Obesity Deaths Reach All-Time High

(ARA) - Obesity is on the rise in the United States and kills hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300,000 preventable deaths each year can be attributed to dietary habits and physical inactivity that lead to obesity. Obesity is second only to tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.

Concerned about what it calls one of the most serious public health problems of our time, the American Medical Association (AMA) is encouraging physicians to help combat this epidemic. The AMA has released a new publication, Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity: A Primer for Physicians, to help physicians identify and treat obesity in their patients.

The statistics on obesity are frightening. When 64 percent of Americans are overweight or obese -- its an alarming wake-up call for all physicians, said Donald J. Palmisano, M.D., J.D., AMA president. Obesity is a leading indicator for serious health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. These are medical conditions that physicians are already managing, so it makes sense for physicians to address the underlying cause of these conditions and diseases. Dr. Palmisano said that physicians should encourage patients to eat healthily and get physical activity.

Obesity is defined as a condition in which excess body fat may compromise a persons health. One of the methods a physician can use for diagnosing obesity in adults is to calculate an individuals body mass index (BMI). This is determined by dividing a weight in pounds by height in inches, and multiplying the resulting number by 703. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater. Other factors should be considered to determine patient obesity.

The AMA recommends that obese patients have the best results for weight loss when they make gradual changes to their lifestyle. Eating 500 to 1,000 calories less per day, and engaging in physical activity, can result in a one to two pound weight loss each week.

Recent research findings indicate that physical activity, even when accumulated in short bouts, such as taking several 10 minute walks throughout the day, can result in significant health and fitness benefits. The eventual goal for most people is 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five or more days a week, but any increased physical activity is a step in the right direction.

We want our patients to learn to think differently about what they eat and how they move. This is not a quick-fix weight loss plan. For instance, its not realistic to ask an obese patient to run five miles a day, but they need to start somewhere. Patients can think of physical activity in new ways -- such as washing the car, vacuuming the house, walking up an extra flight of stairs or around the block, putting on music and dancing around the living room. Physical activity needs to be practical, and can be fun, said Dr. Palmisano. It is never too late to make healthy changes that can have a favorable impact on health.

According to Dr. Palmisano, patients should consult their physicians and consider them their partners in health. Physicians can work closely with patients to design a program that is appropriate for them.

Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity: A Primer for Physicians gives physicians practical advice on evaluating patients for current and potential health risks related to weight, measuring BMI, and offering concrete recommendations for weight management through healthy eating and physical activity. The booklets encourage physicians to improve their communication and counseling skills, and ensure that their office environment is appropriate for overweight and obese patients.

The 10-booklet primer was written by Robert Kushner, M.D., a national expert on obesity. Dr. Kushner is Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Medical Director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "With its practical tips and office-based support materials, this AMA primer will help physicians to manage their patients' overweight and obesity condition, said Kushner. Physicians learn how to broach the topic of weight loss, initiate an effective treatment program and monitor progress while strengthening the patient-physician relationship."

Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity: A Primer for Physicians, is part of the AMAs ongoing Roadmaps for Clinical Practice series and was developed in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Healthy People 2010 initiative. The primer was funded with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Cooking for a Holiday Crowd Made Easy (Peasy)ARAARA) - The holidays. A time for loads of family, gifts and good cheer. Unfortunately, the holidays also can be a huge headache when it comes to cooking a holiday dinner for a house filled with people. Plus, youre probably sick to death of turkey and wish you could serve something a little different to your holiday guests. Heres the thing: you can!

They call me the Naked Chef because I like to prepare easy, no-fuss meals. I reckon the same should go for holiday meals. The perfect holiday dinner can be prepared pretty easily, without a whole lot of extra steps -- especially when you have the right range to work with. Lucky for me, Amana has given me one of their new ranges, and it works just great. You should see it -- this range is the largest one for its size on the market, with 5.22 cubic feet of capacity -- which is large enough to let me prepare an entire holiday meal at once. Its the size of Royal Albert Hall! On the outside, though, its a standard 30-inch range so it fits perfectly in your kitchen with no problem. Its also easy to use, which is terrific when your kitchen is crazy and overflowing with holiday guests. The U-shaped EasyRack oven rack keeps you from getting burned when taking out a pizza pan or cookie sheet, while the self-cleaning oven makes clean-up a piece of cake. Theres also a warming drawer where I can heat up plates before serving the great meal. Brilliant.

