Posted on October 27th, 2008 by Craig Maltby, Editor
Childhood obesity – a must read
Most of us probably know about the obesity epidemic that’s been written about now for several years. The
problem is, it ain’t getting any better.
CNN’s health blog, Paging Dr. Gupta, has a update on this from Oct. 24. One in three kids ages 6 to 11 in this country are obese or overweight. This has huge ramifications for health care economics in the years ahead.
I remember when a physician at a conference I attended said how astonished he was several years ago when he was starting to see kids show up in his clinic with adult onset Type II diabetes. He was absolutely astounded. He could never have imagined that a condition present in adults who weren’t following minimally healthy diet/exercise/lifestyle practices would start emerging in children. Now, it’s commonplace.
And the obesity trend has serious implications for immune system health. Obesity can have a direct impact on the immune system’s ability to function, which can impact a number of potential disease states. A 2007 study published in the journal Metabolism details immune system findings among groups of obese and overweight women.
My kids are pretty good about making sure they don’t overdo the junk food and getting a good intake of fruits and veggies, but I’m always harping on them about sugar-laden foods. I get a lot of blowback when I do that. I suppose my message delivery style could use some improvement. Plus, I’m not a shining example for them with my own snacking habits. Still, I won’t kick myself too hard for trying to brainwash them on this topic before they’re out of the house and in college, a dietary craps shoot .
October 28th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Ah yes. The problem with harping on kids about certain foods is that the harping might make them start to eat the bad foods even more.. I think a good approach is to teach them to love themselves, love healthy food, and love having an active lifestyle. All the best!
October 29th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Juliet:
Can’t argue with that. And, I love your site: http://www.yummydietfood.com I’m gonna try that Tofu with Peanut Ginger Sauce recipe I saw there yesterday.
And, I’m starting to get hope. One of my daughters actually ate multiple helpings of my squash soup I made last weekend. Unbelievable.