I can't go shopping without running into them. They, in this case, are parents with obese kids. It's usually mom who is pushing the cart, often filled with junk foods, while the kids trail behind munching on chips or a candy bar. I can only shake my head and try to hold my tongue. Don't they see the same statistics that I do. Obese kids are more at risk for health problems. Obesity leads to heart and blood pressure problem, not to mention the risk of diabetes.
Now there is another reason to address the issue of childhood obesity. Chubby kids are bullied more. Researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed incidents of bullying involving 821 kids ages 8 - 11. Over-weight kids were bullied more than their normal weight peers. About one third of the children in our country are obese but over two-thirds of those who were bullied had weight issues.
Obese kids also experience more depression, anxiety and lonliness that do their peers. This issue becomes more grave when kids enter into the teen years. Middle school kids can be especially cruel when it comes to the treatment of peers who are overweight.
The time to address childhood obesity is now. Obese kids are not only at risk when it comes to physical health but emotional health as well.
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