Childhood Obesity is a Choice

I'm sure you're aware that childhood obesity is a real problem. According to the Mayo Clinic, over 25 million kids are overweight or in danger of becoming obese. And overweight children are at higher risk of developing: Type 2 diabetes, Metabolic syndrome, High blood pressure, Asthma and other respiratory problems, sleep disorders, liver disease, early puberty or menarche, eating disorders, skin infections and more.

When you think about it, it's a choice. Aren't kids are supposed to be out playing? And we as parents are supposed to be monitoring what they eat, whether it's at home or at school. But so many kids are TV addicts and so many parents don't have a clue how to eat for themselves, much less guide their kids' habits. And the proliferation of awful foods and sodas in school vending machines doesn't make it any easier. So what matters is how we make choices for our kids, and how we teach our kids to make choices.

Beachbody is getting more and more involved, mostly through the efforts of our MDB coaches who are taking matters into their own hands.

We've marketed Tony and The Kids for years, and now we're adding a title to the cause this January which will be fun step in the right direction:

Shaun T has a new workout coming in late January; Shaun T's Fit Kids Club, which includes two 25-minute workouts on one DVD with a fun wall poster that shows healthy snack tips and a kids-guide for reading nutrition labels. I think it will appeal to kids form age 5 to 14.

The release date is mid-January for MDB coaches and late January for everyone else.

If you have a kid in grade school, you know how frustrated teachers get at recess time on rainy days. I'm giving a copy of the DVD to my daughter's school and giving the poster to her classroom so they have some additional healthy messaging around them at snack time.

Of course when it comes to fighting childhood obesity, I think the most compelling strategy is to get parents active and eating right. Show them how you're making smart choices. Kids learn choices from their parents. When kids see their parents working out, they see that it's an important part of their lifestyle. It might not happen right now, but at some point, that child will "get it" and remember how it's done because they saw mom and dad choosing health. "Hey mom, where's that Shaun T DVD?"

Same goes for eating. Teaching kids healthy food choices is not nearly as compelling as serving them the right portion size and food options. You learn what you eat.

The best of all this is the upside: Kids who are active and eating well have a real chance of avoiding the harsh trends of obesity-linked diseases. And healthy kids make healthy grand kids. It's time for us to help them learn the importance of this lifestyle, by example, and by guiding their choices.