Childhood obesity has varying effects, and not just on the physical but also on the mental health of the child. Asthma, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common ailments but not the only ones a child can have; he can also suffer from depression because of the pressure and discrimination he experiences everyday from peers and loved ones alike.

As parents, it is left to us to stop childhood obesity from taking root. Below are 10 ways that we can go about it:

1. Set a good example. Practice what you preach, and eat right too. The last thing your child needs is confusion.

2. Never use food as a bribe or reward. He will only be encouraged to do more good for the sake of a treat, but not teach him the value of good work as an achievement in itself.

3. Keep your child away from junk food at an early age. Your child’s taste buds will adapt easily, and make him crave for more.

4. Avoid storing sweets or chocolates in the house. This will only give your child the impression that they are always within reach.

5. Make healthy meals look more attractive or appealing by adding variety. Vegetables look better when prepared artfully, enough to pique your child’s interest.

6. Choose your child’s food wisely when eating at a fast food restaurant. It may not be as nutritious as you want, but at least you’re confident he’s not getting junk.

7. Encourage your child to drink lots of water. Given enough time, this will turn into a good habit.

8. Get your child to engage in sports, exercise or any worthwhile physical activity. A child who has started a healthy lifestyle early in life is less likely to become obese later on.

9. Give lots of encouragement, and teach him to value himself as a person. Children with a strong positive self-image are less likely to fall into depression and get into eating binges.

10. Work with health officials and school faculty to promote healthy eating. Health education does not end at home, after all.

All of these eating opportunities is having a negative impact on our health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a revealing summary on the obesity epidemic. What exactly is an epidemic? According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, an epidemic is something that spreads rapidly among many people in a community. This is suitable for obesity, as it is not just situated in America but as the WHO reveals it is a worldwide phenomenon.

Globally, according to the WHO, there are some one billion people that are overweight. That is staggering to think that even in third world countries where not enough food to feed one’s family is a common battle on a daily basis, you still have overweight people.

Now of the one billion overweight people, approximately three hundred (300) million of them are also deemed clinically obese. That is to say if they were in a standard hospital and were measured and weighed properly, they would meet the criterion for obesity.

It is interesting to look at the measuring tools that calculate these statistics. The standard bathroom weighing scale can be off by a few pounds or kilograms for sure. But to make it more accurate many physicians now refer to body mass index (BMI) charts. These charts make it very convenient and a little more accurate in assessing and diagnosing people as overweight or clinically obese.

The BMI measures a subjects body and compares that figure to its weight. The actual calculation is BMI = kg/mg squared. This is a far more accurate way to determine a subjects true body weight. Both the height and the weight is taken into consideration. Whereas with older systems just your weight is the criterion for obesity. If you are tall and weigh the average you know what a problem this could be for health reasons.

A BMI of > 25 for adults is deemed overweight. A BMI of > 30 for adults is denoted as clinically obese. Calculations are a bit more complicated for the child and teen so it should not be relied on in the same manner it is for adults.

The problems that are associated with obesity are not just limited to looks or low self-esteem. But rather, the impact on other disease states such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and stroke just to name a few.

What is equally troubling is that obesity does not seem to be limiting itself to one person in a family. Another popular trend is for children of obese parents to almost automatically become that way too. Part of the problem is genetic predisposition or hereditary component. But in many cases if we are very honest, it is combination of lifestyle choices, activity levels and food consumption that combine to form the perfect storm.

Caregivers, day care workers, parents and others will often times over feed themselves and allow those that they care for to do the same. If children were eating nutritious foods, fruits, vegetables, and nuts the childhood obesity epidemic would not be gaining steam. The advent of fast food restaurants that serve foods that have very little nutritional value does not make eating better any easier.

What you can do is determine to clean out all of the not so healthy foods from your home. Just make a quick go of the snack cakes, pies, candy, soda pop, and other sugar laden snacks that make up a large part of your families diets. If you find that too difficult for you, then start a little slower. You can cut back on the amount of diet pops you buy at the super market this week. Better still, is to replace those pops with water. Make a decision that for every pop you drink today, you will drink one bottle of water. A lot of people need smaller steps to take, if that is you then its okay. Just start even smaller. The most important thing for you to do is to S-T-A-R-T!

