Childhood Obesity

I'm sure you've all heard that obesity in children is still on the rise and you have probably heard it referred to as an epidemic. I recently read about a study done by the University of Michigan on the topic of childhood obesity that produced some concerning results. The study included 2000 parents of kids ages 6 to 11. Of the parents whose kids were obese 40% believed their kids were at a proper weight level. Amazingly once parents were informed that their child was obese 10% said that they weren't concerned about it. So basically there are parents out there that either don't know their child is obese or refuse to acknowledge it. There are also parents out there that know full well their child is obese but don't see it as a problem or don't care. It is frustrating to hear those kind of things considering the health of these children is in the hands of these parents. Some of the parents stated that they felt like it would be cruel or insensitive to tell their child that he/she is obese and needs to lose weight. I agree that it would be cruel considering the blame and responsibility should be on the parents. By making some healthy changes to the family's eating habits and by embracing a more active lifestyle both the kids and the parents would experience great improvements to their health. I know addressing obesity can be difficult and uncomfortable but ignoring it is really not an option. By letting it go unaddressed we are putting our children at risk of very serious health problems and failing in our duty to look out for them and keep them safe.