Heres one of my favorite holiday meals. Its got it all -- a nice piece of pork, loads of veg and a tasty dessert. Thanks to my Amana range, I cooked the entire thing at once . . . and it was delicious.

Pork Loin with a Great Herby Stuffing

This pork recipe is great for holiday entertaining. You can serve it as a conventional roast, or let it cool, slice it and serve it as part of a buffet. Heres what youll need.

Serves 8-10

1/2 a pork loin, preferably the rib end, off the bone

1 small handful of rosemary leaves, picked

3 heaping teaspoons of fennel seeds

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound, 2-ounces sourdough or rustic bread

2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced

1 small handful fresh sage leaves, ripped up

1 handful of pine nuts

Extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your pork loin in front of you and score across the skin with a sharp knife about 1/2-inch deep and about 1/2-inch apart. Using a mortar and pestle, pound up the rosemary and fennel seeds with a tablespoon of salt -- bash the mixture up until really fine and then rub it into all the score marks on the pork. Remove the crusts from the bread and slice it up. I like to toast the bread in a toaster or on a griddle until lightly golden, as this gives the stuffing a really fantastic smoky flavor. While the bread is toasting, slowly fry the onions, garlic, sage and pine nuts in a little olive oil for 10 minutes, until the onions are sweet and soft. Season with salt and pepper, add the balsamic vinegar and put the mixture in a bowl. Rip your bread into pieces and add to the bowl. Squash everything together, really squeezing the onions into the bread. Have a taste -- it may need a little more seasoning. Put to one side and allow cooling.

Insert your knife into the eye meat of the pork loin and make a cavity for your stuffing. Pack in the stuffing, then roll the pork over and tie it with a few pieces of string. Place the pork on a roasting pan and cook in the oven for just over an hour, until crisp and golden or until pork reaches 160 degrees.

Now, as your pork begins cooking, you can prepare these terrific veg dishes. Once youve prepared them, pop them in your range alongside the pork and allow everything to cook at once.

Stir-fried Savoy cabbage with garlic and Worcester sauce

This is a really simple and amazingly tasty thing to do with a Savoy cabbage. Worcester sauce (pronounced Wooster in England -- dont ask me why!) is worth looking for. You can find it in the States, but if its not in a store near you try using a strong spicy steak sauce instead.

Serves 4

1 head of Savoy cabbage

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons of Worcester sauce

Cut your cabbage in half and cut out the stalk. Place the halves cut side down on a chopping board and slice the cabbage up as finely as you can.

Heat a large flat low-sided pan or a wok and add the oil. When the oils hot, add the garlic, fry for a few seconds until it turns light brown. Add the shredded cabbage and stir-fry for a minute coating all the pieces of cabbage in the garlicky oil.

Add the Worcester sauce, lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper and continue to stir-fry for another minute or two until the cabbage has wilted slightly and soaked up all the lovely sauce, but it should still have just a little crunch.

Wicked roast vegetables

Roast veg has never been so good! If you cant find parsnip, try using wedges of pumpkin instead.

Serves 4

4 medium size potatoes

2 carrots

2 parsnips

2 red onions

A handful of garlic cloves

Some rosemary sprigs

Olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel or scrub all the root vegetables and cut them in half, lengthways. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with salted water and place on the heat. Peel the onions, cut them into quarters and toss them with the carrots and parsnips in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and spread out in a roasting tray. Cover tightly with foil and place in the pre-heated oven.

