Our Children's Future Is Now
I would like to take the time to revisit a subject I have in the past from a different perspective. Child obesity is a problem that is getting worse. Without major changes in our culture and related eating habits this problem will continue and "morph" into a major health crisis as this new generation ages into adulthood.
The number one killer for adults in the United States is related to cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, many of these diseases and related deaths can be prevented by daily choices we make from the time we are young and throughout our lives. How we eat, what we eat, daily exercises and stress are some of the most important factors that can add years of health to our lives or contribute to eventual ill health and disease.
Much of our lifetime eating habits begins when we are very young and are a direct outcome of how our parents fed us. We must be conscious of this fact as we make these choices for our children. Literally every meal and snack is an opportunity to create habits that will influence our families’ health.
The developing major public health issue of our lifetime and future lifetimes will be obesity and its eventual development into insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Stress, diet and lack of exercise cause Metabolic Syndrome, also known as Insulin Resistance and “pre-diabetes”. Abdominal weight gain, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure and a high fasting glucose characterize it. It all begins with weight gain and obesity and ends with heart disease. Treatment includes exercise, proper diet, weight loss, stress management, vitamins and minerals and if severe enough, medication for related specific health problems that it leads to.
Metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes used to be an adult problem. This is no longer the case. More and more children between the ages of 9 through 12 are beginning to develop the signs of metabolic syndrome that was once only seen in adults, since it would take decades to develop. The advent of a poor diet rich in sugar, starchy carbohydrates and fast food along with excessive time spent in front of the TV, video games, computer and lack of exercise is contributing to this growing problem.
A 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. states: "This analysis reveals that not only have more children become overweight in the last three decades, but overweight children have been getting heavier." This trend is going to lead to an increased epidemic of cardiovascular disease and eventual decrease in life spans. It will also consume a huge portion of our health care dollars.
This does not have to be a reality. These are all preventable problems that begin with what food and snacks we present to our children. We are their examples. A great resource for great eating habits and recipe ideas can be obtained at www.mercola.com. Dr. Mercola’s website, e-newsletter and books are a wonderful source. Our children’s future is now. Let’s provide them with a gift that will become a lifetime legacy of good health and begin to reverse our nation’s health care problems one meal and snack at a time.
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