Emergency! Help! Our children are in danger. Healthy weight loss and obesity in children is the focus of this article. Everyone should be concerned about this situation.

The fact that in the United States, a large number of children are diagnosed as being obese is a very serious problem. Children are the future and it does not look good for them in terms of health and well being.

According to a new study from Duke University Medical Center, the more children a person has, the greater the risk he or she will become obese. They also maintain that obesity is a family problem because children follow the lead of their parents. A healthy lifestyle for one is a healthy lifestyle for all.

Health professionals believe obesity is linked to several major health concerns including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. It is alarming that an estimated 300,000 adults die of obesity-related illnesses every year in the United States. That is tantamount to deaths that occur in major warfare such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Folks, this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. More education on health needs to be included in the curriculum of all schools, especially elementary and middle schools. Save the children!

How bad is obesity in children?

Obesity in our children has reached epidemic proportions. Experts estimate that 20 percent of children are overweight and another 15 percent are at risk of becoming seriously overweight. The really bad news is that two-thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults. Now that is a dim future health-wise for the next generation.

Who is to blame?

• Children watch too much TV and play mindless video games. That would be the fault of parents, who control what goes on in their households.

• Fast food loaded with calories and high fat. Parents have some control over what their children eat outside the home, even though the food industry and media encourage eating highly processed, chemical laden foods.

• Schools that allow junk food vending machines on school property and do not always require physical education and nutrition classes. However, parents can get involved and pressure schools to do the right thing.

• All Doctors who do not encourage and educate parents and children about healthy lifestyles share some of the blame as well.

There is plenty of blame to go around, but the responsibility to do something about it falls on all of us. This is truly a shameful and dangerous situation.

There is no doubt that it is not easy, especially if the parents are overweight. Teaching our children to make healthier choices is extremely important, if we want them to avoid the health problems associated with being overweight.

We should demand that schools educate our children on proper nutrition and healthy living, even though it should start at home, schools can follow up and continue the education and training.

If we would love and care about ourselves and our children as we should, healthy weight loss and obesity in children would not be a serious issue.