When the potatoes come to the boil, carefully lift them out and place in a colander to drain. After the vegetables have been in the oven for 30 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and take the foil off. Add the potatoes, garlic and rosemary and shake everything around a little. Return to the oven without the foil and roast for another 30 minutes or until cooked through and crispy brown.

Baked Pears Stuffed with Almonds, Orange and Chocolate in Flaky Pastry

Last, but not least, the holiday dessert. Heres one your guests will come back for next year.

Youll need:

Serves 4

4 perfectly ripe pears

1-1/2 ounces blanched almonds

5-1/2 ounces butter

1-3/4 ounces sugar

Zest of 1 orange

Seeds of one vanilla bean

1-1/2 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate

16 sheets of filo dough, defrosted if frozen

Carefully peel the pears and carve out each core from the bottom. This will give you a hole about 1-1/2 inches deep. Put the pears to one side.

Put your blanched almonds into a food processor and whiz up until really fine (or bash with a rolling pin). Put them in a bowl with 5 tablespoons of the butter, the sugar and the zest of the orange. Add the vanilla seeds to the bowl, then mix everything up until nice and smooth. Bash up the chocolate into small pieces, adding these to the mixture as well. Divide into 4 balls and put to the side.

Melt the rest of the butter in a little pan for brushing onto the filo dough. Dampen a clean dish towel and wring it out -- use this to cover the unused filo dough so it doesnt dry out. Working with one piece of filo dough at a time, spread it out in front of you and brush the sheet with melted butter. Lay the next sheet of filo dough on top and repeat until you have four brushed layers of filo dough. Cut the layered pastry down to an 8-by-8-inch square.

Take a pear and one ball of almond mix and fill the hole in the base, packing the excess filling around the base of the pear. Place in the middle of the filo square, then gather up the pastry around the stalk and pinch tight. You can leave it looking nice and rustic and flopping all over the place, as this will look really good when its cooked. Repeat this process with the other pears. Brush the outside of the pastry with any remaining melted butter, then bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve with the rest of your lovely holiday meal.

Visit www.amana.com for more practical appliance solutions from Amana.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Obesity: Can it be disabling?

Social Security has a set of Impairment Listings. At one time "obesity" had an impairment listing. Thus, if the applicant was of a certain height and weight, then the applicant received Disability. For example, if you were 5'2" and 300 pounds, then you were well on your way to winning a Disability Case if you had any impairments in addition to your "obesity".

In 1999, Social Security changed the Rules and deleted the Impairment Listing for "obesity". Social Security did say it would consider the effects of "obesity" with regard to other listed impairments such as respiratory impairments, cardiovascular impairments, and muscoloskeletal impairments (back problems).

In a recent case I had a young lady who was 400 pounds and had spinal stenosis. Prior to 1999, she probably would have met the Impairment Listing for "obesity". Since the rules have changed, we had to go to a hearing before a judge and demonstrate the severity of her back problem. We won but the primary focus of the decision was on the back problem and not her "obesity."

In another case I had the applicant was a man who was over 375 pounds with congestive heart failure. Again, prior to 1999 he would have met the "obesity" listing. Instead, we had the hearing and the judge denied the claim on the grounds he had not done enough to lose weight. The United States District Court reversed the social security judge and we are awaiting a new hearing. But again, this case shows the rules have changed and "obesity" no longer is the "slam dunk" winner it once was.

This may be considered AN ADVERTISEMENT or Advertising Material under the Rules of Professional Conduct governing lawyers in Virginia. This note is designed for general information only. The information presented in this note should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

Gerald G. Lutkenhaus, has been representing Social Security Disability claimants for 30 years in the Central Richmond Area in Virginia. He was given Martindale Hubbell's highest rating in 2003, for more information check our websites at http://www.virginiadisabilitylawyer.com or http://www.geraldlutkenhaus.com or email us at jervalaw@aol.com.

Obesity Isn't The Only Problem With Today's Youth Entertainment

Parents are desperately trying to lure their children away from video games and the TV for fear of obesity. Many children today are substituting good reads for TV remote and game controllers. Cindi Brown, a daycare owner expresses "Children who read at an early age seem more content with a good book and do not rely on TV and video games for entertainment as much as non-readers."

