Nation faces obesity threat

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Obesity is a serious problem in the United States, and over the next few decades it may well lead to ever-higher numbers of adults contracting diabetes.

A recent report says that diabetes – one of the outcomes of obesity – is riskiest when developed in childhood. And unfortunately, there are many more obese children in America now than ever. It is a problem that could lead to a perilous health crisis in our country in the decades to come.

With no cure, diabetes afflicts 7 percent of the American population, and the trend has been for that percentage to grow. As the epidemic of obesity rages out of control Americans must look at themselves and their families to combat this health issue.

There are numerous causes for the increase in obesity in our country. Surely there is a bounty of food and the wealth to purchase it. But quantity of food alone is not the issue. It is the type of food that Americans consume that helps lead Americans to be overweight. Fried foods, fatty foods, sugar-filled soft drinks are among the guilty.

Add a sedentary lifestyle to the fast-food menu, and a recipe for obesity results. While there are more people than ever who have regular exercise routines, an abundance of people – especially our children – find themselves in front of a television or computer screen rather than using their free time with outdoor activities burning calories and getting exercise.

It is a challenge to every parent to see that their children eat properly and get adequate exercise. Parents and children must work together to ensure that obesity does not enter their homes.

Diabetes is a disease that can cut a person’s life span and reduce his economic productivity dramatically. Reducing obesity is a sure way of lowering the number of people who will become diabetic.