Do You Feel Overweight?

Do you feel overweight? Check out these facts on obesity and find out what you can do to get in shape.

Being Overweight - Fat Facts

• Being obese basically means a person is medically overweight to the point that their health is at risk. An excess of body fat can cause serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
• One in seven kids in the United States is considered obese or seriously overweight.
• Obese kids usually turn out to be obese adults because as you get older it becomes more difficult to change eating habits and lose unwanted pounds. More than 55 percent of American adults are overweight or obese.
• A doctor can tell if you are overweight by looking at your height, body type and age. Doctors will put these figures into a mathematical formula and find out your body mass index (BMI) to see if you are the right weight for your height. If you are concerned about your weight, talk to a doctor; don't judge yourself against what your friend or someone on television or in a fashion magazine looks like.
• One of the reasons more kids are obese is because they're spending more time watching television and playing video games and less time being active. The average kid in the United States spends 14 hours a week watching television and seven hours a week playing video games.

Being Overweight - Getting in Shape

• The best way to prevent obesity is to stay active and eat properly.
• It's okay to occasionally eat french fries, burgers, doughnuts, candy or even pop, but keep your portions small and don't eat those foods every day. Drink water instead of pop or have an apple as a snack instead of a candy bar, for example.
• Before drastically changing your diet (food you eat) talk to the 'rents and/or your doc.
• You don't have to go to the gym or run ten miles every day to stay in shape, but you should try to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
• There are hundreds of different activities you can do to keep fit. Walking your dog, beating up your brother, riding a skateboard, playing hackey sack or practicing Usher or Beyonce's latest dance moves in front of the television are all great ways to stay in shape. Just make sure it's an activity that gets your heart rate going and makes you break a sweat.

Kidz Submit By:
Nickname: chez_lee
Age: 13

I used to be really depressed because my older sister was slimmer than me and I was teased for it. But now I'm taking up activities I enjoy like dancing and kick boxing to keep fit and I have started drinking more water. I have found out that this is all it really takes for me to keep fit and now I feel much better and am having fun! I also go to the gym every week and am keeping at it because I have never felt better!

Have Your Say

Are you exercising enough and eating right? Tell Kidzworld what you do to stay in shape.