Childhood Obesity Is Becoming An Epidemic
The roots of adult obesity may lie in childhood obesity, sugar addiction, and our willingness to look the other way…
A very special Step into Your Power ™ Call as Susan Sly welcomes Camille Lawson.
Camille Lawson – RN, Sexuality, Hormone and Health Consultant
Podcast : Play in New Window | Download (Duration : [37:17] – 34.3 MB)
Childhood obesity is plaguing the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control one third of American children were overweight and obese in 2012. In 2010, the World Health Organization estimated that approximately 42 million children, worldwide were overweight and obese; this number was only for children under the age of five.
In October 2013, researchers Joseph Schroeder and Lauren Cameron declared that sugar was as addictive as cocaine. This was a declaration that had huge implications for childhood obesity.
Theirs was not the first research to support the theory that sugar is addictive nor was it earth shattering to our common sense to fully appreciate that the more of the white stuff we consume, the more we crave and thus the more we eat. Furthermore, the link to sugar consumption and obesity is conclusive and yet sugar laden foods do not come with the same warnings as say cigarettes.
Childhood obesity a prime indicator of adult obesity? Maybe… Children who are obese and overweight as toddlers greatly increase their risk of adult obesity.
Studies also illustrate that childhood obesity is linked with earlier onset of a multitude of diseases including cancer, stroke, heart disease and diabetes.
In the early 1990’s Type II Diabetes accounted for only 3% of new cases in children. By 2004, it was 45%. Statistics illustrate that childhood consumption of sugar is increasing earlier on and that most teenagers now consume more sugar than adults and this is not limited to lower income families. High sugar coffee-like drinks, Italian style sodas and other high octane, pricey beverages are a day-to-day occurrence in the diet of many middle-class teenagers. Additionally, soda is often a beverage given with dinner as opposed to an occasional treat.
The reality is that it may be convenient to comply with the whims of a child wanting to chow down on candy at five in the morning when everyone is exhausted and running on empty however this convenience comes at a cost. A few minutes of sanity can lead to a lifetime of health problem and that is why it is so imperative that we all work harder to make sure that obesity isn’t simply a disease of convenience.