Sure we might be a fat teenager and hopefully we are now in the process of taking off some of that extra weight. If you believe that you have to loose the weight before you ask a girl out, that is just a cop out! Even skinny teenage boys and teens of normal weight often have difficulty making that first move.Thoughts of rejection and being disliked are probably number one on a young man’s mind when confronted with the prospect of asking someone out.

If you would like to date but are afraid to ask, understand that you must start somewhere and at some time. Although it is already somewhat acceptable for girls to ask guys out too, the traditional procedure of guys asking first is still very much in play. If you are fat, thin or of normal weight and going to wait for a girl to make the first move and ask you out, the odds are you will be waiting a long time.

When you have internalized the necessity of what you have to do, look for someone you would like to ask out. It would be a lot less taxing if the girl you have in mind is already a friend or at least, an acquaintance. At least you have some idea of how to approach her and what she likes to do. If you’re thinking of asking out a girl you don’t know, then the logical thing to do is to get to know her first. Find a way to introduce yourself or let her know that you exist. Unless you’re Brad Pitt, it is not such a good idea to ask a complete stranger out of the blue to go out on a date with you. Chance are, you’ll get a snub, or worse, a slap for being so presumptuous!

After getting to know her a bit, it’s time to exude confidence. Naturally, girls don’t like obnoxious pretense so don’t over do it. They do, of course, get somewhat attracted to the right level of confidence. Don’t slouch, stutter, or shake uncontrollable when you’re fact to face with your girl. The best kind of confidence is to act as if talking to her is the most natural thing in the world. It is also a sign of confidence to be just who you are in front of her. If you pretend to be other than who you are, she may find out soon enough, in which case, you just took the long route to rejection. If you’re honest with who you are and she’s not impressed, then don’t bust your head over her. She may not be your type after all. If she doesn’t like you, she may not share your interests too.

When you get to the part where you actually get to ask the question, be cool and casual. Don’t ask her out formally. Instead, try asking her if she’d like to get together someday. Asking her this way will put her at ease and will lessen the sting for you if she says no.

Don’t ask her out on weekends unless the activity you’ve asked her out to falls on a weekend. Otherwise, plan for a casual week-day date. Weekend dates will put the pressure on you to mount something fantastic.

Once you’re done asking, wait for the reaction and the eventual response. You might be shocked the way I was when she says yes. But if she says no, shrug your shoulders and move on and ask another girl. Fat, thin or normal weight, never allow your fear of rejection to get in the way of life. Remember that “Even Fat Kids Can Get Date.”

Faced with obstacles like video game sessions, bags of chips and carbonated soda can certainly thwart our best intentions.

As a teen few of us want a diet of flax seed and spinach (Yuk!) Yet a bit of creativity may be called for on the part of both parents and teens  to help make healthy diets a positive and appealing experience.

Here are some tips that will help parents and teens develop that creativity for a healthy yet successful teenage weight loss diet.

Have Healthy Bit-Size Snacks Ready

Parents! When your teens arrive home from school, they are often ravenous. They likely skimped on breakfast, maybe grabbed a quick lunch around noon, and now need something (anything!) in the stomach before dinner – and there will be little patience for taking time to make a healthy snack.

Instead of having too-tempting snacks like chips or pizza waiting at typical snacking times, provide your teens with handy and healthy alternatives. Foods such as  pre-popped popcorn,  baby carrots, humus and pita (sounds nasty but is rather tasty) are all great treats that your teen can grab quickly, enjoy, and find satisfying.  And parents the odds are that you also need to shed a few pounds and you will enjoy these too.

Remember, the less work involved in the preparation, the more likely a young person or adult is to eat it. (Isn’t that also true of most of us?)

