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Stop Obesity by Faun Rubert, CFT I think it is common knowledge at this point that obesity rates are at an all time high and continue to rise. With this, however our image of what overweight is has changed significantly. Even the clothing industry has been changing as these statistics rise, making sizes bigger than before. It makes it difficult to have a good grasp on what it means to be obese. I help people get healthier for a living; this usually involves losing weight. I think people are often shocked to learn that they are obese. We say things like “big-boned”, “large build” or “stocky”. In some cases that may be true, but oftentimes people are simply overweight. To be obese your body fat must be at or above 25% for a male and 32% for a female. This is common now days and is affecting all populations. This very serious health issue has plagued our youth. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2006 nearly 1 in 3 children were overweight. This is triple what it was 30 years ago. Obesity is killing us. The risk of cardiovascular disease increases significantly with excess body weight. Other correlated conditions include, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, type 2 diabetes, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep and respiratory issues, some cancers, problems with menstruation, complications with pregnancy, incontinence, and depression. Between 1998 and 2000 it was reported that adult diagnosed obesity cost the state of Michigan almost 3 billion dollars. We can change this around. We have got to make our children’s health a priority. It is up to us as caregivers. It is our responsibility to make sure that kids are eating the right amount food, the right kinds of food, and are engaged in physical activity whether they are home, at day care or at school. Our children are less active today than ever before. Give your kids opportunities to engage in physical activity. Sign them up for a class or to be on a sports team. Get outside with them and play or go for walks. Make it mandatory that they go outside for a set amount of time each day and limit the amount of time that they are on the computer, watching television and playing video games.