Obesity Facts

Parent fails when trying to raise healthy kids

When it comes to planning healthy meals, encouraging exercise and promoting an overall healthy life for your child, there are many pitfalls you may fall into. I’m pretty sure all parents are guilty of one kid raising fail or another (yup, even me) but it’s best to try and limit said fails if you want [...]

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Excess toppings make it easy for kids to pack on calories and fat

If you’re trying to cook healthier and serve your kids the correct food portions, something to watch out for are toppings, sauces and other add-ons. In many cases, parents allow their kids to dish up their own sauces and toppings, without discussing health cons, thus, kids are getting way more calories in a day then they should. [...]

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Why are parents in denial when it comes to childhood weight issues?

As I pointed out previously, research shows that most parents with overweight or obese kids are in extreme denial about the situation. Obviously weight, food and exercise issues are touchy subjects. However, where most parents wouldn’t dream of bringing up weight, they’re a-ok bringing up sex, drugs and alcohol, not to mention a slew of other health [...]

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Parents have the biggest impact on childhood obesity rates

I don’t know about you, but as the childhood obesity rates have gone up, I’ve heard just about every excuse under the sun. Here’s what’s been blamed for childhood obesity… Bad school lunches. Marketing and commercials. Happy Meals. Genes. Too much homework. Too much screen time. Lack of access to healthy food. The economy. BPA [...]

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Is excess weight an imaginary danger for kids or does excess weight pose very real health risks?

According to major health organizations, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. When I’ve brought up childhood weight or obesity in the past, often I’m attacked by parents or other individuals who think I shouldn’t have brought the topic up at all. As I’ve noted before, weight, and child weight in particular is a [...]

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Childhood obesity linked to structural brain changes and poor mental ability

New research shows that obese children have some distinct structural abnormalities of the brain and that they have lower cognitive function than kids who are not clinically obese. The study, published in Pediatrics and supported by the National Institutes of Health, looked specifically at children with metabolic syndrome (MetS) . MetS stands for a group [...]

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Why the NYC proposed soda ban is a good idea

The news that NYC is attempting to enact a soda ban has created some controversy. To sum up the situation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to halt sales of super-sized sodas and other over-sized sugary drinks in order to combat the growing obesity epidemic. What would the ban mean? The proposed ban, if passed, would prohibit sales [...]