A Doctor's Take on Childhood Obesity
According to ABC News parents are underestimating the weight of their children contributing to the alarming growth in childhood obesity. In the short documentary above Supersized Kids: What do we do?, parents are shocked to discover certain truths when it comes to their own overweight children. I spoke with Dr. Michael Posner and asked that he lend his expertise as to why childhood obesity is consistently on the rise.
"Obesity primarily is due to ignorance and poor education as to what is natural and healthy. So the problem is two pronged. First of all a large portion of our society is pretty much in the dark as to what good nutrition is and what it means. Children tend to be trained and are the by product of the consciousness level of their parents, the media and the school system. This creates problems for children as they are brainwashed into believing half-truths that are based on research by people with vested interest for personal financial gain. TV and fast food corporations market to children seducing them to eat their highly processed unnatural chemically laden fat containing foods."
After discussing this topic in further detail with Dr. Posner also reveals that most of the foods that young adults like to consume are loaded with chemical preservatives, hormones and pesticides like french fries! "Most parents and children live in ignorance as to how this leads to obesity and the associated problems such as high blood sugar (diabetes) and high blood pressure to mention some of the conditions. These contribute to the growing number of people with heart disease and other inflammatory conditions which has increased over the last decade or two." Says Posner
Personally I cringe when I am at the supermarket and I see parents with shopping carts packed with outrageously unhealthy items! This is a large part of the problem, if parents are responsible for what is in home they should be making smarter food shopping decisions.
Posner says: "Bottom line the consumption of too many starchy foods, unhealthy fats, candy, soda, food dyes and sugar are at the cause of obesity in America today. Lack of regular exercise is another factor. Parents should first get educated themselves as to what healthy nutrition means. Simply put eat lots of organic fruits, non-starchy vegetables, unprocessed meats that are from pasture free animals fed natural foods without hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, avoid all farm raised fish (eat Salmon, cod and mackerel that are not farm raised), avoid gluten, sugar, sugar substitutes and all refined white flour. Following these recommendations of eating high quality proteins, organic fruits, vegetables and nuts (excluding peanuts) can lead anyone to good health regardless of their ethnic background."
For more information on Childhood Obesity click here!
For more information on Dr. Michael Posner click here.
Nadia
Training minds, changing bodies!
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook @NadiaMurdockFit
Make sure to sign up for my newsletter on the homepage of www.nadiamurdockfit.com