Obesity Epidemic

Most of my blogs have been about exercising and improving your health and just updates on things happening in the fitness world. This blog I wanted to take the time and explain and touch upon the current Obesity Epidemic in the US right now. In today's adolescence society about 25 million children are over weight or obese, that is 32% of American children, SHOCKING!!!. What is even worse and more shocking then that previous facts is those 32% turn into 70% stay obese when the mature (grew up). This number in obese children has been on the rise for the past twenty years and it has almost tripled. The health issues that are associated with being obese are very serious. As of the last past 20 years the adolescence population has been being diagnosed with type II diabetes which is usually very rare when your at a young age. Not only does being over weight create physical disabilities for these children but social as well. Children who are over weight are more apt to be bullied in school and picked on, less likely to go out of their way and be social and try to make friends, this leads to depression and a lack of self-esteem. The American population is paying for this and they seem to not even care that health care has gone up three times more strictly because of obese children.  The most common causes for childhood obesity are bad eating habits, to little exercise, an unhealthy family lifestyle and genetics, all which can be PREVENTED!!! I find it very hard to believe that the parents are over looking their child's problem when it has been publicly announced that this generation of children may not out live their own parents. This blog is not only trying to point out how bad this epidemic really is but is trying to show people, Americans, especially parents how easy it really is to stop this in its track before it really is to late. There are so many little tips that can be acted upon at home to help your children out, and there are plenty of programs in the states that are here to help stop this obesity crisis. First of the little things like, healthier eating habits, higher levels of physical activity can easily reverse this problem. But it isn't that simple now sence we have waited so long to adress the additional problem. More dratic measures have to be taken to solve this problem.

Programs like WE CAN  (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) have been thought up to help out the situation. This program is directed to parents, cargivers and ones community and targets children 8 - 13 and gives them help and tips to stay and maintain healthy weight. Parents and gaurdians are the primary influence on these children, so the more they know the more helpful they'll be to the children. The organization also offers things like community groups and health proffesionals to help meet the needs of these children. Another example of a program would be shapedowns which are weight managments programs for children, or quote un quote "Fat Camps" where a child will go for a period of time to try to lose there weight. Obesity can be prevented, everyone and anyone can help. HELP YOUR CHILDREN OUT LIVE YOU!

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/about-wecan/index.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/childhood-obesity-facts-know-this-before-its-to-late-1658203.html