Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. Parents today are neglecting their children’s diet and exercise needs because of busier lifestyles. It is much quicker and easier to give kids ready meals and fast food and let them eat in front of the TV, than it is to create a healthy meal from fresh ingredients and eat as a family at the table. As a result more and more children are becoming obese, some morbidly. This is a very real, serious and possibly fatal threat to today’s children’s health.

Due to the lack of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein in today’s children’s diets, plus the lack of necessary exercise required, kids are growing old before their time. A study on overweight children showed that:-

- From the children studied, the average age was 13 and they had the arteries equivalent to 45yr old adults!

- 9 million children up to the age of 18 are overweight in the United States alone!

- Due to the internal damage the bad diets have caused, overweight kids could die up to 25yrs early!

- The percentage of children classed as overweight has more than doubled since the early 70′s!

- An estimated 70% of diabetes risk in the U.S. is attributed to excess weight!

- In the U.S. almost 2/3 of adults are overweight and almost 1/3 are obese!

Obviously having children is the most beautiful gift anyone can have but taking care of them is a full time job. And quite naturally, one wouldn’t mind such a beautiful job provided you are adept with it. A healthy child grows up with a healthy and nutritious diet and that is something that you can control. But unfortunately, this is one issue many parents face: the right nutrition for my child! While results reveal that kids consume 25% of their calories from junk food, your kid might one of them. French fries, soft drinks, cookies, hotdogs and sweets are something all children love and are often addicted to it but is it the right food for your child?

Sensing the need of the hour, i.e. to educate every parent of their child’s nutrition, globalpediatrician.com is on a wide spread mission to spread its tentacle across the globe, reach out to all parents and educate them about kids and health. There is after all no harm is having an expert advice online from experts across the globe, even if your child is completely alright.

Children’s Diet Today

It may seem odd at first; to phantom that the very natural resources that we need to live, work and play, are also associated with an array of health problems. The truth is a hard one to swallow. So, don’t be surprised that you haven’t heard the following information blasted on local news! However, this crucial information affects our children’s health at epidemic rates.

Amazingly there are 25 million children who live in areas that violate national air quality standards for ozone, particulate matter from coal fired plants and sulfur dioxide. Another 35 million children live very close to power plants and 2 million kids are asthmatic…which is linked to airborne pollutants. A recent health study from the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that air pollution levels in major U.S. cities pose a health risk comparable to second hand smoke. Does this mean that it is just as bad to go outside in the fresh air, as it is to eat in the “non-smoking” side of your local restaurant? Well, you be the judge, however, in some States or Countries… it is better to be in a smoke filled restaurant.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today introduced an amendment to protect and ensure health care coverage for low-income children.  The amendment would, in part, continue full funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2019, ensure affordable coverage and high quality benefits for children and make it easier for families to enroll in the program.

“We have had some victories in the effort to prevent the dismantling of CHIP, but there is more work to do in order to preserve and improve health care coverage for children,” said Senator Casey.  “My amendment to the Senate health care reform bill will strengthen coverage for children in CHIP through 2019 to ensure quality care for all vulnerable children. The benefits of health care for children, particularly low-income children and children with special needs, are beyond dispute.  Such care will not only help kids developmentally, do better in school and put them on a healthy path in life; it will also reduce long-term health care costs.”

Specifically, Senator Casey’s amendment would: