Gresham Chiropractor

Childhood obesity and diabetes are epidemics of increasing concern in many countries, not just our own. It seems to inevitably be a result of the excess that arises in developing cultures. The average size of a person has increased over the years, and we are seeing more and more overweight children in recent times. This is a cause of alarm because childhood is a important period for healthy development. There are many negative consequences for overweight children—not only for them, but for society as a whole.

With technological discoveries , entertainment for children now consists more of lazy activity instead of active movement .

Instead of playing ball in the yard, children are staying indoors watching TV or playing video games. They also eat larger quantities of junk food, much of which is introduced to them through advertisements. The combination of little exercise and increased consumption leads to the overweight epidemic in youth. Overweight children suffer socially as well as physically. They might get teased at school and ostracized by peers, which can cause low self esteem and eating more to cope, resulting in a vicious cycle.

This is not to send the message that overweight children need to lose weight so that peers will stop making fun of them.

The reason they need to lose weight is because they are ideally at risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke as they become older. And peers have no right to pick on them because this stigmatizes overweight children and rests the blame solely on their shoulders, as if being overweight is all their fault because they’re the ones who are making the choice to eat more and exercise less. While we do have free will and we make our own choices , these choices are majorly influenced by what’s around us. Parents set an example for their children and their food habits strongly influenced how and what their children eat. They might also overfeed their children thinking that they’re showing their love, or they might not be able to afford healthier food. Indeed, obesity rates are highest in low-income families—fast food is the cheapest food in the nation, and it’s also the unhealthiest.

Overweight people are among the most suffering in our nation, mainly because the state of being overweight is clearly visible as opposed to other “flaws.” It also doesn’t help that society is telling us to eat more, yet ridiculously expecting us to stay skinny. Pick one or the other, and pick health without enacting unreasonable demands.

In this fight towards being overweight, there are many companies like Herbal life, Sportron International and Pharmanex which are now offering products to help children maintain a healthy weight.The nutritional Childrens Health Products helps children on the path of healthy eating for a lifetime of well-being.