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Child Obesity Graphs Paint a Dismal Picture
By Linda Rogers

If you study the child obesity graphs in recent years, you will see that this condition is on the rise among children and teens as much as it is with adults. This is a frightening statistic indeed, when you consider that obesity can lead to other serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. The child obesity graphs are also showing a rise in diabetes in kids, as well as an abnormal amount of wear and tear on their joints due to the excess weight that they are carrying around every day. These childhood problems can only lead to greater and more serious health issues in adulthood, it obesity is not addressed soon in regards to kids.

The child obesity graphs that show the number of incidences of this condition in this age range will show a gradual increase in numbers every year. If you take the data from one year on a child obesity graph, the figures don't seem as alarming. However, if you consider that the percentage of overweight and obese children and teens have doubled in the past thirty years, you will have a good idea of the dangerous trend that our country is experiencing. Couple that with the fact that approximately 70% of all diabetes cases can be attributed to a weight issue and that 70% of overweight kids will grow into overweight and obese adults and you can see the epidemic proportions of this problem that some health care professionals are concerned about.

What can be done to make the Child Obesity Graphs Look more Optimistic?

The good news in the midst of all of this troubling information is that parents can do something to reverse the trend of these child obesity graphs. First, kids must learn to eat a diet that is low in fat and high in nutrients. The food pyramid that has been developed by the United States Department of Agriculture is a good place to begin good eating habits. Cut out fast food and junk food as much and as often as possible, and substitute healthy choices like fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and whole grain items. Be a good model to your kids of what healthy eating looks like, by selecting a banana over a brownie and carrot sticks instead of the cookies. Your kids will learn to eat right by watching you.

Daily exercise is another important factor in reversing the numbers in the current child obesity graphs. Get outside with your kids, and ride bikes or play basketball. Even a rousing game of tag will get the blood pumping and require no preparation to dive into. Limit television and computer time, and opt instead for a trip to the park or a walk through the neighborhood. Activity can become a regular habit in your life, and will show your kids that a health lifestyle can be as much fun as it is good for you.

Author Details:
Linda Rogers writes for various websites about obesity and weight loss with a special interest in the growing problem of child obesity.

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