Obesity Among Children Is On The Rise

Although we are becoming a more health conscious society these days, it does however boggle the mind to know that obesity among children is on the rise. The rate at which children ages 2 to 19 years are obese, has risen 17%. Across Asia, it's the same story. Obesity among Thai children ages between 5 to 12 years rose from 12% to 16% in just two short years. In China, 20% of its population as a whole is classified as obese, many of those are children. In Japan, over 10% of Japanese 9 year old boys are overweight, compared with 3% in 1970.

That's a startling statistic. It is a wake up call for all parents to reassess their kids' dietary habits and come up with a plan to reduce their weight gain before they develop serious chronic illness, cardiovascular problems, strokes, hypertension and certain form of cancer which are all more common in overweight people. Diabetes, once considered as an illness that attacked adults, is now seen in children as young as ten.

The eating habits of children have always been a concern for parents, the community and the nation as a whole. Schools have repeatedly changed the lunch menu to ensure all students were eating balanced and nutritional meals. States have banned trans fat in fast food restaurants and other establishments due to the increase in obesity among children and adults.

How can we, as parents, ensure our children are following the nutritional guidelines to achieve a healthy mind and body? Certainly, the foods that are prepared for kids at home are healthy and contain all the nutrients they need. But when kids are not at home, how does parents ensure they are not consuming fast foods or snacks that are unhealthy?

It all begins at home. Parents, who prepare foods for their children from the time they can hold a spoon, should try to adhere to a healthy diet not just for the children but for themselves as well. Talk to your kids and educate them about healthy eating. In addition, vegetarian diets have become an alternative method to conventional foods because there is a growing concern that children are not receiving the proper nutrients, vitamins and minerals on a daily basis.

As parents, we all should involve in the crusade against obesity among children. Healthy eating for our kids has therefore become the number one priority. As parents, I believe we all want our children to live happy and healthy lives void of illness or chronic diseases. To battle against obesity needs some hard work, discipline and perseverance. It will take time and research but we will prevail in bringing our children's health to where it should be.

Eating healthy foods is an educational habit. This habit can be started and cultivated from home.

For more information on healthy eating and how you can help to curb obesity, please visit this site: "The Miracle Superfoods".

Here is another alarming fact: the number of children in the United States hospitalized due to health problems that are related to obesity tripled from 1998 to 2004.

In 1998, 40 out of every 10,000 children under 18 were hospitalized for ailments linked to obesity as compared to 120 cases per 10,000 children in 2004.

Study has shown that the key to fight against obesity is to nurture the habit of healthy eating. You can learn more about healthy eating at "The Miracle Superfoods".