Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs & Education

Children who watch TV while eating are twice as likely to eat “junk” food as opposed to fruits and vegetables.

Today’s sedentary lifestyle for children is raising their risk of obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and other disorders. Read how you can help reverse this alarming trend.

Today’s parents are having their pediatrician tell them their 11-year-old son has Type 2 diabetes or their 16-year-old daughter has osteoporosis. The “out-of-control” lifestyles fashioned by the adults of the past 40 years has led to a 50% increase in the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes–the kind of diabetes that used to be known as “adult onset” because this obesity-related disorder wasn’t usually diagnosed until age 50 or older!

Making wellness a family affair
If we begin to place an emphasis on eating healthy foods and increasing activity levels in our children, we can reverse these alarming trends. Here are a few guidelines for dealing with overweight children. Be sure the child has been evaluated by a medical doctor to assure there are no reasons why losing weight would be a problem. Children can begin their day with a Dinomins multivitamin tablet and a shake made with nonfat milk or soy milk. Or how about a delicious DinoShake®?

Stopping the epidemic
Choose to set the example of picking up an apple instead of an ice-cream bar. Stop smoking. Turn off the television or computer and shoot some hoops with your children or go for a walk. Be sure to take your dog so you won’t have a fat dog at risk for diabetes and heart disease–yes, they develop the same diseases as humans! Let’s make the 21st century the century of wellness, family values and quality of life. Let’s start today.