Childhood Obesity

Today's children have a life expectancy shorter than their parents.

For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, according to a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The report tells us that the rapid rise in childhood obesity could shorten life spans by as much as five years.

The severity of obesity in our country is so great that the complications and diseases associated with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, strike people at younger and younger ages.

Without obesity, there would be no type 2 diabetes in children.

Until recently, the most common form of diabetes, type 2, was a disease generally developed by people over the age of 40, took years to develop, and was often caused by years of excess weight, inactivity and poor diet. Today children as young as the age of 10 are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - children who are overweight, spend most of their time in front of a computer or TV, and have a poor diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables.

What else do we know:

The American Diabetes Association Web site tells us that of the 1,818,500 West Virginia residents in 2006, approximately 107,000 have been diagnosed with diabetes. This number does not include the thousands of West Virginians who do not know that they have diabetes.
West Virginia has the second highest rate of adult obesity (29.8%) and the second highest rate of overweight youths between the ages of 10-17 (20.9%) in the nation, according to a new report by Trust for America's Health.

People with disabilities, especially our youth, already have compromised immune systems and are most at risk of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Cost of Diabetes:

The total cost of diabetes for people in West Virginia in 2006 is estimated at $998,600,000. This estimate includes excess medical costs of $695,000,000 attributed to diabetes, and lost productivity valued at $303,600,000. This information is published on the American Diabetes Association Web site.

What can you do?

Educate yourself.

Learn more about diabetes. Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness? Read more about diabetes on this Web site or call your local chapter of the American Diabetes Association for more information.

Get moving.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk instead of driving whenever you can. Learn more about Wellness and Physical Fitness on this Web site.

Change your diet.

Make better choices. Order the salad instead of the burger. Eat an apple instead of chips. Learn more about Maintaining a Healthy Diet on this Web site.

Quit smoking.

According to the American Lung Association smoking-related diseases (such as heart disease, lung cancer, asthma and allergies) claim an estimated 430,700 American lives each year. Learn more about Asthma and Allergies on this Web site.

Get out and advocate.

It's an epidemic. Call your child's school and talk to them about making healthy foods available at lunch. Get your children involved in sports - or take a walk with them. Talk to your local restaurants about making healthy food choices available. Learn more about Advocacy in Action on this Web site.

Start today.

Let's all make a commitment to a better life for ourselves and our children.

Updated: January 25, 2008