Supersized Kids, Diminishing Health.
Child Obesity Expanding
"Until recently, type 2 diabetes was rare in kids,"
Still says. "Now it accounts for 40% to 50% of the diabetes among
children." And when it comes to treating children, Still says that doctors
are seeing more high blood pressure than have seen in the past -- another
So what can be done to reverse this trend, and put kids on a
healthier path? Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science
in the Public Interest (CSPI) says the government can do a lot, with more money
to beef up vanishing physical education programs in schools and to institute
mass media public health campaigns to make people aware of the problem. CSPI is
a Washington-based lobbying group that focuses on health and environmental
Jacobson says it would be easy to pay for these initiatives by
imposing small taxes on snack foods and soft drinks. About a dozen states now
levy such a tax, and they raise $1 billion a year, he says.
There also are legislative efforts in a handful of states aimed
at getting soft drink and snack food vending machines out of schools. Such
efforts are being challenged by school systems, which generate revenue from the
Still says sodas and other sugary drinks, including fruit
juices, have played a huge role in the fattening of the nation's kids. One of
the easiest ways to eliminate calories from a diet is to cut out sugary drinks,
"People don't think about the calories they drink during a
day, but the average kid may take in thousands of calories a week drinking
regular sodas and fruit juices. I tell people who are trying to lose weight to
eat their calories, not drink them."
Experts say these tips can also help parents help their
children maintain a healthy weight:
- Keep the fatty and sugary snacks to a minimum at home.
- Set limits on TV, computer, and video game time.
- Make fitness a family affair, with activities designed to get everyone
- Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into family meals.
- Review your own health habits. Children model the behaviors they see at