Dr. Dion Presents: The Top 5 Causes of Childhood Obesity Epidemic

     It is no secret that Americans are currently in the midst of an obesity and chronic disease epidemic. Experts have estimated that over 75% of American adult population is considered overweight and also have been diagnosed with one or two chronic diseases.

The really sad part of the story is that our poor lifestyle choices and habits have been passed down to the younger generations. It is now estimated that one out of every three or 35% of American children ages 2 to 18 are considered medically overweight.

These numbers go up significantly in African-American and Hispanic American communities where 40 to 50% of the children are considered medically.

If this trend is not stopped immediately experts predict that by the year 2040, 95 to 100% of all adult Americans will be considered medically overweight. Because of this fact I have conducted my own research and discovered that there are five major reasons for the current national and worldwide childhood obesity epidemic:

1.Intake of fast food - The major cause for child obesity is the consumption of junk food or fast foods. Children are very fond of having burgers, pizzas, noodles and many more fast foods, which in turn increases their body weight and fat percentage.

It is estimated that 55 to 6% of all meals Americans consume throughout the week are from convenient stores or fast food restaurants.

In order to combat obesity and obesity related diseases effectively in your home it will be extremely important to increase your amount of home-cooked meals and decrease the number of times you and your family eat outside of the home.

2. Family behavior - Most children whose parents are overweight are found to be at a higher risk of becoming overweight as well. The main reason may be due to conditioned behaviors, environmental factors and unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits that make them more predisposed to becoming obese.

It has been well documented that children are highly influenced by the way their parents cook, eat, physical activities etc.

3. Lack of Physical activities - Most children nowadays usually sit and watch movies, play games on their computers or text friends or Facebook them all day on their phones instead of going out and playing with friends or participating in sports activities.

Younger aged children seem to prefer playing outdoor games instead of sitting and watching movies or playing games on computers. Make it a priority to get your preteens and teens outside and more active. Remember to always support any child who is interested in participating in physical activities of any kind.

By doing so you are empowering your child with the life skills necessary in order to reduce the risk of becoming overweight in the future and becoming a victim to one of the many common chronic diseases that are currently devastate our nation.

4. Unnecessary snacking - Excessive snacking is one of the major causes that lead to the problem of obesity these days. There are many vending machines available in the schools that dispense snacks like chip, soft drinks and candy bars candy bars. All of these food choices are full of high contents of sugar, fat and cholesterol.

Make it easier for you children by fixing them a homemade meal once or twice every week to take to school for lunch.

5. Sweet Dreams or Nightmares? - The overconsumption of sweet and sugar laden foods and drinks have been indoctrinated in our American society. Children are bombarded with colorful, fun commercials featuring their favorite characters selling them a wide assortment of fat and obesity promoting foods filled with large sugar content.

Like what you ask? Ever hear of such things as sugary cereals, sodas, candy, candy bars, ice cream and many more things.

The recommended daily consumption of sugar for adults is 9 tablespoons for men and 6 tablespoons for women. Most American adults consume estimated 20 added tablespoons a day which doesn't include sugar content already in food choices.

Sadly it has been reported that the average pre-teen and teenager may consume as much 30 to 35 added tablespoons of sugar each and every day.

So in order to protect your child from suffering from premature obesity and associated common health disorders such and diabetes and high blood pressure it would be best to teach your child about the dangers of these foods and provide them with healthier sweet alternatives such as fruits, 100% fruit juice and frozen yogurt.

One should encourage and empower their children to eat smarter and become more physically active in order to lose weight and keep it off. This will not only help them to attain a healthy mind and fit body but also increase their self-worth and improve their self-esteem.

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