Is 14 the New 40? (Part 1)

Childhood obesity is escalating at an alarming rate.parents are turning to more and more medications
According to recent reports; children born after thewhich can have serious side effects.
year 2000 are not expected to outlive their parents!In the new book Generation XL, Drs. Joseph Mercola
Fourteen has become the new forty for theseand Ben Lerner suggest prevention is always easier
children, with many researchers are now saying thatthan cure; incorporating healthy lifestyle changes to
poor nutrition and lack of exercise are moregive your child a realistic way to reach and maintain a
dangerous to children than alcohol, drugs and tobaccohealthy weight, dramatically reduce the risk of
combined!developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
Profound inactivity and junk-food diets haveand other health risks.
essentially created an epidemic. One only has to lookThis is an important message in a culture that tends
as far as your child's school to see physical educationto gravitate to the next quick fix or fad diet. Taking
programs being slowly eroded from the curriculuma proactive approach to health, instead of waiting
and school cafeterias serving what could only beuntil you get sick is not a new idea, but definitely one
described as sugar-coated, fried, preservatives with athat has been ignored lately. If the recent obesity
large helping of salt.statistics are any indication of our children's future,
Unfortunately, as more and more children begin toperhaps its time for parents to once again teach their
develop chronic illness, pain syndromes, depressionchildren to value play, become more active and eat
and learning disorders, rather than looking at lack ofhealthy food. Of course, this can only be taught by
nutrition and exercise as the culprits, concernedexample..