There is a national epidemic of obesity which starts in childhood. Here is some information from Dr. Virginia Kean, MD, pediatrician at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Childhood obesity results from inactivity and overeating. It is very common these days for children to spend hours watching TV, playing video games, and doing things on the computer where only 10 to 15 years ago children played outside and had more physical activity. Schools often eliminate PE or reduce it to a minimal amount each week. It has been shown that a child who is overweight after the age of two will likely be overweight as a teen and adult.

There are many health problems related to obesity. These diseases usually only showed up in adults but are becoming more common in teenagers and even in children. These diseases include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and cancer.

American diets are much of the problem. Poor diets are those made up of “empty calories” (foods that are high in sugar, salt and fats). These foods include cookies, chips, sodas, and juice. These types of food do not give the normal sensation being full and will usually cause the person to have hunger pains after an hour or two.

Families contribute to poor eating habits by not eating together. Dinner time is helpful time of day to teach healthy eating as well as encouraging talking between the adults and children. Often it is the only time the family talks to each other during the day.

Health diets should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Juices should be limited to 8 oz a day and “empty calorie” snacking between meals should be avoided. Healthy snacks such as fruits, low fat string cheese; whole grain foods should be encouraged. Correct portion size should be taught. Americans have increased the size of the portions of food that they eat at every meal. Fast food restaurant portion sizes have increased by 30 to 50% over what it was a few years ago. The correct portion size should approximate the size of the person’s fist (this includes children).

Americans have lost the concept of what a healthy child should look like. The typical American child now looks very “chubby” and has rolls of fat. Ideally a healthy child should look like a stick figure. Children should limit sedentary activities to 2 hours daily if they are normal weight and 1 hour daily if they are over weight. Children should get at least 1 hour of vigorous activities daily.