Make Breakfast Easy

A healthy diet for teens starts with breakfast. A young adult who is running on empty will not only suffer with less ability to focus and concentrate in school, but he or she is also more likely to indulge in cafeteria and vending machine temptations later, such as french fries and chocolate bars.

Instead, provide easy-to-grab breakfast items that include organic granola bars (not the ones covered in chocolate), granola with yogurt, or a variety of cereals to be ready for those long mornings.

Keep in mind that “breakfast” is the breaking of an overnight fast, so that is the most critical meal of the day.

Pack a Lunch

Let’s face it – most teens won’t pack their own lunches. Instead, they tend to indulge in whatever is available at the school lunch room or nearby fast food restaurant that’s not only much more expensive, but also very fattening. Support your teen’s healthy diet by helping to make and pack lunches that are nutritious and tasty. Look at it this way teen, what you save on fattening fast food could possibly mean more money for dating, clothing, video games or other fun stuff!

There are choices here from a salad with salsa or low calorie dressing to slices of lunch meat such as beef and chicken. Or even a sandwich with low calories dressing or if your teen likes mustard they can skip the mayo completely and save a few extra calories.  Include some low- sugar, low calorie snacks. Today there are lots of prepackages 100 calorie snacks. As most of us have learned either a small bag of chips or a family sized bag of chips will satisfy our craving so stick with the small bag. Why not give low fat yogurt a try? Again the name yogurt tends to turn some people off but their are some tasty flavors of it out there. Another snack that can be bland or can be found in some pretty good flavors is rice cakes so you might want to add those too your list.  Another favorite is sugar free jello and even the old standby carrot sticks and celery sticks provide a bit of tasty crunch.

Talk About Fast Food

Most fast food is overly processed and filled with sugars, salt, and saturated fats. Instead of telling your youngsters to steer away from fast food, discuss with them about healthy options available at many fast food restaurants.

For example, a well-rounded and healthy diet for teenagers could easily include a sub sandwich from Subway, a chicken salad from Wendy’s or even a roasted chicken wrap from McDonald’s.

The need for weight control is a reality that many of us need to face. While we may not look forward to dieting by controlling our weight as a teenager it not only will improve our teenage experiences but will also give up a good foundation for our future as an adult.

But it is not that simple, is it?

Truly – eating only when you are honestly hungry and stopping before you are stuffed is THE way people lose weight. But because there are so many emotions tied up in overeating – losing weight for most people is not easy.

Some good questions to ask yourself BEFORE each time you eat are:

Are you physically hungry?

How often are you letting your hunger guide your daily meals?

And how often are you reaching for food to meet some other need besides physiological hunger?

It is possible that you have become so out of touch with hunger that you don’t recognize your true hunger pangs or signals.

Some overweight folks never let themselves get hungry because they eat so often or they eat so much at each meal — so they may have lost touch with what hunger really feels like in their body.

Eating when you are hungry and stopping before you are over-filled should be one of the easiest things in life to do but if you look around and see the serious obesity problems in America you will see that it is not that easy.

The reason is that people are eating for reasons OTHER than hunger.

The next time you think about eating, ask yourself just how hungry you are. If you are hungry, go ahead and eat a sensible healthy meal. If you are not hungry, ask yourself what you are REALLY craving.

Is your craving for rest? Are you exhausted and need a nap?

Are you bored? Do you need to get busy doing something fun to occupy your mind?

Do you need some exercise? Would a nice walk outside fill you up better than some food in the kitchen?

Do you need to de-stress? You may feel like you are living in such a hectic world; you may be craving some down time or relaxation.

There can be so much stress and anxiety with all the things you have to handle each day — your job, your family, your finances. And those stressors can make you want want to turn to food for comfort and release.

Rest, exercise, calm, quiet, renewal — every one of these things are real legitimate human needs and they need to be met.

However they are NOT hunger needs.

So if you try to fill those situations by eating food you will not get relief from those needs. You will still have those needs waiting to be met after you have polished off the container of ice cream. And you will feel even worse from overeating.

