Obesity is a huge problem and will continue to escalate if we don’t take action. I read somewhere that the current generation will be the first generation to have a lower life expectancy than the prior generation. This is an alarming and very sad statistic, but it is the reality we face. The problem is that this situation is very complex and there is no single root cause. I believe there are many parties to blame – parents, schools, the workplace, media, advertising, technology, social and cultural habits. The people that will avoid this epidemic are those that go against the mainstream and change their entire lifestyle for the better. Unfortunately, we are talking about a minority that actually do this.

Alykhan
Alykhan – Fitness Breakout´s last [type] ..The Best Cardio Routine is Custom Built

Dave,
I couldn’t agree more! There are so many people that have the something for nothing mentality and want everything handed to them. It just doesn’t work that way, especially with your body. If you think that you can eat all of the wrong foods and still be healthy and in shape, you are sadly mistaken. It doesn’t matter what magic pill they come up with, it isn’t going to work. If you eat too much of the wrong foods, you will eventually have to pay for it, one way or another. Not even a government bailout can save you from it!

Natalie,
Sorry to hear about your parents. The saddest part of it all is that if they were educated about diet and what to eat, they may of lived longer. At least that’s how I feel about my father and I don’t ever want my kids to feel the same way. That’s great that your daughter and you work out together. My oldest son is 21 and just graduated from Penn State University and he gained some weight around his waist from eating like a typical college student! Since he has been back home, he is training and starting to lose the weight.

I try to set a good example with training and diet, so at least when they are home, they see a different side of it than what they see on TV or at friends houses. I think that they think that they can eat what they want now and once they get older, they will have to eat better. I try to find a happy medium with them, though.

I’m glad that this post has got you a little fired up. I love to see people passionate about something. Please come back often, you are always welcome here!

Deshawn,
Thanks. Good luck at college! Where do you go?

Alejandro,
Yeah, I think that parents try there best and of course would never purposely harm their children. I just think that the media and all of the advertising has such a strong influence on us that it is hard to make the right choices.

Kelly

I am so with you on this article! I have a huge passion for overweight kids, it just upsets me to see such young people in such bad shape. In South Africa, we also, like Australia, have a pretty good climate most of the year (no extreme weather conditions like snow, tornado’s etc), but sadly, our nation is getting just as overweight as any other.

As a mom of 3 growing youngsters, I DO largely blame the parents! After all, just who provides the food that they eat? Who cooks it, or more often today, buys it ready made…and way too often from the fast food depots? I am a huge believer in the sit-down family meal, at least dinner, as mornings are so rushed. If you can’t connect once a day as a family and with your kids, you are TOO busy, and something must give!

As for pressure from society and the media regarding food choices, just who made them the boss of your kids? And if you’re going to bow down and let your kids dictate what you’re feeding them daily, then shame on you….rather like the tail wagging the dog, I think! As parents, we have the responsibility for our children growing up into healthy, thriving individuals, not giving them a few strikes against them before they even reach adulthood by handing them a weight problem before they’re adults.

As you can tell, I’m passionate about this particular subject…as a baby I was so overfed by my misguided mom, that she struggled to carry me around at 6 months! However, as soon as I could move, I was active, and became quite a skinny little girl. I lost both my parents due to lifestyle diseases (my dad had cancer too, Kelly so I sympathise with your loss). You were afraid of pissing people off as well Kelly, I’m afraid I’m more brutal than you! The truth is the truth….none of my 3 children are overweight….my 17 year old daughter works out with me almost daily. I am also not into freaking my kids out about this, I don’t go on about food and especially not diet with my girls, I just make sure that the food I cook is healthy, plenty of vegetables, fruit and good proteins and carbs. Junk food is (to them) an ocassional treat, not daily, likewise crisps, sweets, chocolates and pastries. You won’t find those in my pantry every day. The children (even my son who gave me an argument at first)are used to the way things are, and they appreciate their “treats” when they get them.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks, Kelly, for talking about these issues.

Kevin,
I agree and as a family, we are trying to grow as much of our own vegetables and some fruits as we can. My wife wants a chicken coop so we can get our own eggs, but our local ordinance doesn’t allow us! Go figure. Once our kids are grown up and out of school, we plan on moving to a warmer climate that will allow us to grow our own foods for a longer amount of the year. If you have kids and watch much of the cartoon network or Nickelodeon, you will see how much they brainwash our kids to eat what they want them to eat with the commercials. If we limit the amount of TV watching, it does them good in more ways than one!