kids do not take lunch to school and must choose something to eat in the cafeteria or at a local food spot. In a majority of cases, this means that they are filling themselves with a huge intake of nutritionally devoid junk food, as portion sizes are getting out of control. Even kids who bring in lunch boxes fall victim to consuming unhealthy foods.

Why do we allow our kids to eat this stuff? Why do they want it in the first place?

Advertisers of junk food target children. Companies spend millions of dollars marketing to kids, playing commercials that appeal to their dulling senses. It makes it difficult for parents to get their kids to eat healthy when all they want is the bad stuff. Stop telling kids to want this!

We need to educate our children, and ourselves, of the benefits of healthy foods and the destructive qualities of junk food. We need to find ways to cut out trans fats, loads of sugar, and high levels of salt in the foods that we are feeding our families. Get poor food choices out of school lunch programs and replace these items with healthier versions. Stock vending machines with all natural snacks and beverages that meet a certain nutritional requirement so kids can munch on something good during the day. It's important to make it easy for children to make healthy choices!

Portion control is also an important factor in reducing obesity among children. Trim down the amount of less-healthy items at dinner and home meals, and add more fresh fruits, vegetables, lean cuts of meats, and whole grains to your family's diet. I know that convenient foods seem great in a pinch, but high sugar, sodium and fat contents means convenience at the expense of your health.

We need to get kids involved in more physical activities and promote an active lifestyle, which can reduce childhood obesity. Sign your children up to participate in organized sports at their schools and local community centers. They can even swim, skate, run, and dance for free at certain parks and recreation centers. Walk you kid to school, if you are within walking distance. Some elementary schools have teachers/parents lead walking school buses, which travels along a specified route and picks up children along the way.

This issue isn’t going to be resolved overnight, and parents cannot carry the burden of this crisis alone. In order to make long-lasting, substantial changes, we need the collective efforts of our school boards, community leaders, and government officials. There must be major adjustments in the quality of food, portion control, activity levels, and acceptable health standards that we impose upon children. We each need to form a plan of attack, get involved, and take action! Together we can defeat this common enemy and save our children from being casualties in the battle against obesity.