Big, Bigger, Biggest!

How are you doing today? Wow, we are in the first week of July and this year has been great, right? In Southern California the temperature is heading towards 105 degrees so make sure you are properly protecting yourself from the sun, spending time hydrating yourself, and eating properly to give your body all the nutrients it needs daily. I have been reading more information that is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and want to share some of this information with you. You may be in this category or know someone who is in this category. Regardless, make sure you share this email with others. Did you know? A. In the United States, the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970's. The findings are from 2015-2016 that ages 6 to 19 years old are obese. That is 1 in 5 school age children and young people. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat. BMI or Body Mass Index is used as a screening tool for measuring obesity. It is the persons weight in kilograms divided by the square of a persons height in meters. B. CDC recommends that health professionals use BMI percentile when measuring the bodies of children and young people aged 2 to 20 years. BMI percentile takes into account that young people are still growing and are growing at different rates depending on their age and gender. C. CDC defines overweight in children and young people as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and less than the 95th percentile for young people of the same age and gender. D. CDC defines obesity in children and young people as BMI at or above the 95th percentile for young people of the same age and gender. E. Eating to many calories from foods and beverages that your body uses for healthy functioning, growth, and physical activity can lead to extra weight gain over time. Calorie imbalance is a key factor behind the high rates of obesity. F. Factors contributing to childhood obesity: Genetics Metabolism Community, neighborhood design, and safety Short sleep duration Activity levels Eating G. Genetics factors are difficult to change. However, people and places play a role in helping children achieve and maintain healthy weight. Families, communities, schools, medical care providers, faith based institution, government agencies, after school programs, media, entertainment industries, and food and beverage companies all influence the nutritional and physical behaviors of children and adolescents. H. Obese children are at higher risk of having asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problem, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. I. Obese children are bullied and teased more than their normal weight peers and more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression, and low self esteem. References: Obesity Facts, Childhood Obesity Facts, CDC

Wow, a lot of information there that is extremely helpful. So, why did I share this information? Let me explain why. All this information deals with children and young people who grow up into adults. They are the next generations to lead our country. Think about the children that are dealing with bullying, depression, and isolation because of their weight. To me it is not surprising that we have so many adults with these same situations. In the long term, a child with obesity is more likely to have obesity as an adult. An adult with obesity has a higher risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and many types of cancer. This is why together we must change the way we eat, our activity levels, and our community participation to name a few. Our children are worth it, right? Is it easy? No. We have so many technological advances to help us, yet things are going backwards based on the data. I do not have all the answers, yet I believe that focusing on health and fitness with help fix this obesity increase among children and adults. Make sure you are paying attention to what you are putting into your body, your children if you have any, and look out for friends and family members. That is how you help the community. You help yourself first then help others. Being a healthy example is not easy, but it is really worth it! Please share this information with people you care about! Have a FANTASTIC Tuesday!