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Within four years, it's projected that nearly half of American children will be overweight. With excess weight comes a multitude of health problems including stroke, heart disease and type two diabetes.

With the increase in obesity more children are being tested for high cholesterol and by the time these children reach their sixties, they'll be facing multiple diseases.

Poor diet, junk food and lack of exercise play a role in type 2 diabetes.

It's a trend fueled by fast food and sedentary lifestyles. For whatever reason, kids are spending too much time inside watching TV, playing video games, on the computer and snacking on junk food.

You don't have to run five miles, just be active. Take a walk in the park, fly a kite, even play hopscotch. It is important to keep incorporate exercise as part of daily life.
If you think your child is carrying too much weight, talk to your pediatrician about what you can do. You can tackle the problem as a family and together live longer, healthier lives.

posted by CRG @ Monday, June 26, 2006   3 comments At June 26, 2006 5:33 PM, HealthNurse said...

Where I work, in the Spanish Harlem region, there are a good number of children who are overweight or obese. Unfortunely there are not many good choices of places to eat where they live. The area is full of fast food restaurants and cuchifritos, which have such fattening food. Unfortunetaly they do not have many healthy choices. And the vegetables and fruits in the grocery stores are not usually that fresh either. I have to bring my lunch from home most of the time. It would be wonderful if there were healthier food choices that were not so costly. This way they could have healthier choices.

At June 26, 2006 11:51 PM, DDM said...

I totally agree with you. I have been living in Manhattan for a year and a half and there is tremendous discrepency in the quality of food made available. Of course the areas with most disparities are the more poor communities.

At June 27, 2006 8:05 AM, Tucopup said...

I would gather that close to most HS in NYC there are crops of fast food and quick fat food. That's where the market is.

I guess the gov't could not allow these places close to schools (like stip clubs). We could pass legislation for this.

uh...wait...this sounds Giuliani-esque...we wouldn't dare...


 Name: CRG
Location: New York, NY, United States

I originally thought I would become a doctor, as many of us do, but I went into public health instead! I have obtained my MPH and hope to continue growing as a public health advocate.