Evelyn Petersen, author of 8 books for early childhood and parenting, a writer in newspapers for over 20 years, "Detroit Free Press" and "KRTN Wire" previously, as well as writing for weekly parenting columns for the "Nashville Tennesean". Also has been published in "Children and Families" magazine comments "Many first grade teachers are noticing that children who stare at the TV screen for hours each day are often damaging the muscles in their eyes so they cannot "track" their eyes to left to right as you read."

While many parents are often too busy to take time to read to their children, it is associated that "children who are read to, are children who read," as commented by MaryAnn Kohl, author of over 15 books on creative art for children, and a columnist for many parenting magazines including Scholastic's "Let's Find Out."

Early childhood reading is considered a key element in a child's success for their future. Sue Reszka has been teaching in preschools for 25 years and has found that "children that have the opportunity to experience books at a young age, have a much easier time when learning to read on their own. Reading to children at an early age helps them learn new words, relate the spoken word to the printed word, develop listening skills and an understanding of what words mean. Books let children experience whole new worlds, people, places and ideas. The greater the variety of experiences a child has, the greater the chances that he/she will succeed."

While often children don't want to read books because their either consider to childish for their age or not entertaining enough, a current release from LH Publications and Productions has been found to entice readers of all ages while secretly unveiling a lesson or two in each story. Mysterious Chills and Thrills by author Laura Hickey is an anthology of spooky twists of fiction that weave the age old question of "what if" that many generations can apply to their own lives.

Mysterious Chills and Thrills shows promise to delight kids across the nation at a price to please parents. With book reviews such as "A young person's thriller written in their own language, 5 stars" and "Age appropriate for children six and up, these stories will have you chilled and thrilled!" from "Book Review Cafe", Mysterious Chills and Thrills isn't your average sci-fi children's book. Funny, creepy and educational, it's a triple threat of a gem of a book for kids to start reading at a young age. This holiday season remember, good readers promote communication and SOLIDIFY important skills for life.

Mysterious Chills and Thrills can be bought as an e-book or paper back book at http://www.laurahickey.com for ages 9-12.

Childhood Obesity - 6 Steps to Raising Healthy Kids

Childhood obesity is on the rise and has become an important topic amongst parents, politicians and many others.

Our lifestyles have drastically changed. We dont walk as much as we used to. We eat pre-packaged or fast foods instead of home cooked meals. And what exercise can compete with video games?

These days kids would rather spend time on the computer than go outside and kick a ball around or ride their bikes. And with all the junk food advertisements aimed at children by the media, us parents definitely have our jobs cut out for us.

Times have definitely changed but that doesnt mean we have to completely give up. Its just a matter of putting some simple measures into place.

Here are some easy tips to ensure your kids develop a life-long healthy lifestyle.

1. Limit your kids television, computer and video games time. This may not be easy at first, but be persistent. Suggest an activity they can do, or better yet go outside with them and join in. Children learn through example, so if youre all set to go for a bike ride they may just want to join you.

2. Get your kids involved in the family food shopping. Make a list of healthy foods everyone agrees on and point out the health benefits to your kids. Youll be surprised at how open to eating healthy your kids can be. You dont have to drastically cut out the cakes and cookies altogether, but instead let each child choose one item they can enjoy as a special treat. This teaches kids to learn about moderation and that , yes, they can have cookies or chocolates as treats not as regular food staples.

3. Dont super size your kids. Be careful to serve kid appropriate food portions. Remember, if theyre not fully satisfied they can simply go back for seconds. Also, teach them to eat slowly and take breaks between mouthfuls to allow the brain to register when its full.

4. Try to avoid branding any foods as bad for you. Instead focus on teaching your kids everything can be enjoyed in moderation. This takes the pressure off them and gets rid of the diet mentality which can set them up for a life of yo-yo dieting.

