PUTTING A STOP TO CHILDHOOD OBESITY

What does being obese really mean? When the amount of fat stored in a human body endangers that person's health, he/she is said to be obese. Currently the United States is leading the world with the highest percentage of overweight population. Over thirty percent of Americans, age 15 and up, struggle with their weight. That means that approximately one in three Americans is overweight. However, instead of looking at our eating habits, we often blame heredity or glandular imbalance for our obesity.

Two main reasons behind obesity are poor diet and low activity level. People who suffer from diabetes consume more calories than they burn. In today's inactive society, most people spend their time in front of a TV or a computer. And as we watch TV, we are often enticed by sugar loaded advisements during the commercial brakes. This combination of TV ads and inactivity leads to astronomical weight gain. And what is worse is that we pass these bad lifestyle habits onto our children. Obesity has increased in adults as well as in children over 30 percent in the last ten years. The reasons behind this are very obvious. Many families consume a diet high in fat due to a lack of time. Mothers often rely on fast food and other restaurants as a means of nutrition for their children. That is why the proportion of foods that children consumed from restaurants and fast food outlets increased by nearly 300% between 1977 and 1996. Children's physical activity has also decreased drastically. Children spend less time outdoors due to safety concerns as well as sedentary activities such as video games and television.

When we allow our children to accept these unhealthy lifestyle choices, we are preparing them for a journey that is filled with discomfort and illness. Being overweight can increase a child's susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, and depression (to name a few). That is why, it is crucial to instill healthy living habits in our children at an early age.