The President of the United States has issued a proclamation declaring September National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.
Here are facts every parent should know:
- · obesity rates have soared among all age groups, increasing more than fourfold among children ages 6 to 11;
- · 31.8 percent or 23 million children and teenagers ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic;
- · the financial implications of childhood obesity pose a financial threat to our economy and health care system, carrying up to $14 billion per year in direct health care costs, with people in the United States spending about 9 percent of their total medical costs on obesity-related illnesses;
- obese young people have an 80-percent chance of being obese adults and are more likely than children of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis;
- · due in part to the childhood obesity epidemic, 1 in 3 children (and nearly 1 in 2 minority children) born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their lifetime if current trends continue;
- · some consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity are psychosocial and can hinder academic and social functioning and persist into adulthood;
- · participating in physical activity is important for children and teens as it can have beneficial effects not only on body weight, but also on blood pressure and bone strength;
- · proper nutrition is important for children before birth and through their lifespan as nutrition has beneficial effects for health and body weight, and is important in the prevention of chronic diseases;
- · childhood obesity is preventable, yet does not appear to be declining; and
- · public, community-based, and private sector organizations and individuals throughout the United States are working to decrease childhood obesity rates in the United States through a range of efforts including educational presentations, media campaigns, websites, policies, healthier food options, and greater opportunities for physical activity.
Growing Healthy Kids,
Inc. has been working for the past four years to halt, reverse, and prevent
childhood obesity. We have taught thousands
of children and adults in educational programs and healthy cooking
workshops. We have documented success
stories as we have watched kids learn to make choices that put them on the path
to a healthier life instead of one filled with the painful consequences of obesity-related
diseases.
THEREFORE, in support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month,
Growing Healthy Kids proudly announces
the release of Nourish and Flourish: Kid-Tested Tips and Recipes to Prevent
Diabetes featuring the ideas that get kids
screaming for more vegetables and whole grains on their plates.
Written by Nancy Heinrich, an epidemiologist who founded the
Growing Healthy Kids movement to prevent obesity-related diseases like diabetes
in America’s children, this book teaches parents how to make simple changes
that move kids away from the bad foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. According to Ms. Heinrich, “When you engage
kids in the garden or the produce market and then “play” with them in the
kitchen to create a fun recipe together, they make better choices.” Nourish and Flourish is filled with the same
tips Ms. Heinrich uses in the "Growing Healthy Kids in the Kitchen" educational
programs. Included in the book are
shopping lists for busy parents to make it easy for the whole family to eat
healthy. Best of all, many of the
recipes make delicious, healthy, and economical school lunches for the kids AND
work lunches for moms and dads.
If you are concerned that your kids are eating too much
sugar, then you’ll get answers in a brand new book called Nourish and
Flourish. Reading this book will
give you a clear and concise approach to put your kids on a path to healthier eating.
Nourish and Flourish is available at www.amazon. com
and at the Growing Healthy Kids Variety Store, 3300 43rd Avenue, #4,
Vero Beach, Florida, 32960.
To order bulk copies for your school or parent group or to book the author to speak to your
organization, please send an email to growinghealthykidsnow@gmail.com.
