HEALTHY NEWS ARTICLES December

An article by Marcia Zimmerman, CN, from NOW Foods.

Fighting Obesity - What Do I Put in My Child's Lunch?

We begin the 21st century with a startling setback in life expectancy for our youth. Some experts even fear that today's kids might not live as long as their parents.That's despite the recent advances in medicine that have been credited with extending life span.

The Childhood Obesity Epidemic

The obesity epidemic is occurring in boys & girls in all 50 states. It's happening in younger children as well as adolescents, across all socioeconomic strata, and among all ethnic groups. At a time when we have learned that excess weight has significant and troublesome health consequences, we see our children gaining weight to a dangerous degree and at an alarming rate. According to a 2004 report from the Centers for Disease Control, the number of overweight 6 to 11 year olds more than doubled in the past 20 years-going from 7 percent in 1980, to 18.8 percent in 2004. The rate among adolescents between 12 to 19 more than tripled, increasing from 5% to 17.1%.

An estimated 61% of overweight young people have at least one additional risk factor associated with becoming over weight. These include heart disease, high cholesterol or high blood pressure-factors that have been traditionally associated with much older adults. In addition, children who are over weight are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. Overweight young people are more likely than their normal weight peers to become overweight or obese adults, adding additional risk factors such as stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.

The consensus among pediatricians, school administrators, parents, and government officials is that healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming overweight and developing related diseases. Associated problems with a growing overweight population are reduced productivity, increased disability, and a greater number of overweight individuals requiring nursing home care as they move into retirement. Clearly the centerpiece of reducing childhood obesity is to reduce its health related and economic costs.

Nutrition Solutions

Clearly, we must tackle this problem head-on in order to save our youth. It is the beginning as a grass roots movement in the classroom and will involve nutritionists, enlightened teachers, pediatricians, natural food retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of healthy foods. Beginning in the opening weeks of school 2006-2007, a pilot program to teach 6th graders how to eat for better health will be instituted in Chico, California. As the program is perfected, it will be offered nationwide. This is how the plan unfolds....

Show Kids How:

*Healthy snacks can be tasty and satisfying by letting them sample them
*Adding color and variety to meals increases taste and interest
*Real fruit juice and fruit are better than sodas
*Use of smaller plates, bowls and cups will help control serving sizes
*To become ambassadors of better nutrition in their families