Obesity: An Epidemic

I usually don't write about current news stories, but I recently read something that really caught my attention. The obesity figures in America continue to rise, and the number of overweight and obese children is out of control. Mississippi has the highest percentage of obese residents, old and young. Colorado has the lowest, but in every state, obesity figures continue to rise.

I'm concerned about this for several reasons. Here we are trying to get health care costs under control and we are raising a generation of children of which 25% will be diabetic by the time they reach adulthood. That means their health care costs for the rest of their lives will be disproportionately more than for an average, healthy adult. Who pays? We all do, regardless of what kind of healthcare system we have.

There is talk of controling advertising of junk food, soda pop, and sugared cereals on childrens shows. I did not realize that the average child sees more than 10,000 food ads on TV each year, most for high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar meals. This makes if very difficult for them to want anything else. Some schools have gotten rid of soda machines and candy and chips. However, the fast food industry has infiltrated our schools and has signed lucrative food contracts worth millions of dollars. It will be years before some schools can legally get rid of some junk food items. Some school districts are trying to bring in healthier lunches for the students, but with cost such an issue, it is difficult to provide healthy options.

Why are we so fat? The answer is easy. It's a combination of diet and lifestyle. Living a life on the go, eating fast-food and microwave dinners, the health of the American people has been sacrificed. Our general lack of exercise and addiction to sedentary activities like video games and TV only add to the problem. Several years ago I went through the Pritikin Program, and one study has stuck in my mind. Scientists studied the weight and cholesterol figures for Japanese people from 1960-1975. Then they studied another group from 1980-1995. The earlier study, before fast food hit Japan, showed most Japanese to be of normal weight and cholesterol and having very little diabetes. The second study showed that weight in adults and children was up 20%, and diabetes was up over 55%. These are shocking numbers, but it is within our control to change them.

Why is it that parents can't learn to "Just say no?" Parents do have control of their kids almost exclusively for the first few years, and if these kids got off to a good nutritional start, perhaps some of the obesity could be eliminated, or at least delayed. Yes, fast food is everywhere, but with a little bit of discipline and the ability to say no to a begging child (you know, the one screaming in the supermarket that he wants a certain cereal), parents can take charge of raising healthy, happy kids.