5. Be more active! Simply stated, kids need more activity in their lives. The same goes for all of us, if we eat more calories than were using up we will gain weight. Its as simple as that. So get out there and make it fun. Try not to use the word exercise. You want this to be a lifestyle habit not something that has to be done.

6. Be a positive role model. Rather than focusing on changes for your child only, change as a family. Have a family meeting and talk about healthy eating and good nutrition. Explain all the benefits of an active lifestyle and let your kids suggest some simple activities you can do together. Start slowly and build up. If you set a good example your kids will eventually follow. It may not be easy at first, but persist. The benefits will far outweigh the tantrums and tears you may need to put up when you first change your lifestyle. Your kids will thank you for it in the long run.

Mila Sidman is a mom of three and the creator of www.easy-kid-recipes.com. A leading website providing simple, kid-friendly recipes, nutritional information, meal planning tips, fun kid cooking projects and much more.

Origins of Obesity

Obesity is a leading health problem in America. At least one third of American adults are obese. Obesity is defined as anyone whose body fat is above 25%.

A sedentary lifestyle and modern conveniences are the culprits that leads to obesity. Id days of old, men and women both worked the land. Think about it - they churned butter, milked
cows, chopped wood, bailed hay, dug wells, built their own homes, washed clothes on a scrub board, pumped water, and much more. In other words, the people of our American society were
physically active.

Today, everything is instant and convenient. We have couch potatoes and couch tomatoes with their remote controls and sweet and salty snacks.

At the end of the great depression of the 1930's, many modern conveniences were introduced into our society to make our life easier. All for what? I'll tell you, it's so we don't have to
work so hard. All so we can take it easy. All so we can sit down and do nothing. We think all the labor saving devices are saving us time and effort. In reality, they are making us lazy.
In our laziness, our bodies are deteriorating, our muscles are
diminishing, our bowels don't function properly, we don't think clearly, and we are more nervous than ever.

Even our jobs are sedentary. Secretaries and receptionists
aren't the only ones who sit all day long. Computer programmers and webmasters sit at their computers all day. Scientists and lab technologists sit in a lab all day. Other people who are sedentary on the job are researchers, authors, poets, artists,
insurance agents, telemarketers, and telephone operators. And the list goes on and on.

We aren't as active as our grandparents were when they were young. Therefore, we need to look for ways to be active.
Physical activity not only helps you to become a slimmer you, but also provides many health benefits. Walking should be your best friend.

Slimmer You is a lifestyle not a fad diet, nor a quick fix. Rather, it is a spiritual matter. It's about changing habits and believing in your self.

What we eat and drink along with the level of physical activity is what determines whether you'll be a slimmer you or not.

http://www.slimmeryou.org

Bette has been writing articles in the weight loss, diet, and nutrition arena for over twenty years. Her degree is in applied science with a major in Medical Assistant. She is a member in good standing of the (AAMA) American Association of Medical Assistants and is a consultant for http://www.slimmeryou.org.

LETTUCE GARDENINGArleen M. Kaptur

Lettuce is a great way to begin this years garden. There are several different varieties
to choose from.

First, there is common lettuce and Romaine lettuce. Then we have this
category broken down even further into Head Lettuce (sold in supermarkets under
the name of Iceberg, Great Lakes, Imperial, Ithaca, or Oswego). It is tightly compressed
and the center ball is pale green.

Loose-leaf lettuce forms a rosette of tender green leaves. Stores sell it as Oakleaf,
Ruby (because the leaves are tinged with red), or Salad Bowl.

Butterhead lettuce has a softly compressed head with green outer leaves and pale green
to yellow inner leaves. It falls under the market names of Buttercrunch, Dark Green
Boston, Tender-Crisp, Deer Tongue, and Summer Bibb.

Head lettuce - 15 foot row yields about 15 heads of lettuce

Loose-leaf lettuce - 15 foot row yields about 2-1/2 lbs. of produce

Butterhead lettuce - 15 foot row yields about 15 heads

Romaine lettuce forms a vase shape and has a tightly compressed head. It stands about
10 inches tall and has a more piquant flavor than the other varieties.

