More children are 'extremely' obese than previously thought

American children are heavier than ever before, according to a new study.

Not only are kids obese, they're even heavier than previously thought, says the research from healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente.

The study examined the weights and heights of 710,000 children aged 2 to 19 in southern California, and found 7% of boys and 5% of girls were "extremely" obese, defined as 120% of the 95th percentile for weight for the child's age and sex.

An example would be a 10-year-old who should weigh about 70 pounds, but instead weighs 140 pounds, Corinna Koebnick, PhD., the study's lead author, told WebMD.com.

''The prevalence of extreme obesity was much higher than we thought," Koebnick said. ''Seven percent of boys and 5% of girls -- that is scary."

Koebnick's team found that 37.1% of the children were overweight, 19.4% were obese and 6.4% were extremely obese, according to WebMD.

''This is a serious health issue,'' she told WebMD. ''These children are very likely to continue to be obese adults and face all the health consequences that come with obesity at a very early age.''

Statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control in January reported that obesity rates for adult men and women have remained constant for at least five years. However, the same data found that nearly 34% of adults are considered obese, and the number of obese children tripled over the past 30 years to 17%.

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Strawberries : Lovely Fruit, have lots of Health Benefits

Strawberries are like nutritional gems, choc-full with health benefits! These little red berries have been prized for their medicinal benefits since the likes of Julius Caesar walked the earth... So lets check them out!

Firstly, strawberries are a fantastic source of vitamin C. While oranges get all the publicity, 1/2 a punnet of these quiet achievers can provide you with 55mg of vitamin C, thats more than a days worth! Research also suggests that vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers in the gastrointestinal tract.

Folate is a nutrient that is getting more and more focus these days, as it is super important for pregnant women and foetus, so to avoid birth defects such as spina bifida. 1/2 a punnet of strawberries will provide you with 10% of your daily requirements of folate so get munching!

Phytochemicals, or anti-oxidants as they are commonly known. Anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals which are harmful particles in our bodies which encourage damage and ageing. Strawberries contain antioxidants , and one in particular called Ellagic acid. Ellagic acid helps combat carcinogens, free radicals which are linked to cancer. It also turns out that strawberries are better at fighting free radicals than many other fruits like oranges, grapes and kiwi fruit.

Fibre. Well we all know how important in is to stay regular and this is what Strawberries will help you do. The seeds are a good source of insoluble fibre which helps prevent constipation. The strawberry flesh contains soluble fibre and pectin which has been found to help with lowering cholesterol.

But wait there's more! On top of all this there are 3 more great health benefits that can be gained from eating strawberries:

• strawberries may help lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
• Strawberries have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities which help maintain kidney and bladder health.
• Strawberries are low GI at only 40 points which means they are a great food option for diabetics.

 Well there you go, 7 reasons for why Strawberries are really nutritional gems...so what are you waiting for? Go get into 'em!

Source : DesiDieter.Com

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Obesity in children

In recent years we see that there's more obese children. The main cause of this obesity is a poor diet, perhaps because of time: because parents do not find time to watch and even cook for their children vary their meals. We empiffrons our children surcreries, fast food, convenience meals, not to mention pizza: what ease!

All these meals are not very healthy for our children and are very fat (bad cholesterol), the consequence is that the child gains weight. My daughter since she is old enough to drink, I prefer water instead of sugary drinks too much or gazeuzes or give him the natural juices made by me or my husband. Regarding sweets, she almost did not claim because I did not used to all ca. If they give him chocolate, she eats, of course, but not more than 3 small squares. Usually I cook my own meals and So It is not likely that she eats at a fast food because we don 't go there practically. I'm not saying never eat in fast food. Yes, when I was pregnant I had these urges. But all I can say is to avoid bringing our children regularly in fast food, finally! it does not become a habit. If we are to avoid becoming obese, monitor their diet, give them a healthy diet, well balanced and mostly we cook their own meals.