Supersized… Obesity among children is skyrocketing! The ABC News headlines read:  Stressed about Skinny, Focused on Fat Mom’s Approach to Meals May Need a Second Look A new study, published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that a mother’s approach to feeding may have some unintended consequences on her kid’s body fat. GET MORE INFO Since 1987, obesity has reached epidemic proportions; over 45 million adults are obese.  Moreover, the epidemic is not limited to adults:  The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years.  From 10% to 15% of Americans age  6 - 17 years - about 8 million young people - are considered overweight. An obesity epidemic within the U.S. population is vividly portrayed by the fact that in 1991, only 4 of 45 participating states had obesity rates of 15 to 19 percent and none had rates greater than 20 percent.  By the year 2000, all of the 50 states except Colorado had rates of 15 percent or greater, with 22 of the 50 states having obesity rates as high as 20 percent or greater! (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) *Today there are nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in 1980. Behavioral and environmental factors are the main contributors to overweight and obesity and provide the greatest opportunities for prevention and treatment. Behavior eating too many calories while not getting enough physical activity.   Environment home, work, school, or community can provide barriers to or opportunities for an active lifestyle.   Genetics heredity plays a large role in determining how susceptible people are to overweight and obesity.  Genes also influence how the body burns calories for energy or stores fat. Thanks to too much food and too little sweat, Americans are getting heavier than ever! Obesity is rapidly becoming a MAJOR health crisis of the next generation. What can parents do to protect their children from the dangers of too much poundage? A lot!  Start early before kids get into habits of eating high-fat, high sugar foods and out of the habit of exercising regularly. Keep them moving!   Moms…here is how to get more exercise for the kids…and less for Mom.   GIVE THEM MORE CHORES! Look for FUN, easy ways to get more activity everyday!   Let's set some fitness goals…. Moms. let’s team up and do it together! GET MORE INFO Generally speaking, we need to accept that mom is the gatekeeper in many ways. Her relationship with food truly affects her child’s weight now, but can affect her child’s health in decades to come. GET MORE INFO How does overweight and obesity affect a persons health? (Nutrition In Health pp. 12-20; Stunkard p. 224) High blood pressure, hypertension High blood cholesterol, dyslipidemia Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes Insulin resistance, glucose intolerance Hyperinsulinemia Coronary heart disease Angina pectoris Congestive heart failure Stroke Gallstones Cholecystitis and cholelithiasis Gout Osteoarthritis Obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory problems Some types of cancer (such as endometrial, breast, prostate and colon) Complications of pregnancy Poor female reproductive health (such as menstrual irregularities, infertility, irregular ovulation) Bladder control problems (such as stress incontinence) Uric acid nephrolithiasis Psychological disorders (such as depression, eating disorders, distorted body image, and low self esteem). The more overweight a person is, the more likely to have health problems.  GET MORE INFO Weight loss and regular exercise can help improve the harmful effects of being overweight.  Studies show if you are overweight or obese, losing 5-10% of your body weight will improve your health. "At least one-third of all cancers are attributable to poor diet, physical inactivity, and overweight." Thus, if our goal of reducing cancer incidence by 25% in the United States by 2015 is to be reached, cancer prevention efforts must include strong programs for healthy eating and physical activity.  Such programs will also help to reduce the incidence of many other chronic diseases. "(Dileep G. Bal, MD, MS, MPH, Past President, American Cancer Society) THE COST OF OBESITY: In 2000, the cost of obesity in the United States was more than $117 billion. Poor nutrition and physical inactivity account for some 300,000 premature deaths in the United States each year. Chronic diseases account for 7 of every 10 U.S. deaths and for more than 60% of medical care expenditures. In addition, the prolonged illness and disability associated with many chronic diseases decrease quality of life for millions of Americans. Much of the chronic disease burden is preventable. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating contribute to obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Together, they are responsible for at least 300,000 deaths each year.  Only tobacco use causes more preventable deaths in the United States.  People who avoid the behaviors that increase their risk for chronic diseases can expect to live healthier and longer lives. The Critical Role (and almost impossible role) of Healthy Eating Although Americans are slowly adopting healthier diets, a large gap remains between recommended dietary patterns and what Americans actually eat.  Only about one-fourth of U.S. adults eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Poor eating habits are often established during childhood. More than 60% of young people eat too much fat, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day! American children now get about one quarter of their total vegetable servings in the form of potato chips or French fries.  Doctors are now diagnosing adult-onset diabetes in youngsters –an illness that is mainly related to diet that has been unheard of in children before. Experts say that children who are overweight have a good chance of growing into adults who are overweight. TEAM UP-GET MORE INFO The first step to getting off the fast food track is acknowledging the problem, and making a plan to fix it.  It’s time to make some changes. Recognize it’s going to take a little effort in planning at first. A shopping list is a must. “Families undergoing diet makeovers should also remember that if they try to change their whole diet at once it is a recipe for failure.” Said Holly McCord, a registered dietician and the nutrition editor for Prevention magazine. Goodbye Doughnuts…..Hello Slow Cooker! It’s one thing to switch from saturated fat to unsaturated fat, and quite another to adopt MODERATION as a permanent life-style. And….KEEP MOVING!! GET MORE INFO Resources