Taking Childhood Obesity Seriously!

Are you taking Childhood Obesity Seriously enough? SEE AD: Stop Childhood Obesity You may have seen some recent advertisements from Strong4Life, addressing childhood obesity in Georgia (but really every where).  It has a created a great deal of controversy (see article from Huffington Post).  It has many people upset because they fear it reinforces the stigma that many kids (and adults) already face that are obese.  It's understandable.  For one, I am not a fan of using BMI testing that has many parents up in arms.  Conversely though, I applaud the campaign for the most part. Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in Family Fitness Fun night at my kids school Chalker Elementary.  The emphasis behind the program is to participate in stamping out childhood obesity.  As a matter of fact, before we started playing with the kids, one of the PE Coaches (Jeanne Huck) began to show us the steady incline of obesity the past 20 years from the CDC.  In particular, she pointed out that Georgia is ranked 2nd in Childhood Obesity (more stats), only to be beat out by Mississippi.  In fact, approximately 25% of the kids in GA are obese, compared to the national average around 15% (which is still dismal).  Though I applaud what was being said, my concern is that our actions are still not reflecting what is being said.  In other words, it's a mixed message. created by Jeanne Huck PE Coach As a parent, I get to see firsthand what is being done at kids functions.  It actually has been an issue of contention for me, forcing me to hold my tongue (my wife usually has to listen to it).  For example, some of the same parents who led the family fitness fun night are the same parents that turn around and give Oreo cookies to kids as snacks after a baseball game.  Though it is admirable to do a fitness night, you can't turn around and send a conflicting message to the kids.  You don't see professional athletes reaching for cookies and ice-cream after a ball game.  At the school, they have ice-cream socials for kids who are in accelerated reader or if their class had the best attendance for family fitness night (a great contradiction) or other event.   Even if your kid is not obese, you must still keep their health in mind.  Moreover, you have to consider the behaviors you are teaching them of which will set them up for life.  It may not be a problem now, but it will be eventually.  What I find most interesting is that parents will tell me to "lighten up".  They say things like "it's okay this one time".  Well, I ask, how often does "one time" occur?  They will criticize my wife and I for teaching our children healthy behaviors, but if I were to criticize them for what they're doing, all hell would break lose. Isn't it time that we take childhood obesity serious?  We can do all the functions, 5k's, and other events in the world to stamp out childhood obesity.  We can continue to use words, but it's our actions as parents/adults that matter.  Our children are a reflection of us.  They are developing Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other obesity related diseases at unprecedented rates.  Let's stop blaming it on genetics, societal woes, or what someone else is doing and take responsibility.   written by: Kelly Huggins, A-CPT Exercise Science, B.S. Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach