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I was watching a commercial during the Winter Games in Italy that was advertising insurance. A couple were sitting in their living room watching skating pairs and they were transformed into skaters on an outside rink skating with each other. A great idea! The husband lost his footing and fell into a barn causing the ice on the roof of the barn to fall on his car hence the need for insurance. What struck me about the commercial was that both of the actors were overweight and part of the humor was watching the “fat” guy fall into the barn. And this was during the Olympics, where physical achievement and discipline are a consistent message. In everyday life, we are not making progress. Children and teenagers are becoming overweight at an alarming rate. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children are screened using body mass index. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the relationship between height and weight. In children and adolescents, it is specific for age and sex. However, the evidence that screening children makes any direct difference is inconclusive. In addition, recommending tests that are not well proved to make a difference is not considered “good medicine.” So we have a dilemma. What can we do? Let’s start by looking at what we DO know. We know that overweight adults have more problems with a variety of diseases, such as diabetes, vascular disease including stroke, heart attacks and high blood pressure as well as respiratory disease. The American Medical Association estimates that 300,000 preventable adult deaths occur each year in the United States due to obesity. (Only tobacco causes more unnecessary deaths.) We know that diet and physical inactivity contribute to obesity. We know that obesity runs in families. We know that if a person is obese between the ages of 13 and 18, it is likely that person will continue to be an obese adult. We do know that what we are doing now is not working. The numbers continue to increase. It is estimated that 15-30% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. So where do we start to make a difference? We need a new approach. We need: 1 WILL: First, we need the will. Do we really want to change this trend or are we ignoring the issue, sweeping it under the carpet for someone else to solve? How much fast food, fries and chips do we really need? I think Americans believe it is someone else’s responsibility to solve the problem. We are a great capitalistic society, market- and consumer-driven. If we don’t buy, they don’t sell. It is not McDonald’s fault but ours. Where does “the will” begin? It begins in our homes, our schools, our cars and our kitchens. We have to want to make it happen to make it happen. 2 IDEAS: Once you have the will, which is the desire and commitment to make a change, you will come up with the ideas ideas on where to buy food, what to buy and how to cook. Ideas are packed into cookbooks, newspapers and libraries. This magazine, medical journals, nutrition books and Reader’s Digest hold ideas ready for you. Gyms and health clubs, sports magazines and trainers talk about exercise and activity. The ideas are plentiful and varied. 3 EXECUTION: Here is where the rubber meets the road. Get out and do it. It may be easier to go to Taco Bell but get out of the chair and cook a nutritious meal. Avoid the nearest fast-food joint. Involve your children in the preparation of food. Eat together. Enjoy the meal. Be active. Walk. Turn off the TV. Do sports rather than watch sports. Balance your life. Without this execution, then the will, desire and all the ideas mean nothing. It sounds so simple but it is going to be hard to change old habits. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. One of the known facts is that obesity and inactivity take years to rear their evil heads. Putting it off will not make it go away. It only gets worse. And when the blood pressure or sugar is high or the vessels in your heart are clogged, it may be too late to turn things around. It is time to take charge and gain the upper hand. You owe it to your children.m Dr. Clyde Wesp is a pediatrician with Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates with offices in Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch and San Clemente (Talega) and is affiliated with Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Mission Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Orange County. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the MemorialCare Physician Society. If you have any questions or comments for Dr. Wesp you can email him at askdrwesp@netscape.net. For Letters: ocfamily.com Tips for parents Parents are the ones who buy the food, cook the food and decide where food is eaten. Even small changes can make a big difference in your family’s overall health. Parents are the ones who buy the food, cook the food and decide where food is eaten. Even small changes can make a big difference in your family’s overall health. Parents are the ones who buy the food, cook the food and decide where food is eaten. Even small changes can make a big difference in your family’s overall health. • When buying groceries, choose fruits and vegetables over convenience foods high in sugar and fat. Always have healthy snacks available. And never use food as a reward or punishment. • Limit sweetened beverages, including those containing fruit juice. These drinks provide little nutrition in exchange for their high calories. They also can make your child feel too full to eat healthier foods. • Select recipes and methods of cooking that are lower in fat. For example, bake chicken instead of frying it. • Put colorful food on the table: green and yellow vegetables, fruits of various colors, and brown (whole-grain) breads. Limit white carbohydrates: rice, pasta, bleached bread and sugar (desserts). • Sit down together for family meals. Make it an event, a time to share news and tell stories. Eating in front of the television fosters mindless munching. Limit your children’s recreational screen time to fewer than two hours a day. • During your child’s physical exams, ask the doctor to show you the growth curves giving percentiles for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). |
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