According to the Obesity Action Coalition, obesity in children has more than tripled since 1980,

2. It is also important for parents establish a routine of physical fitness into the child’s life. You could go for walk, go hiking, bike riding, or got them involved in sports at your local YMCA. If physical activity is not a part of the family’s life, it may be difficult for the child to pick up these habits and could be just an ongoing issue that gets passed on through generations.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the definition of childhood obesity is simply put as “as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.” (CDC) Body mass index, aka, BMI

What activities and experiences you and your child have engaged in might be promoting healthy behavioral practices and an interest in physical activity?

In order to combat childhood obesity, parents need to take action now. One way parents can get involved is to encourage their children to be physically active. Turning off the televisions, video games and internet is the first step. Getting involved with your children’s activity level will promote good relationships and provide motivation. Making physical activity fun, by having competitive games or introducing your children into organized sports and recreations, will promote the physical activity needed to assist in fighting childhood obesity.

Childhood Obesity can lead to a wide variety of health problems that can be both immediate and/or long-term. Obesity is the condition of

Exercise is also wonderful for mood, wonderful for blowing off stress and anxiety. So being in a habit of some sort of exercise is a great thing to set up for your child for life, really. It's a life

Think of it, kids only go to Physical Education or “gym” class every other day of the week. So that is about two or three times a week. Gym class only lasts about an hour of the day, and for some students, this is the only physical exercise that they have. When kids come home from school, they usually just sit down on the couch and watch TV until dinner time, study, and then play video games late at night, and then go to bed. The way we can get kids to develop a habit of more physical exercise is having gym class every day instead of just two to three. Also, instead of kids playing games that involve little to no activity, Schools should have kids focus on things like getting your body moving like running, yoga or sports games like baseball, football or volleyball. Things like this that kids can look forward to doing everyday may potentially lead to a child more encouraged to play with a ball afterschool and find a new hobby instead of sitting at home on the

What activities and experiences have you and your child engaged in that might be promoting healthy behavioral practices and an interest in physical activity?

Under this criteria,33% of children account for the 85th percentile and above. 1 out of every 3 children is considered overweight.

You have selected such an important topic that we see is affecting many students. I currently work with children ages ranging from 3-5 years old and our program places such a great emphasis on educating families on preschoolers moving and eating healthy. In the article titled, Positive Brains Are Smarter Brains by Donna Wilson I found thought-provoking information regarding the importance of encouraging students to stay active. I learned that when we schedule challenging subjects immediately following physical education class and recess it help students channel their positive brain chemistry toward learning. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and through the body. Furthermore, the additional blood in the “brain is particularly

Obesity is one of the biggest problems in America today, luckily we have people like First Lady Michelle Obama who are on the front lines of the fight against this issue. As our next generation of children grow up obesity will be a battle for them everyday and will continue to be a battle unless we begin to make an effort to solve this problem. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the last three decades, this statistic alone should be alarming enough to create a sense of urgency in anyone’s mind. I notice younger children everyday who are overweight and out of shape and ask myself every time what their parents must be thinking to be okay with that. The truth of the matter is that many people are simply not educated enough on how to live a healthy lifestyle and what steps to take to eat healthier and begin exercising on a regular basis.

Encourage your child to exercise. Talk to your child’s health care provider about safe ways for your child to exercise.

Therefore who is to blame for childhood obesity? The fact is, no one is to blame for childhood obesity, there are many reasons children become obese. Children usually gain weight throughout childhood, it is necessary. Often parents say, “we are not worried about our child’s weight everyone in our family is big, and we have always been like this.” In truth you need to keep your eyes on body mass index charts (common misconceptions page 2). Working with your child’s pediatrician and using plans based on credible evidence offer the best chance for long term weight loss. But some parents try to explain to their pediatricians their child will “Out grow” this weight problem (Health problems page.2).This is not always necessarily true. Based on this theory families are giving their children more food. This could not be less helpful. You need to rely on growth charts and your doctor’s advice. “Growing out of obesity” is not something you cannot count on. In fact, depending on your child’s eating

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic and a concern to parents and doctors, there are many factors to obesity and many of these factors can be changed through diet and lifestyle

Childhood obesity may not seem like a serious problem, but it is a serious medical condition that can have major effects on a child. Although genetics play a role in determining a child’s weight, it is usually due to a child’s amount of exercise and the consumption of healthy meals. Doctors are concerned with the issue, as we all should be, and they are creating new programs that are geared toward helping children learn how to follow a healthier lifestyle. There are some promising outlooks with these programs, and most doctors agree that parents should help their children create a more active and healthy lifestyle. They also agree that the government should provide more attention to the issue as well. Since the growing problem of childhood