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Happiness Comes From Who You Are, Not How Much You Weigh

In the last post I talked about how the percentage of children who are overweight or obese is increasing in the United States and how school furniture now comes in larger sizes.  We also hear stories about an increase in bullying in our schools and overweight children, among other groups of children who are considered different, often experience the pain of being teased and embarrassed.  At a vulnerable time they become the center of unwanted and hateful attention. Meanwhile, health professionals are also concerned about their size, but from the perspective of higher risk to their health.

An important message for everyone, but especially children & teenagers, is to be happy about who you are inside and out.  That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to improve yourself where you see an opportunity, but it’s important to do it for the right reasons.  You should love yourself for who you are and who you will be!  From my perspective, the main reason to try to slim down to a more normal weight and BMI is to lower your health risks.  Our children need to always know we are on their side!

Please share your thoughts.

For Your Health – Dr. Bob

Impact Of Childhood Obesity

I just read an article by Madison Park updated on February 15, 2012 on www.CNN.com which is the third in a series on childhood obesity in the United States.  It stated that because of the increasing number of children who are overweight and obese, schools need to get larger desks to accommodate them.  This is done not only to enable them to fit in a desk, but also to try to lessen their embarrassment.  This just validates the findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a third of the children in the USA are overweight or obese and seventeen percent are obese.  It impacts the effectiveness of children’s car safety seats as well.  I urge you to read the article, “Obese children outgrowing kids’ clothing and furniture.”

What do you think?  Historically, has this always been a problem for some children and was just ignored until recently?  For those of you who were overweight during childhood, how were you treated by your classmates & how did you react?  Please share your comments and experiences.

For Your Health – Dr. Bob