Obesity- Kids

A new study in the April 2009 edition of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine reports that over 18% of 4 year old children in the United States are obese. The rate differed among children of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. It broke down like this:

Native Alaskan/American Indian: 31%
Hispanic: 22%
Non-Hispanic black: 21%
Non-Hispanic white: 16%
Asian: 13%

This kind of data reflects why pediatricians are becoming increasingly concerned with 'adult' conditions like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in kids. Liver disease in kids! Due to largely preventable causes!

I know we think birthday cake is a standard rite of passage. A small cupcake after church on Sunday is no big deal... and it's so cute to see to see frosting on the noses of little ones! One cookie as an afternoon snack is alright. A family ice cream night after a long week is a time to bond. Everything in moderation, right?

Folks- when you add up an attitude of "moderation" over a typical week, the results can be staggering. We used to see this poor attitude manifest in adults who got sick as they entered their 40's following a lifetime of "moderation." Then we started seeing 20 year olds with health problems. Then, the teenagers started showing up with diabetes. After that, the kids started getting sicker. Now, we're seeing bad habits, poor health and a bleak outlook in our 4 year olds.