There are now more overweight and obese people in America, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied data taken from 2007 to 2012 and found out that 67.6 million Americans above the age of 25 years old are obese, while overweight Americans are pegged at 65.2 million.
Of these numbers, 36 million men and 29 million women are overweight, but 32 million men and 36 million women are obese, according to Pop Sugar.
This is of great concern because being overweight or obese is linked to a lot of health problems. "These conditions are considerable health care and societal burdens, yet could potentially be averted by preventing weight gain and obesity." said Lin Yang, one of the authors of the study, according to Fox News.
The problem also extends to children, the experts said. Childhood obesity is in danger of hitting close to 70 million by 2025, according to WHO's Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, via Newsroom America. Barring these realities, the experts said that part of the problem's solutions rely on the parents, who can influence their kids' weight gain.
So, how can moms and dads keep their children in good shape? Below are some tips:
1. Limit or totally eliminate your children's intake of junk food and beverages as these only offer empty calories. Encourage your kids to eat healthier food items, such as fruit and vegetables, and make this a regular staple in your dining table or kitchen. Have healthy snack foods on stock, as this will be helpful and handy when they are looking for something to much on.
2. Instill in the kids the habit of drinking water regularly and let them cut down on drinking soda or pop cola, including the diet ones, as these contain high amounts of sugar.
3. Let the children enjoy the outdoors and limit their time playing video games or using the internet. These activities, as much as possible, should only be reserved for rainy days, or a few hours in a day.
4. Sign your kids up for camps and sports activities, especially during the summer period when they are less likely to have structured schedules.
5. Enlist the whole family in a physical activity you can all enjoy doing together, such as biking. This way, the children will see that they are not just the ones who have to keep fit. Their parents are setting a good example as well.
