Childhood Obesity and Fast FoodEveryone is taking aim at fast food restaurants. That should be no surprise. Such eateries have become the kitchens of America. In fact, according to a Harvard Study in the January 2004 Pediatrics, on any given day over 30 percent of the children in the U.S. will eat this type of restuarant. According to the Mayo Clinic, "The incidence of childhood obesity is rapidly rising throughout the world. The obesity epidemic is especially evident in industrialized nations where many people live sedentary lives and eat more convenience foods, which are typically high in calories and low in nutritional value. In just two decades, the prevalence of overweight doubled for U.S. children ages 6 to 11 and tripled for American teenagers. The annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about one-third of U.S. children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. In total, about 25 million U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or nearly overweight." The choices at fast food restaurants, while they have improved in the recent past, are still high calorie and high fat. In addition, when presented with the healthier choices many still opt for the old favorites because they have a learned preference for that juicy, junk food. A happy meal from McDonalds can be as much as 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. A Burger King double whopper is a whopping 990 calories and 39 grams of fat. Add in a cola and fries and the calories really skyrocket. That is half the recommended daily intake for adults, so just imagine what it is doing to our children. The study, which looked at over 6000 children, found that those who consume fast food 2 to 3 times a week gained about 6 pounds of extra weight per year. But it goes beyond the extra calories, fat and sugar. Kids that eat fast food are missing out on the important nutrients they need for health, growth and brain development. Children today substitute fries for fruits, snack food for vegetables, and sodas for milk. On top of it, all of the processed foods have less fiber. There is also evidence of a potential health threat of acrylamide, a toxic substance created by heating starchy foods, like French fries and potato chips to high temperatures. Since 2002, the World Health Organization has been concerned about acrylamide and its potential to cause cancer. In an effort to help children fight fat..... Recent television shows, including the Montel Williams and the Shaq Attack, have started a frenzy of activity. The shows concentrate on reducing the amount of fast food and snacks and increasing physical activity. Childhood obesity is without question caused by eating too much of the wrong foods and moving too little. While many of these pop culture shows are sensational and focus attention on the problem, they are simply not applicable for the average family. These shows use boot camp techniques to try and help children be "big losers" when it comes to weight loss. Exercise boot camp is grueling and plays right into the old myth that if there is no pain there is no gain. That is simply wrong. Boot camp develops negative emotions connected with physical movement. As a result, they will not be able to sustain a boot camp lifestyle in the long term. Children do not exercise. They play. They run. They have fun. As children explore how their body moves and develops basic movement patterns they are starting on the path to lifelong physical activity. Just as children can develop a taste for greasy, unhealthy fast food when they are introduced to them early in life, they can, in opposition, be introduced to movement skills and learn how to live an active life. These healthy habits start in infancy and therefore must be the focus of parents, caregivers and our schools. We need to serve more fruits and vegetables with meals and limit the fast food and processed convenience items that have little nutritional value. The Mayo Clinic's article, Childhood Obesity: Make Weight Loss a Family Affair, stated, "Goals need to be achievable and measurable. Set specific goals for each family member, and then determine family goals. For example, your child's goal might be to eat fresh fruits and vegetables for afternoon snacks, and the family's goal might be to eat out at a fast-food restaurant only once a month." The article goes on to say, "Be a positive role model. The best way to get your child on board with the new, active lifestyle is to commit to the changes yourself. Your actions teach your child what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat. You also encourage your child to be physically active every day if you make it a priority yourself." Unfortunately many adults lack the skills to be a role model for physical activity. It's like telling a parent to read to your child, which is impossible an impossibel task if they don't know their ABCs. That's why we believe in teaching physical literacy skills through a well planned, fun series of programs, GYMTR!X. GYMTR!X programs are centered on children, starting at infancy and continuing through elementary school. They are family oriented, promote group participation, and emphasize the fact that physical activity can be done with common household items. GYMTR!X was created to help foster brain development and with the intention of preventing children from becoming permanently sedentary. If children do not develop motor skills, kinesthetic awareness, coordination and agility at a young age, they are disadvantaged when faced with the challenge of physical participation. Sedentary children become sedentary adults. The time to learn skills for life-long health is infancy and childhood. When we do increase physical activity an occasional trip to the fast food restaurant is not as likely to result in weight gain. When you change eating habits and increase physical activity benefits, like a positive outlook, more energy, and increased self-esteem, are almost immediate.
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