What about in the United States? According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)*, one in three adults will have diabetes by the year 2050 and the rates of diabetes will double and even triple in that time period. Over 24 million Americans (adults and kids) have diabetes and 25 % of them don’t even know it! Over 60 million more adults and kids are at risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes.

So what do we do? We all recognize the problem-more calories are consumed, less calories are burned off and this results in weight gain. It happens everyday-face it! Over the course of a year, our children are gaining extra weight at an alarming rate. Exercise-yea, it’s part of the solution. But with cutbacks in financial budgets all over this country, physical fitness programs along with arts programs are being slashed!

We as parents and educators, as concerned citizens and residents of the planet Earth, need to look at this epidemic with the most serious focus. If we don’t deal with our overweight and obese children now-we are dooming them to be un-healthy, obese citizens for centuries to come.

So here are my suggestions:

1. Make exercise and physical fitness a daily requirement for school days-and make both resistant to budgetary cutbacks.
2. Encourage weekend exercise and physical fitness. Make this an extra credit activity that will count positively toward their school work and stimulate kids to actually do it.
3. Cut down on total calorie intake. Restrict “empty calories”-those foods that are composed of solid fats and added sugar (SoFAS): soda, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, grain desserts, and whole milk. Is pizza bad for you? Made with whole milk and processed flour-answer: this is not the best choice. Made with whole grain flour and low fat (or zero fat) cheese-a better choice!! Remember portion control!
4. Start nutritional and fitness counseling in schools-starting in lower school and continuing through high school. This would include weights, BMI measurements, blood sugar analysis and fitness levels. This will help the school personnel to help the student design a healthier individual menu and fitness program.
5. Bring back Home Economics classes and retool them to educate kids about foods, teach healthy cooking methods and eating healthy.
6. Increase physical fitness options in schools to include both group and individual sports. We need our schools to come “Back To The Future” and into the 21^st century-Yoga, Tai Chi and dance are mainstream-why not incorporate them into our PE programs? Many kids may prefer the individual activity programs and become enthusiastic about exercise. Research shows that physical fitness drops off in the teen years-which may also impact on the rates of obesity.
7. Require any company that advertises food related products (in any form of the media) to only advertise the healthier options of its product line.
8. Add positive reinforcements for kids that are able to reduce weights, increase (improve) their physical fitness and or maintain a non overweight/non obese status. This should also be extended to parents on their tax returns-rewards for preventive care.
9. Penalties for not following preventive care guidelines and maybe even a tax on services needed for extra-weight (e.g. health care, transportation, clothing, etc.)
10. Post nutritional information on all packaging, menus and in all food related venues (supermarkets, restaurants-regular and fast food, stadiums, etc.).

The above represents some currently used guidelines and some in consideration.

Here are some possible future guidelines which for some of you may be a bit radical and a departure from our “free” way of living-but may cause you to think a bit. Let me point out-some of these suggestions are already being considered in countries outside the United States. The technology mentioned to implement some of the strategies also exists.

1. Require all food delivery personnel-anyone that sells food either in a restaurant or market setting (e.g. supermarket clerks, waiters, fast food employees, pizza intake and delivery employees) to tell the customer about the nutritional information of the items they are purchasing and suggest a healthier option if they are choosing something that doesn’t have obvious health benefits.
2. Perform body analysis (including weight, height, medical conditions, BMI, etc.) at food establishments serving and or selling food to determine appropriateness of food items that are ordered or to be purchased. Maybe the shopping cart will be automated to say “allow,” or “no way baby” or “you can’t be serious” or “not the best choice” or “acceptable.” Does this conjure up the computer with artificial intelligence-HAL 9000 in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey or the computer in the movie WARGAMES or even the recent Eagle Eye ? Maybe!
3. Financial penalties for noncompliance with established acceptable BMI criteria. Subsequent penalties for noncompliance may include some form of institutionalization. The “Fat and Food Police”-are coming: multijurisdictional force!!!Wouldn’t that make a great Law and Order!
4. Biometric scanners in all mobile devices that can detect calorie counts and nutritional content of all foods.

Big Brother-maybe. Scary and intrusive-absolutely! The question is whether we want more government intrusion in our lives-if you feel like I do-the answer is no! And maybe-we are not quite ready for these potential future alternative options. But if we are not able to voluntarily find adequate solutions to these known problems, we will leave ourselves open to more governing by our elected officials. At present, there is a developing bias toward people that don’t fit the “norm.” Is there a bias against overweight and obese individuals-I think there is! We have many legitimate solutions-let’s implement them! What are we waiting for? The statistics are accumulating against our children. This is not the time to sit on the sidelines or in the press box. It’s time to send the plays into the game!

My friends, stay fit and healthy The Nerdel Way!

