Weight Rise in American Children

The American society today has become far more convenient on one hand and even unhealthier on the other hand. The creation of the high definition TV, internet, YouTube and the thousands other electronics and modern conveniences are actually creating health problems in our children today. In 1900 the average college male would weigh about 133lbs and the woman, 122lbs. Today this is not the case, these average weights have escalated to 166lbs and 144lbs. Of course a small portion of this increase can be attributed to the increased height in men and women today, but the main source of the problem is our need for convenience.

The internet has allowed our society to advance to higher levels and without it we may not be where we are today. The problem with it is that children are no longer playing outdoors and participating in sports, they are sitting in front of computer screens or video games and eating chips and chocolate. 32% of all American children today now carry more weight then they should and this percentage is only going to increase. Many of these obese children are beginning to develop the chronic and life threatening conditions that adults in their 40s used to worry about.  Diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, gall stones and liver disease are the most common in obese children today.

It is time to take control and fight this growing epidemic of obesity for the sake of our children’s health. If you think about it, they spend all day sitting at school and when they come home they sit in front of the TV or computer for another 3-4hours before they go to bed. There is no form of activity within their lives anymore. Combine this lack of activity with the super-sized French fries, large cola drinks and high in sugar snack foods that can be found in every house hold today and they are consuming far more calories then they can burn in a day. The average child consumes over 3,500 calories in a day which is 1,500 more then required to survive.

Everyone can make the necessary changes within their lives to help reduce the onset of obesity within your children. Obesity can create life long problems and as an adult you may know when you reach a certain weight it can be hard to return to a healthy state. There are several lifestyle changes which must be implemented:

• At least 30minutes of moderate to intense exercise per day (walking, biking, swimming, sports, running, etc).
• Cut out cola and sugar beverages from their diet and replace them with water.
• Take the time to cook healthy meals from home and skip the constant parade of take out food.
• Teach your children how to live a healthy lifestyle by example and they will follow your lead.
• Junk food should be a special treat once in awhile, not whenever they want it.
• If you are serving unhealthy foods make sure they are eaten in moderation.

Children are very impressionable and if you are not living healthy they will not either. There is nothing wrong with playing video games and chatting online but there should be time limits on these activities in order to encourage your child into more active activities, especially during the summer months. Weight loss is not the only benefit associated with outdoor activities. Your child will learn how to play well with others and make new friends they will want to play with on a regular basis. Don’t allow your child to become bored, this is the first step in a cycle of weight gain and lack of activity.