ussions that come with being overweight and obese. Young people are often stigmatized for their weight in a society that has little tolerance for this condition.

Then there are the financial costs of obesity. Since the late 1970s, the costs related to obese children at hospitals have tripled. Nationally, we spend over $100 billion each year on healthcare related to overweight and obesity.

The key to combating obesity seems to lie in energy balance – that is controlling the amount of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories that are expended. So in other wo

A rising concern in recent years has been the increase in obesity among children and adolescents. For children between the years of 2 and 5 and adolescents between 12 and 19, the rate of obesity has doubled since the 1970s. For children between the ages of 6 and 11, the rate has tripled. Almost one third of all children today are at risk for becoming overweight. Sixteen percent of them already are.

When it comes to boys and girls, the rates are similar. The rates have increased since the 1960s for both sexes. In the last years of the previous century, over 29% of all boys were at risk for becoming overweight, while 27% of all girls struggled with the same problem.

Of course, some groups are more effected by this phenomena than others. Among boys, those who are of Mexican American descent tend to have a greater problem with obesity, with over 42% of boys in this group being effected by the problem. Among girls, the problem is more serious for those of African descent.

In the year 2001 in the United States, the Surgeon General released a report outlining the crisis of obesity that the country had fallen into. The point of the report was to generate steps towards taking care of this health problem, which has reached epidemic proportions. The following year, the IOM (Institute of Medicine) was called upon to draw up a prevention plan to help decrease the rising numbers of obese and overweight children in the United States. The idea was to study the behavior and cultural and environmental factors that contribute to childhood obesity while trying to find ways of preventing this from occurring on such a large scale.

The problem of children being obese is a grave one, in that it can have lasting effects on one’s emotional and physical health. In the year 2000, it was estimated that about a third of all children born in the United States are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes.

People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension. For children afflicted with severe weight problems, they can contact gall bladder disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, and may run the risk of high cholesterol.

In addition, there are the emotional and psychological repercussions that come with being overweight and obese. Young people are often stigmatized for their weight in a society that has little tolerance for this condition.

Then there are the financial costs of obesity. Since the late 1970s, the costs related to obese children at hospitals have tripled. Nationally, we spend over $100 billion each year on healthcare related to overweight and obesity.

The key to combating obesity seems to lie in energy balance – that is controlling the amount of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories that are expended. So in other wo

at risk for becoming overweight, while 27% of all girls struggled with the same problem.

Of course, some groups are more effected by this phenomena than others. Among boys, those who are of Mexican American descent tend to have a greater problem with obesity, with over 42% of boys in this group being effected by the problem. Among girls, the problem is more serious for those of African descent.

In the year 2001 in the United States, the Surgeon General released a report outlining the crisis of obesity that the country had fallen into. The point of the report was to generate steps towards taking care of this health problem, which has reached epidemic proportions. The following year, the IOM (Institute of Medicine) was called upon to draw up a prevention plan to help decrease the rising numbers of obese and overweight children in the United States. The idea was to study the behavior and cultural and environmental factors that contribute to childhood obesity while trying to find ways of preventing this from occurring on such a large scale.

The problem of children being obese is a grave one, in that it can have lasting effects on one’s emotional and physical health. In the year 2000, it was estimated that about a third of all children born in the United States are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes.

People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension. For children afflicted with severe weight problems, they can contact gall bladder disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, and may run the risk of high cholesterol.

In addition, there are the emotional and psychological repercussions that come with being overweight and obese. Young people are often stigmatized for their weight in a society that has little tolerance for this condition.

Then there are the financial costs of obesity. Since the late 1970s, the costs related to obese children at hospitals have tripled. Nationally, we spend over $100 billion each year on healthcare related to overweight and obesity.

The key to combating obesity seems to lie in energy balance – that is controlling the amount of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories that are expended. So in other wo

te steps towards taking care of this health problem, which has reached epidemic proportions. The following year, the IOM (Institute of Medicine) was called upon to draw up a prevention plan to help decrease the rising numbers of obese and overweight children in the United States. The idea was to study the behavior and cultural and environmental factors that contribute to childhood obesity while trying to find ways of preventing this from occurring on such a large scale.

The problem of children being obese is a grave one, in that it can have lasting effects on one’s emotional and physical health. In the year 2000, it was estimated that about a third of all children born in the United States are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes.

People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension. For children afflicted with severe weight problems, they can contact gall bladder disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, and may run the risk of high cholesterol.

In addition, there are the emotional and psychological repercussions that come with being overweight and obese. Young people are often stigmatized for their weight in a society that has little tolerance for this condition.

Then there are the financial costs of obesity. Since the late 1970s, the costs related to obese children at hospitals have tripled. Nationally, we spend over $100 billion each year on healthcare related to overweight and obesity.

The key to combating obesity seems to lie in energy balance – that is controlling the amount of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories that are expended. So in other wo

d physical health. In the year 2000, it was estimated that about a third of all children born in the United States are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes.

People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension. For children afflicted with severe weight problems, they can contact gall bladder disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, and may run the risk of high cholesterol.

In addition, there are the emotional and psychological repercussions that come with being overweight and obese. Young people are often stigmatized for their weight in a society that has little tolerance for this condition.

Then there are the financial costs of obesity. Since the late 1970s, the costs related to obese children at hospitals have tripled. Nationally, we spend over $100 billion each year on healthcare related to overweight and obesity.

The key to combating obesity seems to lie in energy balance – that is controlling the amount of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories that are expended. So in other wo

ussions that come with being overweight and obese. Young people are often stigmatized for their weight in a society that has little tolerance for this condition.

Then there are the financial costs of obesity. Since the late 1970s, the costs related to obese children at hospitals have tripled. Nationally, we spend over $100 billion each year on healthcare related to overweight and obesity.

The key to combating obesity seems to lie in energy balance – that is controlling the amount of calories that are consumed versus the amount of calories that are expended. So in other words, when we talk about fighting obesity, we have to talk about both eating and physical activity.