A time to change

It is a time to change the obesity rate in America. It has gotten seemingly out of hand. A hard fact to swallow is that 60% of American children are considered obese. And this is not only the children’s fault. I have yet to see a toddler or a young child in the grocery store alone. If you don’t bring junk food into the house they are less likely to eat junk food. “In 2007, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity for their population of less than 20%. Thirty states had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 25%; three of these states (Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.” (www.cdc.gov). There are many health factors that are associated with obesity. The list includes but is not limited to, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon), hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems. Think about the financial costs to treat these diseases. And in today’s economic world the money is tight. On the bright side, obesity and the diseases associated with it are preventable. One of the answers to the obesity problem is to start with children. It is important to get children active, and the second is to become educated. This second part is not only to educate the child on proper nutrition and exercise, but to education the parents also. My name is Sam Kiningham and I am a Youth Fitness Specialist under the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA). I run youth fitness classes out of TEST Sports Clubs located at 776 Shrewsbury Ave in Tinton Falls.