Don't Join the Over-Weight Club!

   I don’t know about you… but eating habits are learned at an early age – so you want to help your kids and grandkids develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

   People just love to squeeze chubby cheeks on little babies and young children and tell them how cute they are! But childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic problem. And there isn’t even any agreement on how to measure it!

   According to a recent article in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, approximately 50% of all children in North and South America, 38% of all children in Europe will be overweight. Dr. Philip James, Chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, states, “We have truly a global epidemic which appears to be affecting most countries in the world.”

   Researchers studied medical reports on obesity for 25 years and the World Health Organization tracked obesity growth rate trends in pre-adolescents in 42 countries. Their findings - that the combination of JUNK FOOD and inactive lifestyles were largely responsible for the alarming growth rate in childhood obesity worldwide.

   And since obese children generally become obese adults, you can anticipate a steady increase in many health-related conditions (i.e., heart problems, diabetes, and strokes) that will severely tax health resources.

   Here are a few suggestions to manage obesity in children and adolescents:

• Make better food selections when shopping
• Increase your physical activities, even if you just walk
• Less television and video games and more family events
• Control portion size and use smaller plates
• Eat meals at the family table, not in front of the TV
• Avoid using food to reward or punish as this becomes emotional
• Limit amount of evening snacking (you get FAT eating late)

   In an effort to help curb this disturbing trend, many schools are removing “junk” food as menu selections and from vending machines. Get the JUNK FOOD out of  your home, and follow the suggestions outlined above.