CDC Childhood Obesity Statistics - Breeding of Fat Kids

Who knows what the CDC is? How many parents out there really know or have seen the statistics on childhood obesity? Well according to my recent trip to the local Walmart, not many. Take the test for yourself. Next time you go to a populated shopping area - take a look around. Look at the number of kids around you and then count how many are on the border of obesity. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recently published the growing statistics of our nations increasing child obesity problem. "Results from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese. Between 1976-1980 and 1999-2000, the prevalence of obesity increased. Between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008 there was no significant trend in obesity prevalence. Among pre-school age children 2-5 years of age, obesity increased from 5 to 10.4% between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 and from 6.5 to 19.6% among 6-11 year olds. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! DO YOU SEE THESE NUMBERS? What are we doing as a nation? What is wrong with us.. must we add high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, artificial sweeteners or rat poison, food colorings: Red Dye, Blue No 1, Yellow No 6, etc. These are made from coal tar and are potent carcinogens,) Among adolescents aged 12-19, obesity increased from 5 to 18.1% during the same period." (Trans Fats: Partially Hydrogenated Soy Bean Oil, margarine, hydrogenated vegetable oils are fats whose molecular structure has been chemically altered in a lab. These are guaranteed to pack on the pounds because your body has no idea what to do with them because they are synthetic. These are associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol)

What does this mean for our children, well possible health risks such as cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes). "Approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe."

What can you do? As a parent or guardian to help prevent childhood overweight and obesity it's really pretty simple and only requires DISCIPLINE and ACTION:

-Children/Adults should eat 51% raw food, offer and continue to offer a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products

-Show your child the ingredients on the box, if you cannot pronounce or know what the ingredients are don't buy it and certainly don't eat it; demonstrate a no label food is best (foods in their natural state)

-Select lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein

-EVERYONE needs to drink lots of water - why do we have to 'flavor everything' ensure your kids enjoy fresh, clean un-flavored waters

-Serve 100% juice with no added sweeteners

-Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat

-Eat foods in their natural state- the farther away a food is processed away from nature, the less healthy it is for you and the more likely it will make us fat!

-Avoid anything labeled as fat free, no calories, low calorie or no fat

MAKE EATING FUN!! Play games with kids - reward your child with an Organic Apple instead of candy bar! Count the grapes on your plate and divide by the number of carrot sticks! Be a role model and make good choices for yourself... the kids will eat if they are hungry .. and they might just like it too!

Fit Dad Fat 'Soccer' Mom June 2010

Soccer Time - 6:30pm June 9th, 2010 - Fargo N.D. I sat down on the grass to watch my 7 yr old daughter play her 2nd soccer game. I am completely distracted instantly as I look to my left to watch this 2 yr old child chomping away on a Milk Chocolate Hershey Bar with a mere 210 calories, 8 grams of saturated fat! I tried so hard not to look at this boy's father who was sitting literally two feet away and actually quite trim and fit. You should know, that I truly am not a judgemental person. (At my heaviest I weighed 192 lbs - I will never judge a fat person however I will secretly pray for them and wonder if they are truly happy being fat!) Back to the game, my daughter is hustling to get the ball, she's good. I took another quick glance to see if the mom was fat, sure enough, of course, she was fat. Back to the game.. by this time, this boy was making all sorts of noises, I had to look again. In my mind I screamed " Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?? This 2 yr old child is now holding a snack size bag of Cheetos (not baked) AND AND his Milk Chocolate Hersey Bar!! That's not all folks, he was holding the candy bar while digging in the bag for a Cheetos (190 calories per bag, 10 grams of fat) .. so now I am watching this child eat a Cheetos while holding and alternating bites of his Milk Chocolate Hershey Bar. Seriously, I was so livid inside - I could not even move. But wait, it gets better, there is more!! Dad decides little Jr. needs to wash down his Cheetos & Milk Chocolate Hershey Bar with, "well, what else? DIET COKE"!! Well of course by this time the soccer girls needed a water break. No shocker here, his 7 yr old sister comes trotting over.. all 100 lbs. (She is 7!) I was shaking my head in utter disgust. Yes I watched the parents of this boy feed him an entire chocolate bar, a bag of Cheetos and a 1/2 bottle of Diet Coke in less than 40 minutes. What should I have done? What would you have said or done? .. behind every FAT CHILD is a FAT PARENT.. Childhood Obesity - Preventable