Lettuce should be planted where it will get full sun in Spring and Fall, but partial
shade during the hottest part of the Summer season.

Plant your lettuce seeds when night-time temperatures are no longer likely to fall
below 25 degrees.

Sow the seeds sparingly about 1/2 deep and thin the plants.

The pulled plants are good to eat so dont just toss them.

Keep the soil moist but do not wet the foliage any more than necessary.

Head lettuce matures in about 10-11 weeks after the seeds are sown.

Loose lettuce matures in 6-7 weeks, Butterhead is ready in about 9-10 weeks,
and Romaine comes to full maturity in about 11-12 weeks.

If you dont use up all your lettuce seeds, dont throw them away. Unused seeds
will keep for about 6 years.

So, if you are a salad lover, than growing your own lettuce is just the thing for
your garden. Picking your own fresh salad fixings will make that rabbit food
staple of any fine meal an extra special treat.
Arleen M. Kaptur 2002

Arleen has written numerous articles for magazines/newspapers.

Author: SEARCHING FOR AUSTIN JAMES
Author: e-cookbooks
Website:
http://www.rusticliving.info
http://www.topica.com/lists/simpleliving
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving

Don't Blame the Government for America's Obesity

Peter Jennings presented a report on Monday, December 8th regarding obesity in America. The show looked at the roles our government and agriculture play in our eating habits, as well as advertising (especially directed at children). The report blames the government for subsidizing corn to be fed to farm animals, as opposed to helping farmers produce more vegetables and fruit for human consumption. They also pointed out that advertising for junk food specifically designed to reach children is unethical.

Its good that Mr. Jennings pointed out the link between corn-fed animals and the misuse of antibiotics because many people dont understand this. Basically, he stated that farm animals must be fed antibiotics because a corn-based diet is not what their bodies are designed for. And if you think about what cows eat when left out to graze, hes right. They eat greens, not corn. Other agricultural cost-saving practices also contribute to illness in animals. Although not mentioned on the show, overcrowding and confinement are major problems on large farms. When humans consume meat from animals whose food was laced with antibiotics, the humans often develop immunity to those drugs. This means that when people get sick, the drugs prescribed by the doctor might not work. So the duration and severity of your illness could be much worse as your doctor searches for a medication that will kill the disease. Obviously, depending on the severity of your condition, this could even result in death.

Peter Jennings went on to point out that feeding animals what they were meant to eat raises the cost of meat. He sees this as a positive thing, because maybe then people will eat less meat and more produce (and presumably lose weight). However, we must be careful about how the produce is raised as well. A recent article in a national magazine discussed a study comparing the nutrient content of vegetables and fruits raised with pesticides using traditional mass production farming techniques to organically produced counterparts. The mass produced foods were found to contain significantly less vitamins and minerals than organically raised produce. But organic produce is more expensive. So if we raise our fruits and veggies organically, and the cost goes up, will people really eat more produce and less meat?

Paying farmers to produce more fruits and vegetables is not going to change American eating habits, because our eating habits are not constrained by the food supply. Our markets are not short on produce at all-it is quite abundant. The grocery stores are not going to allocate more space to the produce department just because the government subsidizes fruits and vegetables and makes them cheaper. Cheaper produce wont necessarily cause an increase in demand. Supply and demand rules: consumers must start buying more fruits and vegetables before the markets will expand the department. So what really needs to happen to stop the obesity epidemic in America? People need to change their eating habits!

The best reason to stop obesity is to improve health. And this has a bottom line as well. If people complain about the higher cost of eating healthy, they should really be looking at the long-term cost of being in ill health as they age. High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all very costly and all (though only some forms of cancer) are related to obesity. Blaming the government and farmers for raising the wrong foods, or raising animals the wrong way, doesnt solve the problem. People must start eating differently, and buying organic meats and produce, to save their health. The market will figure out how to respond!