Sources and Links for this article:

A. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center: www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research

B.World health Organization (WHO): www.who.int

C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): www.cdc.gov: Number of Americans with Diabetes Projected to Double or Triple by 2050; 10/22/10 CDC Press Release

Several new bills have been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives and you should all be aware of them:

1. A.     H.R. 1585-The FIT kids ACT: passed the House of Representatives April 21, 2010, renews the emphasis on physical education in schools.  The Act would work to ensure kids are active during the school day and are taught to be personally responsible for their health.  The legislation would engage parents and the public by requiring all school districts and states to report on students’ physical activity, including the amount of time spent in required physical education in relation to the recommended national standard.  In addition, the Act would fund research to examine the link between children’s health and their academic achievement and recommend effective and innovative ways to get physical education back into schools. This Act was proposed and or supported by U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) Co-chair of the Congressional Fitness Caucus with U.S. Reps. Zach Wamp (R-TN), George Miller (D-CA), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee
2. B.     H.R. 5209- The Healthy Choices Act: The Act takes a comprehensive approach to combating obesity with provisions that address various sources contributing to unhealthy lifestyles.  Provisions include: increasing access to the tools and education to make healthy choices updating nutrition guidelines for child and adult care food programs, increasing access to nutritional information and healthy, affordable foods in rural and low-income urban areas, improving access to and opportunity for physical activity for adults and children, and providing more opportunities to participate in outdoor physical activities, including as a means of transportation. One provision would require pediatricians to measure a child’s body mass index (BMI) and include it in school age children’s vaccination records. This Act is proposed and or supported by: U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) along with Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR); and Marcia Fudge(D-OH).

The recent proposed bills have the support of the food and fitness industry, coming together for the first time in recognition that we have a problem. And that, my friends is what it will take-a partnership between our government, our corporate and private sectors, coming together. Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 73 percent of adults and 43 percent of children in the United States are overweight!!! In 2008, 32 states in America reported obesity rates of 25 percent or more.  

One aspect of the Healthy Choices Act that seems to be in contention is the part about pediatricians measuring the BMI (Body Mass Index) and making it available in a child’s vaccination history. I heard it discussed by Jimmy Cefalo and Manny Munoz on WIOD talk radio as well as on FOX News Sunday. The Fat Police is being debated all over. That’s good. No one is ever happy feeling that our government will intrude into our lives, will start mass weigh-ins and or will penalize us for being over the “ideal” body weight. But this obesity problem is getting worse. And it is directly affecting our children on a global basis. Many states have already placed BMI reporting into law. Parents need to be aware of their child’s health status-and that includes their weight. Many parents are unaware of their child’s weight status as it relates to them being overweight or obese. In fact many underestimate their child’s weight and body mass. Parents need to be aware that if their child’s BMI is abnormal, they may be at risk for developing weight related medical problems like diabetes and heart disease. BMI reporting will help parents recognize these potential issues. That’s the good part of BMI reporting. Is there a “bad” part of BMI reporting-maybe? Like any information, it could be used against an individual. Could insurance companies get this information and place a child in a”high-risk” category and charge more? The BMI reporting could get a child placed into an aggressive exercise class or placed on a diet. How will the “other kids” in the class view kids with “abnormal” BMI’s? The social implications of this type of reporting and subsequent management raise many questions.  

Yes it’s true we need to instruct our kids on proper nutrition and fitness. Yes it’s true we need dietary and fitness instructions for parents as well. But the one point we all must realize, is that once we gain the weight, it is very difficult to lose it. No matter what diet we try. So the answer is not that easy. We have to look at the other problems we have had as a society, and the solutions, to give us a direction in how to deal with obesity. I have previously mentioned seat belts and smoking. Both problems could not and were not able to be solved by our own “self-discipline” or lack of. We needed our government to place rules. That is what we need to help us all deal with obesity. When I mention “us all” I am including the world since obesity is a global epidemic-not just one in the United States.

I applaud Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) for taking a stand and proposing these bills as a step toward a solution for the childhood obesity problems. Encouraging adequate exercise and appropriate nutrition is fundamental to help our kids stay healthy.  Proposing legislation to allow more government in our lives-I guess we will all have to give up something to get something. We will have to tackle many uncomfortable issues such as BMI reporting. But since our children spend so many hours a day at school, shouldn’t the schools share the obligation to help keep them healthy? We just have to find the right mix. Can the government help in dealing with our obesity problem-the answer is yes. Do the bills take “us”-the parents- off the hook-absolutely not. After all, each of us has to buckle our safety belt. With the new obesity laws, we will still have to practice good fitness and nutritional habits and instruct our children as well. It will be a partnership-the government and “We the people….” Sound familiar?

Let me know your thoughts. Write me at talk@nerdel.com. Stay fit and healthy the New Nerdel Way!!

So there it is my friends. I place this thought out there for you to ponder. Can we make a dent in the obesity epidemic before Uncle Sam sends the “Fat Police” after us? With hundreds of diets out there, low fat low carb, high protein, etc. the obesity epidemic continues. Do we have the self discipline to really cut down on our portions? Can we start an exercise/fitness program and maintain it on a consistent basis? Should parents be charged with child abuse for having an obese child? Should restaurants not allow us to order what we want? Should we be weighed and measured when we enter the supermarket and told what we can and can’t buy? Should our governments weigh us or measure our waistline like they do in Japan? Should the overweight and obese pay a higher share of taxes? Will it take government intervention to make a difference?

I believe that we need to start the nutrition education process at a young age. Kids have to grow up knowing what foods are healthy and ask their parents for healthy foods to eat. There needs to be a vertical transmission of nutrition knowledge. Kids should be able to say, “Mommy, I want to have some veggies and mom-potatoes are not vegetables!”

The question is whether we as a society can have the self discipline to regulate and manage ourselves? Or do we need “Big Brother” to come into our lives and force us to get healthy?

This is just the start to our thought processes of how to handle and manage the obesity epidemic. Let me hear your thoughts at talk@nerdel.com.