Child obesity is a particularly horrendous disease because it attacks our children before they have the wherewithal to defend themselves. It is even more horrific because we are creatures of habit. By the time our children grow up and realize what they are doing to their bodies, they will have to attempt to overcome years of ingrained bad habits. YoNaturals wants to nip these habits in the bud, before they become too strong to overcome.
According to kidshealth.org, the percentage of children and teens who are overweight in the United States has doubled since the 1970’s. In approximately 30 years, our population of obese youth’s has doubled! We should be appalled as a nation. Many of us are, but there hasn’t been enough action. It is simple enough to ascertain the cause of this epidemic. On a genetic scale, three decades is barely one generation, which is a blink of an eye from an evolutionary standpoint. Genetics is not the cause; our morbid obesity rates are the direct result of America’s atrocious eating habits.
Mark Trotter intends to stem the tide of this raging epidemic. No one source can claim to be the complete solution to child obesity, and Yo Naturals will never claim to be the holy savior; but with the YoZone, we will certainly be one of the leading causes of the recession of this epidemic. Let’s hit this disease where it starts: in our schools, the origin of all our habits as adults.
No matter the reason, childhood obesity is a problem and instead of trying to figure out who to blame we should concentrate on the solutions to it.
Solutions that are not pills or impossible diets but subtle suggestions and education of the benefits of eating healthy. Before we introduce fast foods, chocolate and sodium to our children we should be trying everything to get them to eat vegetables and fruits. Rewarding them when they do with even more healthy foods.
I started a children’s book series not only to encourage kids to eat well but to get them to read. Let’s stop reporting on the problem and who to blame and start looking at all that’s being done to change things.