Advertising junk food to kids is immoral. However, adults who eat properly set the right example and tend to have kids who eat healthy. As the TV segment pointed out, much of this advertising is aimed at children around 6 years of age. They dont do their own food shopping! They might ask their parents for sugary cereals and fast food, but the parents still have the ultimate control over what comes into the house. They can also exert at least some control over what kids eat at school and at friends homes. Set a good example and teach children why healthy eating is important. Theyll get the message. Overweight children are not getting that way on too much fruit! The wrong types of food are available to them, and that food is mostly provided by parents. It is NOT a coincidence! The do as I say, not as I do approach to parenting simply doesnt work. You must be a positive role model.

If farmers refused to raise fruits and vegetables at all, or if grocery stores refused to stock them, maybe we could shift the blame for obesity to the government and the agricultural system. But there is no shortage of healthy food in America! It is all a matter of PERSONAL CHOICE.

When Americans wake up and get concerned about their health, and stop trying to fix everything with yet another pill to pop every day, the obesity epidemic will be but a memory. Until then, if you want to know why America is fat, look at how we spend our food dollars. We vote with our money. Look at the choices we make every day!

Dale Reynolds is a weight loss counselor and author living in upstate New York. She has a book entitled "A Slim Book On Weighty Matters" which is available through her website, http://www.slimdale.com. She also has a free email newsletter on Weighty Matters.

Ten Ways to Prevent Obesity in Our Families

Ten Ways to Prevent Obesity in Our Families 2003 Heidi Zator

Children are our future and we as parents need to help them attain their highest potential. If we want to have a strong and healthy future.

Today's diet is high in the simple carbohydrates, sugar and fat. Soft drinks, cakes, candy,and junk food are constantly bombarding our families, it seems to be their daily diet.

Statistics show that heart disease is showing up at a younger age. Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions, asthma is becoming a common occurance. People are beginning to look at these as normal. Well it is far from normal!

A major contributing factor in these diseases is obesity. So what is a parent to do: the first thing we must to is to educate ourselves.

Here are 10 ways to Prevent Obesity

1/ Be an example
Children learn from their parents, the first thing you as a parent must do is to show your children that you are willing to change.

2/ Do a Kitchen Clean-up
Get rid of all foods that have refined flour,or sugar in them and replace with whole foods such as whole grains, whole sugars for example raw sugar, honey, or stevia, and foods with as little chemical additives as possible

3/ Replace soft drinks, and highly sugared snacks, with healthy alternatives. Be creative. Limit sugar intake to 10% of your daily diet.

4/ Limit your dietary fat intake to less than 30% of your total calories, saturated fat should be less than 10%. Avoid all trans fatty acids, such as hydrogenated fats.

5/ Exercise, exercise. It doesn't matter what you do. Be it team sports, walking, running, hiking, or tennis. Just get your body moving.

6/ Consume at least five daily servings of fresh raw fruits and vegetables,especially dark orange or green vegetables and citrus fruits. Six servings of wholegrains and a least 3-4 calcium-rich foods, and make sure you get plenty of dietary fibre.

7/Try to have 6 small nutrient-dense meals a day, rather than 3 large meals. Do not eat after 8pm. Avoid repeated unsuccessful attempts at weight loss (crash dieting).

8/Include a food supplement, high in vitamins and minerals.

9/ Consume at least 2000 calories of high-nutrient foods Select low-nutrient foods periodically, maybe once a week, as a sinday. But your daily diet should consist of high quality foods.

10/ Drink at least 6 8oz. glasses of pure, filtered water a day. Water is the best cleanser.

If you follow this advice, you will not only be preventing obesity but will also: improve resistance to colds and infection. reduce risk of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis, increased resistance to stress maintain a feeling of wellbeing, help prevent premature aging increase energy to enjoy life and improve emotional and mental health.

Heidi Zator is dedicated to helping people become educated on family health.

Heidi Zator, a mother of 5 with bsc in holistic nutrition.