Our Obese Youth

I recently read a report in the news that obesity rates in Ohio are climbing at an alarming rate, especially among our youth. I’ll be the first to admit this scares the heck out of me; what does the future hold for our young people, if most of them entering into adulthood will be classified as either overweight or obese?

I realize to the average Joe this may not be that big of a deal, who cares, right? So what if our kids are overweight? Weight doesn’t define a person, right? We don’t want to hurt their feelings because of their weight….we must build up their self esteem at any cost.

RIGHT…..and so wrong too. True, weight should NEVER define a person, it doesn’t make you less of a person or not as bright as the next guy if you are carrying around an extra 20 pounds. Being overweight certainly doesn’t mean you are lazy or sloppy or don’t care; actually it’s quite the contrary. Most overweight folks have struggled for years with their weight and have tried most of the popular diet trends with limited success (been there done that!)

However, this is not an excuse for these staggering statistics when it comes to our kids. We need to educate our children, get them moving and eating right, to prevent them from ever being overweight or obese in the first place.

I realize that my opinion probably isn’t the most popular, but I feel very strongly about this subject, and I have a right to -- you see, I was the one in school who was the “fat kid”. Everyone else was trim and athletic, and my “big bones” made me stick out like a sore thumb. Of course I was teased because of it, and I was always the very last one picked to be on any team. Since I went to private school that required uniforms, it was next to impossible to find the required attire in my size. Usually things would have to be special ordered for my size. I felt humiliated every day because of my weight -- I would starve myself, drop a few pounds, and then gain it all back and then some. Talk about pressure at such a young age. I never fit the “ideal” image of a healthy active child, and I was definitely in the minority at the time. My friends would be running or biking, playing sports, and I couldn’t even begin to keep up with them.

I see kids today and it’s a complete turn-around from my experience -- the majority of the kids are heavier than I was in school. It’s quite startling when you really take a look at it. I’m so glad to see the stigma of being the “fat kid” seems to have diminished quite a bit, but I am greatly saddened by the physical state our kids are in.

I know how awful it feels to be overweight. You can’t do much of anything physical without getting winded; your energy levels are pathetic, you can’t find clothes that fit, you feel terribly depressed so you turn to food for comfort. It’s a vicious cycle that perpetuates and spins out of control, and you don’t have a clue how to stop it.

The most troubling fact about all of this is the health issues our children will be dealing with -- diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease. I’m sure the pharmaceutical companies would be happy with this kind of outcome, but do we really want that for our children, our future?

In a perfect world our kids would be taught healthy habits from the beginning, and would never have to struggle with their weight. Call it a pipe dream, but I for one am going to do my very best to educate and motivate our young people to take charge of their health now before it’s too late. We must take action or the very fate of future generations will be jeopardized.

Life is full of so many wonderful opportunities that an obese person will never experience. Believe me, I’ve been on both sides of the fence, and life is so much sweeter when you are in good physical condition!

So tell me, are you up for the challenge? How can YOU help educate and motivate our youth to adopt a healthy lifestyle?