Child Obesity and Fast Food

By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
updated on 11/19/2007 at 03:05PM

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one in four children in the United States are currently overweight. Research shows that this epidemic is linked to the rise in other health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, and stroke. Health experts and parents are scrambling to understand the cause of this rise in childhood obesity so as to develop better methods to stop it. While genetics certainly play a role in a child’s development, many people now suggest that child obesity may be the result of heavy marketing from the fast food industry. Read on to learn more about child obesity from fast food and what you can do to reduce your child’s risk.

Child Obesity From Fast Food?

Fast food restaurants are deeply entrenched in American culture. You can’t drive down a highway without seeing strips of fast-food restaurants. Nor can you turn on a television or radio without seeing or hearing an advertisement for the latest burger or soft drink special.

Some people question the link between childhood obesity and fast food, but researchers have shown that the rise in obesity in the United States has grown along the same lines as the rise in fast food consumption. And there is no question that almost all fast food is extremely high in fat. Here’s a look at some of the most popular choices:

A Big Mac, Super Size fries and a large Coke at McDonalds now contains 1500 calories, about 40 percent of those from fat.
A typical Kentucky Fried Chicken Meal of chicken drumsticks, coleslaw, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a Pepsi contains 920 calories, 36 grams of fat, and 1590 milligrams of sodium.
A Taco Supreme with Pintos and Cheese from Taco Bell contains 400 calories with over 50 percent of those from saturated fat.

What makes these foods even worse is that they are heavily marketed to America’s children. It may seem innocent at first, but giving a toy with a meal, and offering play areas makes children and families think positively about these fast food meals. In reality, a meal at a fast food restaurant that is extremely high in fat, sugar, and salt leads to a rise in child obesity from fast food.

What Can Parents Do To Reduce Child Obesity From Fast Food?

Fast food meals are dangerously easy to obtain and deceptively packaged to make it appear that they are good for children. But don’t let the marketing fool you. Kids need lots of nutritious and healthy foods for their growth and development. Here’s how to improve your child’s diet and reduce the risk of child obesity from fast food.

Pass It Up: Make it a family goal to pass up the fast food restaurants from now on. Focus instead on putting together good meals at home that you can grab when you’re in a hurry.
Pass It On: Set a good example for your children. If your kids see you eating fast food meals, they will assume its good for them to eat as well.
Give Them An Option: Make sure your kids have access to plenty of healthy and nutritious foods.

For older children, in their teens, a supplement like Slimirex™* can help to support their weight loss goals. Slimirex™ contains nine ingredients that promote safe and healthy weight loss goals. Here’s a closer look:
Slimaluma: This nutrient contains Caralluma, a natural ingredient that has been used as an appetite suppressant in India for centuries.

Super Citrimax: Super Citrimax contains the number one selling diet ingredient in the world…hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA helps promote weight loss by safely controlling the appetite and burning body fat. It has also been found to increase blood levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps to improve mood, sleep and appetite control.

Advantra Z: Advantra Z contains citrus fruit extracts that help to stimulate the metabolism and increase the breakdown of fat.
L-Carnitine Fumarate: This amino acid is found naturally in the body. It works by stimulating the burning of fat for energy. It helps to promote weight loss and increase muscle strength.

7-Keto: 7-Keto is a substance found naturally in the body that helps to improve the metabolism and accelerate weight loss results.

Gugulipid: This ingredient is extracted from gum resin of Commiphora mukul, an Indian medicinal tree. This natural ingredient has been clinically proven to reduce harmful levels of blood cholesterol.
ForsLean: ForsLean helps to increase the body’s lean body mass, improving weight training results and boosting one’s overall health.

Bioperine: The extract from the fruit of black pepper contains about 95 percent piperine. This ingredient increases the bioavailability of the nutrients in your foods.
ChromeMate: ChromeMate, or chromium nicotinate, is a patented oxygen-coordinated niacin-bound chromium complex that helps to stabilize the body’s insulin and cholesterol levels and normalize energy production.

* As with any supplement, be sure to consult with your health care provider before administering it to a child.

About the Author

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives.