The Dangers of Childhood Obesity and What You Can Do About It

Remember what we did for fun as kids? There were a handful of video game systems, very basic computers with no internet access, maybe 20 TV channels, and a few fast food joints, so we were playing outside from early in the morning until the sun went down.

Riding bicycles, games of tag, playing baseball or soccer for hours at a time, building forts and tree houses, swimming, climbing, running, jumping – we were in constant motion until mom and dad yelled to us from the front door to come home for lunch and dinner.

Back in the good old days, about 5-10 percent of children were overweight.

Today, it’s a different story. Constant access to the internet. Video games. Hundreds of TV channels and DVR. Communication by text and email instead of face-to-face conversations. Fast food on every street corner. More time is spent in front of a TV or computer than outside playing.

Today, approximately one out of every three kids is obese, making obesity the most common nutritional disease among children and adolescents in the United States. Most grow up to be obese adults, creating an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, abnormal bone development, sleep apnea and other chronic conditions.

The emotional problems brought on by childhood obesity can be just as troubling as the medical problems. When children put on a few extra pounds, it can make clothes feel uncomfortable and restrict movement, which causes a drop in enthusiasm for physical activity.

Overweight children are more likely to experience shortness of breath and heavy sweating, making them feel self-conscious and inadequate at sports and other physical activities. This often leads to even less physical activity, and as a child slows down, weight gain speeds up – a cycle that can easily result in chronic obesity and emotional problems like low self-esteem, depression and isolation.

At Natural Healthcare Center, we offer the TrimKids Program, which attacks this vicious cycle from every angle through nutritional changes, increased daily activity, behavior modification and formal exercise. This program boasts a short-term success rate of 90 percent and a long-term success rate of 65-70 percent.

The program is divided into 12 weekly three-hour sessions. Each session is divided into four sections:

1. “Time to Stop and Think” provides essential background on what we’ll be covering that week, as well as behavior modification tips.
2. “Time to Get Active” deals specifically with the exercise and activity part of the program.
3. “Time To Eat” contains key nutritional information, menu plans, shopping lists, and recipes.
4. “Time to Sum Up” enables the parent and child to evaluate the week’s progress and problems.

The TrimKids program is designed to teach both parents and children how they can lose weight and become healthier through nutrition, physical fitness and self-esteem building. Most importantly, we want children to be happy, healthy and proud of the way they look.

This is the year of the family, and nothing brings us more joy than our children. The TrimKids Program gives children the chance to take back their health and develop a healthier lifestyle that will carry over to adulthood. If your child is overweight or just beginning to gain some weight, bring them in to see us at Natural Healthcare Center. Let’s take care of our kids!

What are you doing to keep your kids active and happy, and improve their diet?

Dr. James Prood­ian is an accomplished chiropractic physician and health educator who founded Proodian Healthcare Family of Companies to help people feel better, function better, and live longer. His expertise for the past two decades has been in physical rehabilitation, and he has successfully established himself as a spinal specialist. In his practice, he advocates the science of functional medicine, which takes an integrative approach to treating patients by addressing their physical, nutritional, and psychological needs. Alarmed by the escalation of complex, chronic illness in our country, Dr. Proodian has been speaking to companies and organizations through his “Wellness at Work” program since 1994, motivating thousands of people to make positive lifestyle choices and lead healthier, more productive lives. He can be heard weekly on his radio program, “Proodian Healthcare By Design,” on Tandem Radio.