"An educated patient is empowered, thus more likely to become healthy."
--Dean Ornish, MD
Working in elementary and high schools, I see kids every day who are overweight and obese. There is a sadness that follows them. There is a stigma, like wearing an unwanted 100 pound backpack, that they live with everyday.
There is a
psychological consequence to childhood obesity.
Kids hide their emotions dressed in drab colored, oversized clothes. There is a reluctance to make eye contact. They walk slower than other kids. Psychological consequences of obesity often linger for a lifetime when kids are at an unhealthy weight.
The physical consequences of childhood obesity include joint problems, high blood
sugars, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver
disease, gallstones, and breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea. Not getting enough sleep is a known
contributing factor to obesity. Kids who
are overweight or obese are more likely to be overweight or obese as
adults.
When I teach
a Growing Healthy Kids workshop, I ask the kids who wants to grow up and get
diabetes. They are chomping at the bit
to raise their hands and then at the last minute, when they hear the entire
question, their hands quickly go down by their sides and they become very quiet and serious.
No child wants to be at an unhealthy weight or
develop an obesity-related disease like diabetes.
Not. One. Child.
With love,
Nancy
Heinrich, MPH
Founder and
Wellness Architect
Growing
Healthy Kids, Inc.