Maybe you could start asking yourself different questions when you feel like reaching for food when you are not truly hungry.

Ask yourself, what is the nicest thing you can do for yourself right now?

What could help you feel better and function at the highest level for yourself and for your family and for your job?

Save eating for when you are really hungry. Food always tastes better when you are hungry anyway.

And then give yourself some freedom to explore healthier ways to meet your legitimate daily needs. You will feel much better in the long run.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, these overweight and obese children and teens are more likely to experience cardiovascular health problems, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

Traditionally, when diabetes was detected during childhood, it was assumed to be juvenile-onset or Type 1 diabetes. However, in the past 20 years, more kids are developing this other affliction, and inordinate weight gain is the root cause.

For answers to your questions about a childhood diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, keep reading.

What is Type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is caused when your body begins to develop a resistance to insulin, therefore no longer using insulin efficiently. Eventually, the pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin and can’t regulate blood sugar levels properly.

Is childhood Type 2 diabetes actually a major problem?

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease prevention and Health Promotion, Type 2 diabetes for adolescents and children is on the rise. Those most frequently diagnosed are between the ages of 10 and 19.

Type 2 diabetes affects all ethnic groups, but the disease is more prevalent among non-white children. The groups hardest hit by childhood type 2 diabetes, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, are American Indian Youths and Canadian First Nation peoples.

What are the contributing factors to a childhood diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes?

Based on information from the CDC (Center for Disease Control in Atlanta), most of the children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are obese, may be exposed to diabetes in utero, have poor glycemic control and also have a strong family history of the disease.

Is childhood Type 2 diabetes difficult to detect?

Type 2 diabetes in children can go undetected for a lengthy period of time because children either exhibit no symptoms, experience mild symptoms, or are unable to communicate many of the indicators they may notice. Often it is not caught until a child becomes a teenager or even later. Therefore, blood tests are needed for an accurate diagnosis.

What is the best defense against a childhood Type 2 diabetes diagnosis?

A parent’s best response to protect against and alleviate childhood Type 2 diabetes and obesity is a healthy diet combined with frequent, daily exercise. Your child should be on the move for a minimum of 20 to 40 minutes each day while avoiding processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat.

According to the CDC, the best defense is maintaining a healthy body weight. That solution may not appeal to a heavy child who is not motivated to exert himself. However, the good news is that it offers the child a level of control over the situation that drugs and other medical solutions may not.

Planning a diet often comes down to the person for whom you’re planning the healthy eating – a young child or older adult. For a youngster, diet is a critical component of his or her mental and physical development. Each teen or child needs vitamins, nutrients and calories to grow, but they also need to eat healthy meals to build a strong foundation for the future.

It might be easy to crack open a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or zip into a local drive-through on your way home from school or work, but these habits not only can lead to childhood obesity, but also malnutrition and major health problems over time.

Of course, for busy teens and parents, it’s not always easy to prepare healthy snacks or full meals. So, keep reading for some snack and meal ideas that are not only nutritious, but also simple and fast.

Pre-Cut Veggies

Prepare for your week by pre-slicing some veggies and fruit. Keep your sliced snacks in small-size Tupperware containers in the refrigerator. When you need a snack, reach for a pack of carrots, cucumbers or strawberries, rather than chips or cookies.

Stock Up Your Car or The Family Car

One of the biggest hurdles of healthy eating for both adults and children is in-the-car snacks and on-the-road eating. With a car full of hungry kids, parents are more easily swayed to pull into a fast food restaurant or grab a quick snack at the gas station.

Instead, keep your car well-stocked with healthy snacks that will remain fresh over a period of time. For example, include a few Ziploc bags of pumpkin seeds, raisins, sunflower seeds, a favorite cereal or dried fruits handy. That way, when feeling restless or hungry snacks are at hand.

Make Healthy Meals Fun

Parents don’t bore youngsters with a piece of lean meat and a side of green peas. Instead, make your meals colorful and fun with orange sweet potatoes, bright red peppers or yellow squash.

