Our Children Are At Risk
Statistics are just numbers. However, the data we are seeing
in the literature regarding overweight children is alarming. It
is so alarming that some experts are calling this a national
epidemic.
Overweight children who grow up to be overweight adults are
at greater risk of dying at a young age of heart disease. In
addition to the increased risk of heart disease, overweight
children are developing Type II diabetes. The number of children
with Type II diabetes has increased 60% in the last 5 years!
This type of diabetes typically develops in adulthood,
usually because of years of being overweight. Now, with the
sharp increase in the number of overweight children, we are
seeing a rapid increase of Type II diabetes in this age group.
The number of obese children has doubled from 1980 to 1999.
Twenty percent of American children are now considered
overweight.
Several factors influence this trend:
- Our children have become very sedentary:
- more TV: 4.5 hours per day on average
- more time on the computer
- less play time – many schools have eliminated gym
classes
- Children are consuming more calories:
- more convenience foods including high calorie snacks
(see this month’s FYI)
- more meals at fast food restaurants (even available in
some schools)
The solution is to focus on healthier lifestyles for the
whole family. We all need to move more, eat healthier meals, and
eat less. Take walks together, shoot hoops in the driveway, or
ride bikes. Prepare nutritious meals for the family.
This month’s recipes focus on kid-friendly foods. Even if
it’s as simple as soup and sandwiches, it can be much lower in
fat and calories and healthier than fast food.
With some effort, we can stem this epidemic and change these
frightening statistics. We need healthy, active, well-nourished
children who will grow up to be healthy adults.
