Keep kids active to fight obesity epidemic

By JULEYKA LANTIGUA

Watch your kids’ diets and habits this summer.

A childhood obesity epidemic is sweeping across the country. One in three children ages 6-19 is overweight, a number that has doubled in the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among blacks and Latinos, more than 16 percent of high school students are overweight, compared to about 12 percent of white high school students, reports the National Council of La Raza, a major advocacy group.

Being overweight is one thing children should be warned about early. “Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults,” the surgeon general’s office says.

Nearly 50 million adults — or 27 percent of the adult population — are obese. Overall, more than 108 million adults, or 61 percent of the adult population, are either obese or overweight, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Obesity has serious health and social implications. Health problems include: asthma, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancers, high blood pressure, increased stress on bones and cartilage, sleep apnea, low self-esteem and depression. Social consequences include bullying, discrimination, harassment, isolation and violence.

The cure for this epidemic is readily at hand: eat more wisely, and exercise more regularly.

One hour a day

We need to make sure our children are being physically active for a minimum of one hour each day. A lot of them aren’t getting their exercise at school. According to the CDC, high school physical education classes have dropped to 32 percent nationwide.

And now that school’s out, the risk is high that millions of children will spend a lot of their time lying around the house watching television or playing on the computer while eating chips and sweetened cereals.

As a parent, you have the greatest impact on your child’s health by the choices you make every day. Here are some things you can do.

Make your house a sugar-free zone.

Substitute potato chips with grapes and other fresh fruits.

Turn off the television during meals.

Switch from soda to milk or water.

Take a walk together after meals a couple of times a week.

Reward your kids for mowing the lawn, or washing the car or walking the dog.

Model the positive behavior for your children and it will become a normal part of their lives at home. Then when they are on their own and face unhealthy food, exercise and life choices, they will know how to resist.

Summer is the perfect time to start a healthy and active lifestyle for yourself and your entire family.

When school starts, your kids can answer the question about what they did over the summer with three simple words: We got healthy.

X Juleyka Lantigua is a writer for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.