Fresh is Best

Fresh, clean food is much better than frozen or overly-processed, pre-packaged meals. If you simply don’t have the time to invest making your own meals from scratch, try purchasing meals that are either made right at the grocery store or opt for take-out options from restaurants that are committed to healthy eating and organic selections.

Ideally, if the ingredients list is longer than 10 items, you don’t want to be feeding it to your child.

Mom, If Your Kids Like It, Stick with It

Healthy eating especially for young children is sometimes hard – kids often don’t want to try new things. So, if your child loves asparagus, then stick with it. Don’t try to impose eggplant on them. Healthy eating isn’t about forcing yourself and your child to eat foods they don’t like – instead, it’s about finding healthy foods that all of you love.

Kids, If You Like a Paticular Healthy Food Let Your Parents Know

If you find a food that you really like and it is healthy let who ever does the shopping know. Don’t expect them to be mind readers and then be disapointed because you didn’t tell them. By letting your parents know you are not only helping yourself you will also be helping them to get rid of their own love handles.

Instead of struggling with cafeteria temptations, schoolyard taunts or parental pressures, teens can learn good habits, develop lifelong programs and begin a healthy lifestyle – not just for a summer.

To learn more about why weight loss camp is a very successful method of retained weight reduction for adolescents, keep reading.

Weight Loss

The most obvious and readily apparent benefit of a weight loss camp for teens is the actual physical weight loss that occurs. Free from temptations attacking their will power and encouraged to engage in physical activities, most teens participating will drop the pounds and keep them off.

That weight reduction is not only great for critical health considerations, but also their self-esteem and mental well-being. Additionally, it’s an encouraging start to developing lifelong healthy habits.

Speaking of Developing Healthy Habits

A good quality weight loss camp won’t simply focus on your teen losing 15 pounds this summer. Instead, they’ll teach an adolescent healthy habits they can take home and practice throughout the school year and beyond.

Such habits include steps as simple as packing a healthy, well-balanced lunch or walking home from school instead of seeking a ride. It’s establishing basic habits like these that lead to sustained weight loss.

Learning Exercise Programs

In addition to learning healthy eating and lifestyle habits, teens also engage in regulated exercise programs. Though most are designed to be fun – like games – they also learn a wide range of exercises and skills they can take home and implement as part of an ongoing lifestyle.

Whether it’s how to lift weights or engage in cardio programs that are healthy and fun, an adolescent will come home with a greater knowledge of and motivation for how to be physically active and fit.

And because many overweight teens are hesitant to join in physical activities at school or in gym class, the supportive environment of a weight loss camp is often the best starting point to receive reinforcement for healthy choices.

Increased Self-Esteem

One of the most difficult consequences of adolescent obesity is low self-esteem. Whether it’s dealing with teasing and taunting in the school environment or wrestling with a poor body image, teens are particularly prone at their young ages to experiencing these problems.

In contrast, most teens thrive in a weight loss camp environment – learning not just how to lose weight and keep it off, but also how to accept their changing bodies. The best part? They can do so with a group of others who are supportive and enjoy the same healthy benefits.

Making Friends

Some of the greatest advantages of a weight loss camp for teens are the friendships developed in an environment free from social pressures. Because the adolescents share common issues with their bodies and weight loss goals, the bonds are both deep and supportive – and tend to last well beyond the duration of the camp experience.

Our health care costs are exceeding $177 billion.  We are experiencing increased heart disease mortalities, a generation with reduced cognitive development and poor mental health – these are all major risks associated with the present teenage and childhood obesity epidemic. So what are these risks? Let’s review a few of them:

Reduced Brain Function and Cognitive Ability

Numerous studies by the International Institute of Health, the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical have all shown that overweight children with poor diets often perform significantly poorer on cognitive ability tests than their peers who exercise regularly and have healthy, well-balanced diets.

