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* Find a My Gym for kids near your home now!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States and there is frighteningly no sign of slowing. Children in today's day and age are surrounded with animated toys, video games and computer activities that keep them sedentary for most of their day.
Schools across the nation are creating budget cuts that threaten to remove recess and possibly gym classes. The American diet is packed full of processed foods that offer high calories and high fat with little nutritional value.
These factors combined create or cause our children to enter the category of obesity. The effects of obesity are even more alarming. Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol are all effects of obesity that our children are suffering with.
As with adults when the body carries an excess of additional body fat the heart is forced to pump harder than normal causing stress on the heart. The faint thought of a child suffering a heart attack is nearly unfathomable. These health concerns can create a problem in their youth as well as continue into adulthood.
As children grow at a rapid pace a poor diet and excess weight can cause abnormalities in bone structure along with premature joint pain and wear. This is why we must take a stand against childhood obesity and focus on prevention as well as treatment.
Teach our youth to eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Teach them that fitness in enjoyable as well as important. Childhood obesity is dangerous and we have to put a stop to this epidemic now.Labels: activities, childhood, childrens, classes, exercise, fitness, obesity
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