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Since 1985, childhood obesity has tripled reaching epidemic proportions, and causing outcry over the way our country looks at the problem of overweight children the future health problems that they face. Today, about 16% of this nation’s children are considered overweight with their BMI (body mass index) falling between 85th and 95th percentile. Around half of overweight children grow up to become obese adults ( a BMI in the 95thpercentile) and end up suffering from  long term health problems including type 2 diabetes and other physical complications like orthopedic problems, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Being overweight can also lead to psychological problems like depression, low self esteem, anxiety and loneliness.

Why children are getting fatter

The rise of affordable fatty foods that are high in sugar and empty calories is cited as one of the major reasons why kids, especially children in low income households, are becoming overweight. Cheap, fast food can be found on every corner and even in school vending machines that are stocked with high calorie snacks and heavily sweetened beverages.

Along with round the clock access to these foods, advertising also plays a major role into what children and their parents choose to eat. Dr. Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, points to the 3 million dollars spent by the US government on their “5 a Day” nutrition education program, compared to the nearly 3 billion dollars that the fast food industry has spent of advertising. Having spent 1000 times as much on ads than the government, it should come as no surprise that Ronald McDonald is the second most recognized figure in the world, right after Santa (who is also reportedly a fan of Ronald).

Portion sizes also play a factor in this country’s expanding waist line.  For example, 6 oz used to be the standard size for soda, now the smallest you can get is around 20 oz. Children reportedly get 11% of their daily calories from soft drink which equals around 5 tablespoons of sugar a day! Our nation’s preoccupation with super sized meals, super big gulps, tubs of pop corn and all you can eat buffets has led to poor eating habits for children and adults alike.

How we eat also play a factor. Most people seem to be too busy to prepare a healthy meal at home relying on take out and fast food to feed their families. This means bigger portions, higher fat intake and much less fruits and vegetables.

Our sedentary lifestyle has also contributed to our increasing problem with obesity. A few decades ago, before the dawn of video games and the internet, kids tended to get more physical activity into their day. Nowadays, they spend all of their free time in front of their high definition television or computer. Schools also can be blamed for eliminating physical education and after school programs.

Addressing the problem and taking steps to prevent it can be done, but it may be difficult. Behavior modification problems can be a challenge but can also be very effective at tackling the problems of childhood obesity and overweight. The good thing is that it is easier to change the behavior of a child in danger of becoming obese that it is to change the habits of an adult who already is obese. Family based programs focused on specific behaviors that lead to excessive weight gain seem to be the most promising way in helping the next generation overcome this epidemic.

Here are some things that you as a family can do:

• Turn family time into active time: Instead of plopping down on the couch to watch television.  Try going for a hike or family bike ride, Walking to the museum, garden or even the mall is also a good idea.
• Let your children play outside. Keeping your kids inside to punish them can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. While discipline is important, encouraging them to play outside in order to burn off that excess energy might even help you keep a more orderly household.
• Start with a good breakfast: Eating a good breakfast in the morning helps kids stay focused, do better in school and leads to them eating less junk throughout the day.
• Eat healthier dinner: Investing time and money into healthy, well prepared dinners will pay off in the long run. Including fresh fruit and veggies, and cutting down on sugar and fat will help you and your family lead healthier and more active lives.
• Drink more water: Water is important for cleansing and repairing your body. Try adding some fruit to it to make it more palatable to your kids. Also, when you drink juice, make sure you are drinking real juice without any added sugar.
• Lead by example: If you are trying to get your children to eat healthy, you can start by eating better yourself. Eat a smaller portion in lieu of super sizing it anf be active yourself instead of just sitting down and watching your kids play.

Yulia Berry is an independent health researcher and author of the best selling e-books Aloe – Your Miracle Doctor and ‘Pharmacy in Vegetables’. She distributes a weekly newsletter regarding great home remedies and has written dozens of natural health articles published on hundreds of websites worldwide. Yulia Berry’s new ebook Unlocked Secrets of Curative Garlic to be released soon.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/fat-kid-prevention-stopping-childhood-obesity-1783520.html

When it comes to discovering fast Losing Weight Tips that work, picking out your foods for your diet can be a true balancing act. You have to lose some of what you’ve gotten accustomed to and impart a few items that may be new to you. Here’s some fast Losing Weight Tips that experts advocate to boost weight loss.

Losing Weight Tips #1 – Cut down fat.

With regard to fat, the research is unclouded: Diets too elevated in fat advance overweight and obesity. You ought to strive to take in no more than twenty-five percent of your calories from fat – and that fat ought to the “non-saturated” type.

Losing Weight Tips # 2 – Don’t go for the sweets.

A lot of studies have connected table sugar to expanded calorie consumption. While sugar does not do as much dietary harm as fat, you’ll discover that when you consume sweets, you simply prefer to eat more… of everything. Not only that, but sugar as well makes your body pass chromium, and chromium is a mineral that helps your body build calorie-burning lean tissue – so you would like to keep your chromium levels up.

Losing Weight Tips #3 – Drink more.

If individuals want to keep their nutrients in balance, they need to drink enough plain, nonflavored water each day. Water not only acts as a solvent for a lot of vitamins and minerals but as well is responsible for bearing nutrients into and wastes out of cells, so the body functions the right way. As a guideline, you ought to drink a half-ounce of water for every pound of body weight every day, unless you’re very physical, in which case you ought to step-up your water intake to two-thirds of an ounce per pound of body weight every day. So if you weigh a hundred pounds, you should drink fifty ounces of water a day as the lower limit.

Losing Weight Tips #4 – Get more fiber.

You are able to curb your hunger by increasing your consumption of dietary fiber, which is filling, so you feel full but consume less. For these diet tips, authorities advocate eating more fruits, vegetables and wholegrain cereals.

Losing Weight Tips #5 – Get treatment for food reactions.

A few researchers think that being overweight is the result of individuals craving foods that they’re allergic to. For these individuals, weight loss is highly difficult till they work out what those trigger foods are and get rid of them from their diets.

There are particular food allergies that touch off uncontrollable craving and bingeing. It’s a more common problem in overeaters.

If you surmise that food allergies may be part of your trouble, ask your physician to help you distinguish the offending items. Your physician may advocate that you see an allergic reaction medical specialist.

Losing Weight Tips #6 – Write it down.

Keeping a food journal helps you pin point your eating pattern and will enable you to easily alter it. If possible, have your registered dietitian go over your journal.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/losing-weight-tips-for-quick-weight-loss-1783863.html