Food doesn’t just fuel our bodies, but it also fuels our minds, and during a child’s critical developmental years, a healthy diet is of ever greater importance. The high-fat, low-nutrition foods that lead to the dangers of childhood obesity are the same types that result in stunted mental development.

Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

Historically, whenever a child was diagnosed with diabetes, it was recognized as Type 1 (juvenile-onset) diabetes. But, according to the Center for Disease Control, the number of Children being assessed with Type 2 diabetes (generally diet-related) is on the rise and has been so for the past 20 years.

As childhood obesity skyrockets, so do the number of Type 2 diabetes diagnoses. Unfortunately, this affliction in children can often go unrecognized as it is difficult to detect without a blood test.

Heart Problems

Being overweight or obese as a child cannot only lead to cardiovascular problems now, but also as an adult. According to a recent study by the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, even an increase of 20 extra pounds for 13-year-old boys increased their chances of developing a coronary disease by a staggering 33%.

Joint Issues

A 2005 study completed at the University of Rochester show that children diagnosed as obese not only were more likely to develop knee and joint problems, but also to enable gait and lifelong walking difficulties caused by improper joint load and development. They concluded that childhood obesity could result in a greater risk of osteoarthritis and joint deformities.

Mental and Emotional Problems

Some of the hidden dangers of childhood obesity are the effects that carrying too much extra weight can have on a child’s self-esteem and emotional well-being. Overweight children tend to be teased, taunted and generally have a more difficult time socializing among their peers. That can lead to a poor self-image, stunted social skills and lowered emotional development.

As responsible parents and educators we will take action. That action must start now. The longer we weight to help our children the more difficult it becomes.

As with other lifestyle-related illnesses, obesity is a chronic condition that can require long-term treatment. Once beginning such a program, there is a slight possibility that an obese person might need to take medications for the duration of his or her life to realize and maintain weight loss. At the very least, treatment could be necessary for several years.

The mediations most commonly prescribed for obese teenagers are categorized as appetite suppressants and lipase-inhibitors. The activity of appetite suppressants on the human body is to increase the feeling of fullness in the stomach while suppressing appetite – a person will simply have a decreased craving for food. These drugs suppress the appetite by interacting with certain chemicals in the brain involved with both mood and appetite. They include serotonin and catecholamine. Lipase-inhibitors, on the other hand, prevent the absorption of fat by not allowing it to be broken down to a chemical form and then consequently absorbed by the body.

Taking appetite suppressants has been known to reduce weight by several pounds more than that lost through only physical exercise and other non-drug therapies. The greatest impact in obese teenagers is typically observed after six months of taking the medication. So patience is a must.

Though medication usage should always be considered with a sober mindset, taking the appropriate ones for teenage obesity, however, does eradicate some of the need for diet control and physical activity. Despite this, studies support that the right medications actually help improve eating and exercising habits.

On another note of caution, these obesity-reducing medications for teens are needed only for those in a position of pending medical danger due to their excessive weight. Such prescriptions cannot, and should not, be made available casually to teens merely entertaining a short cut for weight loss. The consultation of a trusted family physician is critical in the decision-making. Doctors will usually consider the distribution of fat in the patient’s body and how many pounds overweight or obese the individual is as a basis for prescribing medications.

The main goal for taking obesity reduction medications is to move away from alarming health dangers brought about by an undue increase in weight. Obtaining and maintaining an ideal weight based on height and body structure for most obese persons is normally not a realistic goal, though it certainly can be accomplished. A modest reduction of five to ten percent of one’s previous – or benchmark – weight is a worthwhile short-term objective that will lead to an improved state of health. Beyond the shorter duration, one’s prior success can serve as a launching pad for even greater weight loss where deemed still beneficial.

If a teen is very heavy and ill on an abnormally frequent basis, a visit to a doctor to discuss the prospect of controlling obesity through medications would be time well invested. Once prescribed, the need for remaining on the medications will likely last for years, if not for a lifetime. However, the benefit of the appetite suppression or prevention of fats being absorbed into the body may well be worth the trade off for greater health through the teen years and into adulthood.