Sep 04
Saturday

Raising Generation XXL

Childhood obesity has become a global epidemic. Over the past two decades the rates of childhood obesity have more than doubled, and today's children may be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

If you are concerned about your child's health Raising Generation XXL is for you. It is an easy to read, practical guide filled with simple yet effective strategies that show you how to create a healthy lifestyle for both your child, and the entire family.

Packed with practical advice, Raising Generation XXL is the sensible guide for parents who are worried about their child's future health and happiness.

Praise for Raising Generation XXL

“Raising Generation XXL is easy to read and filled with practical strategies that I use every day. My kids love the fun activities and I love the advice on how I can adapt my regular meals to be healthier.”
Carolyn, Teacher, mother of 2

“Being a mom of four means I am pretty busy, but Raising Generation XXL is broken up into small easy to read chapters that get to the point. I like Kari’s philosophy of keeping it simple and making it fun.”
Bec, Marketing Manager and mother of 4

“The ideas in this book are easy to apply. There are great tips on how to make healthy lifestyle changes and healthier food choices. This will help me make sure my child is not part of Generation XXL”
Nicky, Social Worker and mother of 1

“This book is full of common sense ideas for families who may be struggling with a child's weight problem.”
Janine, Owner/Director of An Australian Child Care Centre

“Raising Generation XXL shows parents how simple changes to the lifestyle choices they make can have a significant impact on their children’s health and weight.”
Anna, Youth Worker and mother of 1

“This book is easy to read and provides concise, practical information. It’s a great tool that will help families address childhood obesity”
Sandy, Nurse and mother of 3
Serious Health Risks

The risks associated with childhood obesity fall into 2 categories, health and psychological.

Health


People all too often focus on the aesthetic aspect of obesity.  Beautiful bodies come in all shapes and sizes.  The real problem with obesity is serious health risks. 

Some symptoms and health risks of obesity include:   

  • Shortness of breath:  This can become a vicious cycle.  The child experiences shortness of breath with the most basic of physical activity; this discomfort dissuades the child from engaging in more rigorous and enjoyable forms of exercise, further exacerbating obesity. 
  • Digestive problems:  Heartburn, gas pain and nausea.  Indigestion is the indication the body is having difficulty digesting the foods that have been inserted into it. 
  • Constipation:  The bowel becomes packed with low-fiber and toxic “foods.”  The colon’s job is to absorb sodium, electrolytes, magnesium and fiber.  Many health care practitioners hold that nearly all illness is caused directly by a toxic colon.  
  • Disturbed sleep patterns:  Obese children may suffer from a form of sleep apnea called Obstructive Sleep Apnea; it is caused by fatty tissue narrowing the throat, which makes breathing difficult. This can lead to numerous other conditions, such as constant fatigue; headaches; inability to concentrate; decreased attention span; poor judgment; hyperactivity; bedwetting; depression; weight gain; high blood pressure; and an increased risk of developing heart disease. 
  • Bone and joint problems:  These may be caused by the skeletal frame carrying a heavier load than it can bear.  The associated pain is more intense than growth spurt pains. Orthopedic disorders of foot structure can also result from obesity Overweight and obese children are also more likely than their normal weight peers to sustain a fractured or broken bone if they fall due to the burden of extra weight. 
  • High cholesterol:  There’s good cholesterol and there’s bad cholesterol.  Bad cholesterol is called LDL, for low-density lipoprotein.  Good cholesterol is called HDL, for high-density lipoprotein. When the body digests food, it deposits cholesterol into the blood vessels.  Bad cholesterol accumulates, narrowing arterial passageways.  But good cholesterol helps clean out the arteries.  High cholesterol can cause poor circulation, blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. 
  • Insulin resistance:  This is also called Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome.  Insulin resistance is signified by having three of the following conditions:  high blood sugar; high levels of triglycerides, the fats in blood; increased blood pressure; and decreased levels of HDL, or good, cholesterol; and obesity.  Insulin resistance is alleviated with weight loss through exercise and a healthy diet—unless it becomes full-blown diabetes, in which case it is life long. 
  • High blood pressure:  This is also called hypertension.  High blood pressure exacerbates stress, certain types of kidney disease, stroke and heart disease. 
  • Cardiovascular disease:  This disease, primarily in the forms of heart disease and stroke, tops the world’s causes of death.  It kills 17 million individuals annually. 
  • Diabetes:  This includes Type 2 diabetes and Type 1, or juvenile onset, diabetes.  Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.  The World Health Organization estimates that worldwide deaths caused by diabetes will surge by 50 percent within the next decade. 
  • Heart attack:  Children as young as 10 years old have died of heart attacks in the U.S. due to obesity.  Childhood obesity is also associated with a higher risk of disability or premature death in adulthood. 
Psychological


Although health risks are the primary concern about being overweight or obese, the painful reality is that overweight and obese people suffer the harsh judgment of others.  The psychological pain suffered by an overweight or obese child is very real and can be debilitating for life. 

Your child may be subjected to bullying, insults, and the embarrassment of always being chosen last for sports teams.  We all know how cruel other children are, especially during adolescence. 

Obese individuals are often erroneously perceived as lazy, slothful or unintelligent.  This is particularly painful for children and teenagers because they are still figuring out who they are. 

Also, other children are not yet fully equipped with a mental editor that reminds them not to make statements or ask questions that may be painful to someone else. 

The psychological stress that overweight and obese children may endure takes a toll.  Obese or overweight children are more likely to: 

  • Overweight and obese children may also turn to food as a source of comfort in the face of such debilitating emotions.  This sets a vicious cycle in motion. 
  • Suffer from low self-esteem.
  • Suffer the effects of bullying: anxiety disorders; difficulty sleeping; suicidal thoughts.
  • Have problems with school work and plummeting grades, which reinforces low self-esteem.
  • Develop depression.
  • Engage in substance abuse.  Overweight or obese adolescents may try to find escape in drinking or smoking to numb their feelings.  Sometimes smoking is used as a way to lose weight.