Make no mistake about it: rampant childhood obesity is an easily preventable problem, and a recent one at that. Many experts cloud the issue by telling you that the cause of child obesity in America is a complicated interplay between genetics, chemical imbalances, diet, exercise, family problems, depression, and other environmental factors that cause stress. Implicit in this portrayal of the issue is that a large part of obesity is not under our control. Nothing could be further from the truth.
There is no question that children whose parents are overweight will tend to inherit this genetic inclination. But that’s as far as it goes. Besides people with extremely rare medical conditions or genetic problems, no one has genes that make obesity inevitable. Childhood obesity is rampant and this trend must be reversed as quickly as possible.
What is the trend exactly? Let’s look at general adult obesity rates. According to www.obesityinamerica.org, only four out of 45 states who participated in the survey had obesity prevalence rates of greater than 15 percent in 1991, and none had more than 20 percent. By the year 2000, every single state had obesity prevalence rates of greater than 15 percent, and 35 states had rates higher than 20 percent. There is no conceivable way that genetics could have that affect in less than a decade.
Rest assured that the childhood obesity statistics do not offer a more hopeful outlook. According to the Surgeon General, slightly more than 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years old in the United States are overweight. This statistic is up from 13 percent in 1999, once again not even a decade earlier.
Fortunately, while the epidemic may be rampant and the effects atrocious, Yonaturals has the solution. If you boil down all the medical opinions on obesity, the common denominators are easy to spot. Diet and exercise are the two main factors that determine whether or not one will be obese; it’s that simple. What is required is an honest appraisal of our habits as a nation, and a willingness to change those habits. If we continue to provide our children with food that is chock full of unhealthy fats, preservatives, antibiotics, excessive sugar, and other ingredients with detrimental effects on their bodies, we will see nothing but a worsening of these trends.
YoNaturals is proud to contribute to the fight against child obesity in America with Yozone healthy vending machines. Our schools are the breeding grounds for the unhealthy habits that children are developing at a young age. It’s high time we made an effort to replace junk food with healthy vending machines, and provide our children with a choice. Parents, schools and doctors can preach all they want; but if children are not given the opportunity to make a healthier choice, how are they going to do so?
