Two-thirds of all Americans are either overweight or obese. Forty-eight percent of people in Europe are overweight. In the United States adolescence obesity is between 16 percent and 33 percent. We are a mighty nation capable of blowing away our enemies with sophisticated weaponry built by man. Yet, we continue to lose the obesity epidemic that rages in our children.



Obesity - The Perpetual Cycle

The cause of childhood obesity is very treatable. Lack of healthy diet and exercise are the main culprits. Obesity is responsible for 325,000 deaths annually. In 2003 obesity cost $75 billion dollars because of its long, expensive treatment.

In addition, adolescence and children who are overweight tend to grow into overweight adults. The reason the cycle of obesity continues is because they have not learned to break the pattern of poor dietary habits.

You Can Change Your Eating Habits

Anyone can change no matter what age. Good dietary habits should be started at the earliest age and continued throughout ones life. In addition, good dietary habits lead to healthy weight loss and maintenance.

Here Are 10 Tips:

1. Eating Breakfast - Adolescence who skip breakfast not only have poor concentration, but end up ravenously hungry later, sabotaging any efforts to make healthy food choices.

2. Incorporate Fruit and Vegetables - Studies show that consuming 5-8 serving of fruit per day keeps you fuller for longer periods of time. Buy fresh cut fruit. They are convenient to pack for your child to take to school.

3. Encourage Exercise - Adolescence nowadays have been spoiled by the age of technology. No longer do they have to walk to the video store to rent videos. Everything is handed to them. Try scheduling some sort of physical activity with your adolescent like hiking, playing basketball, or tennis.

4. Limit the time your child spends on computers and watching television.

5. Learn portion control. Buy measuring cups and measuring spoons and use them at every meal until you get so familiar with measurements, you can eyeball a 4 oz piece of fish.

6. Cut out candy and other sugary foods. Sugar makes you fat.

7. Stop deep frying your food. Broil or stir fry your food.

8. Instead of giving your pre-teen full-fat versions of dairy products, have them try the lighter versions such as 2% milk instead of whole milk or fat-free yogurt.

9. Pay for a gym membership. Some people can exercise in their home and others need structure. It is worth the money you invest in a gym to enable your adolescent to exercise.

10. No late night snacks. Late night snacks do not get a chance to digest properly and simply make you put on weight.

Shift your mindset as to what it means to eat healthfully. While a lot of healthy foods are an acquired taste, many of them are delicious once you have given them a fair try.

Be A Positive Role Model

You must be a positive role model yourself to your adolescent if you expect him or her to practice healthy eating habits. Eat fresh salad with protein at meals. Go light on the dressing.

When your child comes home from school, it is recommended that you have a bowl of fruit out on the counter instead of cookies so that when your child comes home, he or she can just pick a fruit to eat.

Following these 10 tips will go a long way in treating and preventing adolescence obesity.